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April 25, 2022

PickleBall!

The Official Seenagers, with teenager spirit.

 This week’s episode it’s all about Pickleball with Jeff Weiss. Such a fun interview!

Jeff is a great guy, a funny dude… and has a company named Age of Majority Revolution55; it’s all about highly engaged Active Agers. Jeff is the President and CEO with over 30 years of marketing experience. Including working with Pepsi, Gillette, Dannon, and so many more.

 Jeff tells us all about the explosion of Pickleball, the weird scoring, and the rules. I still don’t get what the kitchen is? Lol.

 Where did the name Pickleball come from? So many questions, such little time.

 Jeff was recently in Naples, Florida, and he knows about this fishing tackle shop with the crazy name. And you ready for this... The name of the shop is Master Bait and Tackle! Can’t make this up!

 

Jeff Weiss can be contacted at jeff@ageofmajority.com 1-888-544-4561

Transcript

Pickleball with Jeff Weiss

The Official Seenagers, with teenager spirit

Mon, 4/25 12:24PM • 21:20

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

pickleball, play, people, pickleball courts, jeff, ball, tennis, called, pandemic, bocce, outfits, kidding, tennis court, pickle, wife, teenagers, andropause, border, activators, active agers, courts, AARP

Charlie Ponger & Debbie Nigro 00:01

Hey everyone, welcome to the official teenagers. How are you? Debbie? I'm looking online to buy my new pickleball paddle pickleball pickleball paddle I want to be in everybody's playing pickleball it's the craziest stupidest name for a sport I've ever heard but it's obviously trending. And I want in you want to I want him because it looks like you can't get hurt here. I like that. What? What is it like a small tennis court? Is that what the deal is? It looks like a abbreviated version of tennis. As you know, it's a shorter court. It's people usually you can play singles or doubles. But my girlfriend told me about this. My college girlfriend Donna, and her husband, Howie. They're like, Oh, we're in a pickle boat. We play pickleball all the time. I'm like you really do. So I started looking at what it's about. Right? And it's got this research yet Miss research. Yeah, how it's named. We'll talk about that a little bit. And they will call it a pickleball tournament on television. I noticed. Even though I thought it was like an older person's game a lot of young people are playing it's like the most trending new sport in the country. So let me ask you a question. Yeah. People that are still super athletic are playing pickleball Yeah, they plan pickleball instead of tennis. Right. So So Bocce is out of the question, love to Bocce next week. Yeah, you gotta bend for Bocce, you got to do pickleball to get in shape for Bocce. I was doing some homework to see who get us right here on the official teenagers. Yeah, and, you know, we want it people want to hang out with like minded people who owe each other and support each other, especially in the podcast world you want to, you know, collaborate with other people. Yeah. So I found this guy, Jeff Weiss, who I thought was really cool. Yeah. He's the president and CEO, Chief, evangelist officer of a thing called age of majority.com. Oh, what a good man. He's got a, an online community called Revolution. 55. Yeah. And what I liked about him is that he's like us, he's laying going down anytime soon. And all his people are like our people. So he's still has a very youthful mind. Right? Well, we have him on the line, right? Well, I want just a minute to tell you what his thing is and why he's so attractive to us. Okay. Okay. Active agers. That's, that's who we are. Even though it's a weird phrase, activators. And he knows active aging consumers better than anybody. Because that's what his company does. They do surveys and research. And that's why we have him here because he found out that Pickleball is like, ooh, the number one thing everybody's talking about, where you still have that teenage Spirit in us, right. Understood. Okay, let's say hello to Jeff. Jeff, what are you doing? All right. I'm doing amazing. Thanks so much for having me on to talk about pickleball Yeah, Jeff, where are you in the world just so everybody knows physically. Oh,

Jeff Weiss:

depends how you want to pay but that I right now, physically, I'm in Toronto, and I spend my time between Toronto and Gloucester Massachusetts. Oh, very Oh, so we get to you without having to stay at the border and that's great.

Debbie & Charlie:

You don't want to go there today. You know, there was some there were two seniors that made the news during the pandemic who lived in Europe on different sides of a border of two countries and they got screwed when the pandemic lockdown they've closed the border and they were on either side meeting each other at three o'clock every day to have like a cocktail on either side of the border because they couldn't cross oh and be with each other. Well, she was at his house fooling around she's like 80 and she caught that there was going to be locked down and went home to get her things or figure out whatever they locked down but poor she got back so they spent the entire pandemic at the border having cocktails on either side. No kidding? Yeah, but I love that story. I love that that you know how to do touchy touchy, he rode his bike, bicycle and we reached over.

Debbie Nigro:

Anyway, Jeff pickleball. You said in your surveys of this demographic is really loud as a trend. Tell me about what you did with your company to know that. Oh, well, not only my company, but personally my friends. Pickleball is the hottest thing now. And it started out with you know, kind of older people this activity and now you've got everyone from DiCaprio to the Kardashians to Jamie Foxx Owen Wilson playing because they see it as something hip and cool and they're trying to steal it. Thoughts activators

Jeff Weiss & Debbie Nigro 04:10

Yes, yes. What's a pickleball outfit look like how much lycra is in that sucker? There's a huge drop ash I target with my family because there's a huge opportunity have cool and hip pickleball outfits pickleball paddles everything colored balls and everything. Have they designed pickleball outfits yet or? No? No liar liar pants on fire. I found something pickleball Bella bella.com A lot of times it's just like tennis gear that they've now called the pickleball I see. Yeah, you know, I've got I've got I went out and got pickleball shoes, which look exactly like tennis shoes, but they just say these are pickleball Wait, are you a pickleball player now I am a pickleball you know what? I play tennis as my main sport. Yeah.

Jeff Weiss & Charlie Ponger 05:00

So I love racquet sports. But pickleball my, my wife started playing my son who's a great tennis player, his girlfriend, great tennis player, and then during the pandemic we couldn't play. So we kind of got some tape and taped out on our driveway. pickleball court and got the stuff and we that's what we did for activity. You put up a net? Yeah. Oh, wow.

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 05:21

It, can you play singles? You can it's more meant for for doubles. Okay. And then and then is the score the same as tennis like 15? Love? Oh, you know what the most confusing thing about playing cricket ball is the scoring. Really? It's like, what if I said, three? If the score was three to one, it would mean that that my team has three, our team has two and I'm the first server. It's crazy. It's the most weight. So you're assigned and you're assigned a number that's there. For people. It's 1234. No, it's one in two. And if you if your team is serving and you're the first server, then you're one and then once you lose your serve, it goes to your partners too. It's really I think it's four it's too hard for me, I beg

Jeff Weiss, Charlie Ponger & Debbie Nigro 06:10

physically, it's much easier to play physically, you're gonna need to do mental is is the is the scoring more like volleyball.

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 06:17

It's there's nothing like it. It's nothing like I rather play chess, I think I'll tell you what, it's supposed to be a simple game, because originally it was a kids game. It was it was created because I was yeah, I'm used to children. Do you know why it's called pickleball? No. Why can't I do when I want to hear Jeff said yes. Go ahead. All right, good. All right, Jeff, you tell?

Jeff Weiss & Debbie Nigro 06:38

Because I came here was somewhere on the West Coast. I think the guy was born came up a game and his dog's name was pickles. So the name you gotta be kidding me. Yeah. Is that what you know? That is exactly the truth. It was about the dog. And do you notice the official state sport of Washington on purpose? Yeah, it started over there. And everybody's playing. So you just went to Naples? Florida? Yes. Yeah. And saw pickleball at its height. What was going on? Oh, well, you know, I was golfing and you know, there's, there's, you know, the golf course. Then you've got, you know, the blue Kotori tennis court. But anyway, I'd be going by and actually drove one of my balls into the tennis court and almost killed me. But you'd hear before you would see pick ball you hear because it's a very distinct kind of plunking sound because the ball is like a wiffle ball, and you would hear that. So they're either building new pickleball courts or they're taking, you know, tennis courts and lining them differently because they're smaller. Or like in Naples, they've got this one whole park is filled with pickleball courts. You gotta be kidding me. You know, and other places where you know, more like the seniors communities. They're taking the old shuffleboard courts. I love shuffleboard, but they're taking those courts and they're making them into pickleball courts. Oh, so shuffleboard is kind of becoming passe. Hmm. And you know what? I've got a whole theory about kind of what's what's next and Pickleball is just the first one. Something called there's something called Walking soccer. Walk walking. I can't get it excited. I'm not a big soccer fan. Okay, I can't watch soccer but this is for people who love soccer but you know, generally not necessarily older but mainly people just not as mobile as they use it right and they love soccer but you walk running is prohibited. I love soccer i Those guys are like stallions I like to watch I think definitely likes it for different reasons. Bodies I've ever seen. But I you know yes. Sorry for me people People are always looking for new fun things to do. Right so think about you know, you go to the bars you'd be you know I can go drink but hey, here's a pool table. I'm going to play pool and then the whole ping pong thing took off right? Yes. And with Susan stern and all that so you know look at like, you know croquet and lawn bowling for me are just out there waiting to be kind of popularized.

