I started this blog in November 2015 with the express purpose of helping to grow pickleball in the Hendersonville, NC area. I focused on local issues and skills/strategies to develop players' abilities. While none of that has changed, the blog appearance and name has. I briefly touched on the changes in a previous post, Change for the Better...I Hope. Now is the time for a more comprehensive review of the new blog.
Several weeks into the blog last winter, I realized its limitations and usefulness to a reader. I was writing articles that built a pickleball knowledge base that started from the basics and progressed to the advanced and from the first shot - the serve - to specialty shots. I was trying to do so with some semblance of order. As new materials became available about which to write, the order rapidly became disorder. I tried to adjust by providing "labels", e.g., serve, return of serve, drop shot, etc., which would allow a reader to pull out the relevant articles. But I was not satisfied with that solution either.
Several weeks into the blog last winter, I realized its limitations and usefulness to a reader. I was writing articles that built a pickleball knowledge base that started from the basics and progressed to the advanced and from the first shot - the serve - to specialty shots. I was trying to do so with some semblance of order. As new materials became available about which to write, the order rapidly became disorder. I tried to adjust by providing "labels", e.g., serve, return of serve, drop shot, etc., which would allow a reader to pull out the relevant articles. But I was not satisfied with that solution either.
Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that a "book" was the best way to build a knowledge base. But a blog, with the first articles of basic building blocks buried pages deep, was a horrible way to create such a book. Thus, a new blog was developed. There were (and will continue to be) daily articles on new topics. But the book will group these into relevant chapters that are easily accessible to readers.
Please note the left column of the blog. It contains chapters of A Pickleball Life that build up from a starting chapter of basic pickleball knowledge through chapters of successive shots. Each chapter includes blog posts about skills, strategies, footwork, and teamwork related to the chapter's topics. For example, when a reader wants more information on The Third Shot, he can click on Chapter 4 and all relevant posts are shown. If that reader has a favorite expert, I indicate whether that post utilizes an expert source.
On the subject of experts, on-line information is exploding with new sources. I have decided to add a repository of expert videos and articles for a reader to have a central location from where to seek such information. It is located at the top of the right-hand column and is labelled "resources". It will include links to Sarah Ansboury, Mark Renneson, Pickleball Channel, and many other expert advice sites.
Finally, I would note the change in name of the blog. It was originally called Apple Country Pickleball inasmuch as its focus was on the local area and local players. But the market for the site has grown well beyond the three-county area I originally targeted. The audience includes Pennsylvania, much of the Southeast and more. I wanted to give the blog a title that appealed to a diverse audience...and one that reflected the author's crazed obsession with pickleball. Hence, A Pickleball Life was born.
I hope you like the site and find it easier to navigate. Please be aware, though, that the transition remains incomplete. All of the chapters are not in place and the Resources is page grows by the day. Tournament season and managing the startup of Crosswalk has taken away from the updates. Rest assured that it will be completed soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment