When I moved to Orlando in 2010 with my wife and kids, we knew very few people. Everything and everyone we knew existed across the country in Detroit. With a new start in a new city, I started to organize events around competitive play which eventually resulted in a great group of friends that got together every week to play mostly volleyball and football mixed in with BBQ’s and swimming.

Getting out and being able to move 365 days out of the year in Orlando is one of the things that makes living here amazing and mixing that with a social experience is a great way to build community.

As a digital publication aiming to build community and opportunity to support local cultural growth, creating experiences like the The Orlando Life Pickleball + Networking event at the USTA on Saturday was something that truly aligns with who we are.

With the support of our friends Beau Bennett from Cogent Bank and Dr. Robert Masson and the Masson Spine Institute, the event was good to go.

What made this event special was the way it all came together; there was a little bit of competition, a lot of community, and just enough structure to keep things moving while letting the connections happen organically.

We had six players per court, rotating in pairs. Winners stayed on (for a max of two games), but split sides to keep things mixed up. Those who rotated off entered the shaded networking area, where we had plenty of good conversations. This simple structure created a natural rhythm where play led to connection, and connection led to possibility.

Local real estate agent, Jayme Gottschall, said, “There was great networking. I got some collaborations going with people who live in my area and we had a lot of fun playing pickleball, which is one of my favorite things to do.”

Pablo Olivieri from IDX Marketing said it perfectly: “Networking is the most important thing you can do. But nobody wants to be sold. Everybody wants to be helped. Having events like this breaks the ice. It’s a lot more fun when you actually have something in common.”

People came ready to play, but they also came open to meeting someone new in a way that didn’t feel forced.

James Vidal came out because a friend invited him. He ended up meeting someone who could help him form his LLC. “That was perfect,” he said. “A godsend. I didn’t even expect to meet an attorney. I just met one playing pickleball. Imagine that.”

Hearing this feedback is what makes these kind of events worth doing. It’s not about hitting a quota or collecting business cards. It’s about creating the right environment and letting people show up as themselves. The relationships that come from that are real and they stick.

I believe Orlando is an incredible place to call home. I believe we all have an opportunity to be part of shaping the culture of our city in ways you can’t find anywhere else. We’ve got the sunshine, we’ve got the people, and we’ve got a growing culture of health, experience and innovation. For us, our job is to keep telling those stories and creating spaces where they can come to life.

And for Carlos, (you know who you are) we need a rematch.