Charlie Ponger & Debbie Nigro 09:00

Oh, my God. Bochy, the same thing. I love Bochy, my grandmother was a Bachi champion grandmas Garfield have the pictures rule Yeah, she was big.

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 09:08

You know the thing about pickleball in terms of fashion again, because women are playing a lot right pickleball Yeah, so yeah, one of the big fashion men one of the big fashion items is skorts What are skorts 2008 I know go ahead their shorts that looked like skirts Correct. skirt over shorts is like a one piece sucker so when you bend over there's shorts and not

Charlie & Debbie:

a guest okay.

Debbie & Charlie:

I don't think skirt should be allowed them Yeah, well, they're my favorite. So they have skirts pickleball fashion has courts with martini glasses on them. This is hysterical. Oh my god. Yeah. And let me tell you something. One of the things that I've seen both personally and through our community is like as women get older men too but but women and my wife's a big planet tennis player and she plays lots with women are you know under 50

Jeff Weiss:

In the 80s 90s And you know, the tennis outfits are designed for younger people whose bodies are kind of generally thinner or thinner, right? So as you know, we get older and I've got my parents who are you know, it's like it's like you know if a woman wears brings a new outfit, whether it's it's a skirt or shorts or skirt, and it looks great all the other where'd you get that? Right? And they all want to

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 10:24

pickleball action outfits. Oh my god. Same kind of thing. Kind of Jeff, you know what I learned from Debbie, that women when they shop? The first thing that they do is say, I got this for 50% off, or I got this for 80% off. So this only cost $22? No, no. Let the women first hunt down the bargain. Yeah, then they buy it. The first thing they say when somebody complements them. Oh, yeah, they blurt. They blurt it out. That's a really nice Avenue. You go Oh, shut up about that depth. Yeah, you're right. Because when you asked we did a little bit on that on one of our episodes. Then you said to me, the next time you go out, just listen. And I purposely went out just for that. And it happened because a woman can never just say thank you. Yeah, no, it would be too simple. Thank you so much. Oh, it's nice to think I'm dressed nice. She has to blurt their borders. Does your wife do that? Jeff?

Jeff Weiss:

Oh, my wife shops online. No, she's but she's not a typical shopper or she's an online shopper. It? Yeah. If someone compliments me, you know? Yeah.

Jeff Weiss, Charlie Ponger & Debbie Nigro 11:31

Thanks my wife. Yeah, well, men do that all men do that. If they're married on my own clothing, right. You know, it's just the way it is. Right? Me either. And I've been single for 12 years. So guess what? I

Charlie Ponger:

really want to think about what you're?

Debbie Nigro:

You don't!

Debbie & Charlie:

Yeah, I love it. That Pickleball is like you can learn the game in an hour and just get out there. There's no like drama. No, like, you have to like be intimidated. It's very addicting. People are having a lot of fun doing this at at all ages. And you can learn the game in like an hour. Like really, really? Absolutely. And I saw that we were out at a spa in California. And they just put a couple new pickleball courts out there. And every morning at nine o'clock, it was kind of it was so open play. And most people would never play my wife and I look like superstars.

