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Paddle ball
By FRANK PASTOR
© St. Petersburg Times, If Ponce de Leon only had known. The Spanish explorer, credited with discovering Florida, failed in his search for the "fountain of youth." Perhaps he was looking for the wrong thing. For the 15-20 seniors who play paddle ball at Delta Woods Park in Spring Hill three days a week, eternal youth cannot be found in a fountain. It's on a 37-foot by 20-foot concrete court surrounded by a chain-link fence. This is where they come to seek exercise for their minds and bodies, find company and rekindle memories of a favorite childhood game. Paddle ball is huge in New York and New Jersey. In places such as Brooklyn and the Bronx, players wait in long lines for courts. They compete for cash prizes in sponsored tournaments. When a small group of players retired to Florida, they brought the game with them. They gather Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. A younger, more competitive group plays Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5-8. "I'd be in a rocking chair if it wasn't for this," said Rich Correa, 74, of Homosassa. They play for different reasons. Louie Llovet, 57, and Bill Venezia, 71, of Spring Hill needed exercise after undergoing heart surgery. Al Guido, 70, of Spring Hill plays to stay in shape. Mike Quattrock, 61, of New Port Richey loves the game. Al Alfiero, 72, of Spring Hill had nothing else to do. "Tuesdays and Thursdays are days that just fill in time in our life because we don't work and you need an outlet," Quattrock said. "This is it." When they started playing 15 years ago, there was just one court. Then, Leo Zannata, who plays evenings and Sundays, started a petition and submitted specifications to the parks department for two additional courts. The players found each other through word of mouth. Quattrock used to play in New York. After moving to Florida, he spent five years trying to find a court. One day, he and his grandchildren were at a soccer field when a friend saw him hitting a ball against a concrete wall. The friend gave Quattrock directions to Delta Woods, where he has played for eight years. He's part of an extended community. Players get together for picnics and dances. They lend each other equipment and help the more physically challenged among them with household chores. They also give each other nicknames. There's "Big Al" Guido, "Little Al" Alfiero, "Small Richie" Correa, "Little Mike" Quattrock and "Rabbit" Aliles. Then there's, "Charlie Peanuts," who once worked for a peanut distributor and brings peanuts to games. Friends and foesFriendships are sometimes tested on the court, where players exchange trash talk. Aliles is among the biggest offenders, says Herbert Llovet, 61, of Spring Hill. "He says, "You can't play, punk. Let's go play,' " Llovet said, laughing. "If you're talking while he's playing, he says, "Come on, you're wasting time.' " The center court is flanked by two practice areas. Teams must win on one court to advance to the next. Only the best make it to center court. "It's the arena where the gladiators meet," Alfiero said. Some stay all day. "I left at 12 one time and returned at 6, and they were still playing," Llovet said. "I said, "Don't you want to go home?' They kept saying, "One more game. One more game,' " Llovet said. The younger players are even more serious. Unlike the morning players, who sometimes appear rooted to the ground, evening competitors somersault across the court and crash into fences to get to balls. As frustration grows, some players kick fences and throw paddles. Disagreements are taken to idle players who act as line sitters. "In the daytime, it's a mild group. You see grown-ups," Louie Llovet said. "You play at night ...," he said, his voice trailing off. Paddle ball is so scarce in west central Florida that few sports stores carry the rubber balls and plywood or the graphite paddles. Devotees turn to the internet to order equipment, or they bring it back from trips to New York. Some fear the sport might be nearing extinction. Though there are about 45 players at Delta Woods, the number of morning competitors has decreased in recent years. Some died or grew sick. Others stopped playing to care for loved ones. Still others returned to their hometowns. "You're in a situation where you're dealing with senior citizens, and that makes it hard," Quattrock said. "I don't know if there's going to be replacements for us." Quattrock is determined to keep playing. "It's something I really enjoy," he said. "It never caught on, and I don't know why. "I'm just glad, as long as I have my health, I can come up here for two days and play and I'm happy." If Ponce de Leon only had known. WHAT IS PADDLE BALL?Similar to handball, paddle ball is a game played by two teams in which a ball is hit by a paddle against a wall so that it creates a volley between the squads. Each point is begun with the ball being served against the wall. The volleying continues until one team fails to return the ball in accordance with the rules. Players can number two for singles or four for doubles. The game ends when one squad has scored the required amount of points, usually 15. All games must be won by a two-point margin. PLACES TO PLAYHopelessly seeking a paddle ball court in Florida? Look no further: Coconut Creek -- Broward College Hollywood -- Garfield Street Park Miami -- Flamingo Park North Miami Beach -- Artur I. Snyder Center Orlando -- Dover Shores Community Center Spring Hill -- Delta Woods Park St. Petersburg -- Hillsborough Community College Tampa -- Hillsborough Community College West Palm Beach -- Phipps Park -- SOURCE: paddleball.com Want more?For information about paddle ball, check out these Web sites:
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
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