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 12:16

You're ahead of the curve, because you're ahead of the curve. People would play for an hour and they were like, Oh my God, they're all good. And then we had one one woman there with your two daughters are in their 20s. And they went back to North Carolina, Atlanta, where they and they actually sent us a picture, they kind of set up a court outside in their cul de sac. Oh, it's just it's so easy. Because you know what? Like, you don't have to be a really good athlete to play pickleball is that right? But you get to exercise, right? You get to exercise. It's not nearly as strenuous as playing tennis. Or you can't hurt yourself diseases you can't play in tennis so affordable. You know, it's affordable, really affordable. And it's very social, right? Yeah, very so. So the the social spark part, right, you would trigger to thought for me? When you said you went to some spa, where did you go to the spa in California? California. Okay, did it have like, you know, when you go to play tennis and Buffy and Buffy and all that sort of stuff, there's a little gazebo with drinks and you know, water with lemon in it and the whole day. Are they doing that for pickleball? Yet? Are they doing like the whole? The whole upscale thing like the Field Club? Yes, some places are it's just you know, because now you're giving like professional pickleball team. So it's just it's gone to this whole different level. I tell me instead of a sort of a tennis club, you're gonna have pickleball clubs. Tell me about the ball. You said it was plastic like a wiffle balls away. Yeah. So you know you're probably have a wiffle ball. Bat on the still do. That's what it looks like, right? And the and the paddle is, you know, there's different types. There's the cheap wooden ones or whatever. And yeah, it makes us very distinct. Kind of clinking sound, I wish I had one arm, you could do it. And it's like you said, it's easy to it. And the thing you can whack you can whack the ball. So like people love to act great. But one of the there's a couple of things in pickleball. So some some names. So there's the way that it's laid out. There's by the net, it's called the kitchen, and you can kind of step into the kitchen and hit it. Okay, and one of the things one of the best shots it was called dinking it so like when you think the ball over the net, and like just barely goes over into someone's kitchen. So there's this whole new terminology. And usually it's funny because when you play with somebody younger just wants to yak it, they're not very good at thinking the older people are much better and thinking of course they are even in tennis is so it's sort of like that. That little shot in tennis where you're kind of slicing the ball down, right? Yeah, that's that's my game. That's me. You guys aren't very excited about this. I just want to say that they're making it here and I could talk about this all day. I forgot I was here. I have a lot more questions. Okay. Well, I just want to talk about pickleball being such an attractive idea that the now you can make people take pickleball vacations and go places where they are luring you with pickleball courts. It is a fact

Debbie Nigro:

According to Architectural Digest a pickleball court is the hot new amenity in real estate developments today. No people want it. It's the herd mentality people are looking for. Yeah, they always want excited people like to follow that stuff. That's great. I think it's great if there's no no minutes room good. It's it's it's much cheaper if you want. I don't know what the cost is, but a lot cheaper than trying to put a tennis court on your property. You don't need nearly as much room. So people are doing it and what like, the Kardashians I heard put one in there you know, I'm sure they've got a huge estate and so yeah, let's put a little pickleball court here. Can you play on grass? No. Okay, ball would bounce. No ball doesn't bounce at all. That was the my kind of on on concrete. Yeah. All right. So now well, while you were in Naples, yes. Did you find Bonita Beach Road in Bonita beach just north of north of

Charlie Ponger & Debbie Nigro 15:57

Bonita Beach Road. Bonita Beach Road is in Bonita just north of Naples and there's a there's a tackle shop there you know for guys who have to fishermen and the name this is Yan Scott truth. The name of the tackle shop is called Master Bait and Tackle you're not gonna believe I know the owner. Know? Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. No, because it was pitched him. I'm going to tell you how. And it makes no sense. Oh my god. I can't believe you just said that. Yeah. Through through channels. Yeah. You know, I know everybody by accident. Yeah. Somebody came to me to help that guy with masturbate and tackle bad name. The names fantastic. He's great.

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 16:34

He's great. And he was it's about a fishing television show I'm helping package and to help him fishing show but he wanted a called meth master BAM like that. Nobody's gonna be sponsoring this. I'm not kidding you. He's a very nice guy. Very nice guy. Oh, I know. Right? I thought that was so clever. Really? I thought it was well, you know, I'm a girl. I thought it was gross. But okay. Oh, Dad. I'm sorry. I got the owner on. You want to meet him? The Master Master. I would love to talk to that guy. He's got

Charlie Ponger:

Are you kidding me?

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 17:08

Can't believe who's in my rolodex I swear. Yes. Or you got to be kidding me. I'd love to talk to that. Yeah, twice. Let's go back to Jeff. Why for one second, Jeff. I'm glad you're in my rolodex now. Now I really am. So Jeff. You over there with the big brain and the surveys for the activators What are you looking into? Now? I know you do studies for corporations for individuals for anybody who's looking to know more about the demographic 55 Plus, what are you working on? One of the cool things we've just done a research study on is those taboo subjects menopause and andropause not even know the word andropause, which is basically for me.

Jeff Weiss & Debbie Nigro 17:44

Subjects don't no one wants to talk about talk about actually it's not true that there's a whole musical based on menopause in Vegas. It's the longest running musical in Vegas menopause the musical I'm giving my friends it produces a blog. Funniest thing you ever wanted to see about menopause? I'd love to see the guy version and my play. I'm sorry that guys have andropause. I just hope they sweat so that they could

Jeff & Charlie & Debbie 18:05

feel it. This is interesting, hot. Jeff, I want to hear all about this. We'll do another we'll do another segment with you just about this. So long as we can make fun of it. Yeah, absolutely. I'm really gonna laugh really hard if I think that guys are gonna whip their shirts off because they're too hot because of Kendra was killed me. I never. I never have that problem. Now. It's always too cold for me. Yeah. Well, I'm Jeff. Thanks so much for being here. Yeah, I'm gonna send you a monogrammed pickle ball. Oh my god. Thank you. So last minute. Wait a minute. You're sending Charlie a pickle ball. It's a mano a mano. think Deb Are you kidding me? Leave us alone. I Jeff, you cancel for the next episode. I'll send you something separate on me. Thank goodness, Jeff because I'm the one who found you here. I love where's the love? I Jeff Weiss age of majority revolution. 50 five.com. Thanks so much. Thank you, Jeff. Thanks. Thanks for having me. I'm great day. Okay, Debbie. That was a heck of a lot of fun. And he's giving you gifts. Yes. See? Are you did you talk to him separately? He's still on the line. I can't believe it. I gotta turn this goodbye. And he's listening in and you made a separate deal with him. Yeah, I did. Oh, that's me. A sneaky bastard. That's okay. You see my god my pocket.

Debbie & Charlie:

No idea who I got by Jeff and he presents

Debbie Nigro:

to be on the show. You know, there will be a point where people will want to be on this show. And we will have to call them they'll be calling us good. Well, what's happening? Yeah, it's nice. And you know, I want to thank everybody for supporting the official teenagers really appreciate it. You know, we're just a time in life kind of authentic couple of people talking about with people talk about at our age that nobody really hears the conversations except them and their close friends. But this is what's going on. This is the chit chat. And it's insightful and fun as long as we can make fun of ours.

Debbie & Charlie:

Now we're good. We got to make fun of ourselves right? Can't make fun of anybody else. That's not nice. Well, we can I can make fun of you. I can make fun of you that shirt you're wearing. I love this shirt.

Debbie Nigro:

I know it has a sick Limerick behind

Charlie Ponger:

pickleball I gotta try it is diving alone. I got asked Jill the Jock about that when she'll probably know. Listen on a previous episode, You know you're Seenager When... people are actually writing in and leaving us voicemails and adding to that, which is great voicemails on our website. So do the same, right, because we're going to start reading them on each episode, it's going to be a lot of fun. Here's one as a matter of fact, it says so You know when you're a Seenager when your wife says you only have two faults... I don't listen and there was something else? LOL But that's pretty good. Right? Okay, so don't lose sight of that teenager spirit. I think that's really important for all of us. stay youthful, Stay happy, say hi to stranger. You can never know that could make their day right. And just a quick reminder to share us rate us leave us a review and go to our website and sign up for notifications. So we'll let you know when the next episode is around or some other fun thing that's happening. Alright, thanks so much. It takes a village right. All right. See you later. Bye. Thanks.