SMALL TOWNS: Marinette couple helping grow the sport of pickleball
WBAY TV-2 | Green Bay, WI
[{'start': '0.240', 'end': '3.120', 'text': 'year, hundreds of pickle wall players'}, {'start': '1.760', 'end': '4.960', 'text': 'from all over the Midwest flocked to'}, {'start': '3.120', 'end': '7.040', 'text': 'Marinette to test their skills against'}, {'start': '4.960', 'end': '8.080', 'text': 'fellow competitors. Now, the tournaments'}, {'start': '7.040', 'end': '9.840', 'text': 'are made possible thanks to the'}, {'start': '8.080', 'end': '11.360', 'text': 'dedication of a husband and wife duo'}, {'start': '9.840', 'end': '13.840', 'text': "that's a force to be reckoned with both"}, {'start': '11.360', 'end': '15.759', 'text': 'on and off the courts. Emerson Layman'}, {'start': '13.840', 'end': '18.000', 'text': "introduced us to them in this week's"}, {'start': '15.759', 'end': '18.000', 'text': 'small'}, {'start': '19.660', 'end': '26.240', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '23.160', 'end': '28.720', 'text': 'towns inside the community rec center in'}, {'start': '26.240', 'end': '31.279', 'text': 'smalltown Marinette. This is our seventh'}, {'start': '28.720', 'end': '34.160', 'text': 'event. Brian and Kim Swenson are hard at'}, {'start': '31.279', 'end': '36.800', 'text': 'work. We do two per year, a spring and a'}, {'start': '34.160', 'end': '40.239', 'text': "fall. The big occasion. We're playing"}, {'start': '36.800', 'end': '42.320', 'text': 'pickle ball. Yeah. Pickle ball'}, {'start': '40.239', 'end': '44.399', 'text': 'enthusiasts might be an understatement'}, {'start': '42.320', 'end': '46.480', 'text': 'when referring to the Swensons. The'}, {'start': '44.399', 'end': '48.559', 'text': 'couple plays recreationally multiple'}, {'start': '46.480', 'end': '50.960', 'text': 'times a week and travels to tournaments'}, {'start': '48.559', 'end': '52.719', 'text': 'most weekends, giving them an idea when'}, {'start': '50.960', 'end': '54.879', 'text': 'looking for a way to fund some new'}, {'start': '52.719', 'end': '57.600', 'text': 'outdoor courts. We started going to'}, {'start': '54.879', 'end': '59.039', 'text': "other tournaments and thought, why can't"}, {'start': '57.600', 'end': '61.199', 'text': 'we do it here in Marinette? We have a'}, {'start': '59.039', 'end': '63.359', 'text': 'beautiful facility. We just kept pecking'}, {'start': '61.199', 'end': '66.720', 'text': 'away at the obstacles and all of a'}, {'start': '63.359', 'end': '68.000', 'text': 'sudden have 12 courts and 258 is 260'}, {'start': '66.720', 'end': '70.479', 'text': 'people. Providing a high class'}, {'start': '68.000', 'end': '73.040', 'text': 'tournament for players near and far. Two'}, {'start': '70.479', 'end': '75.200', 'text': "of the best people I've ever met,"}, {'start': '73.040', 'end': '76.720', 'text': 'including Tanya Balenta. Brandon Kim'}, {'start': '75.200', 'end': '79.280', 'text': 'have really kind of taken me under their'}, {'start': '76.720', 'end': '83.680', 'text': 'wing and brought me out to meet people'}, {'start': '79.280', 'end': '85.759', 'text': 'in Green Bay to Wasau Anagal all these'}, {'start': '83.680', 'end': '87.840', 'text': 'people around the state. Um, so that way'}, {'start': '85.759', 'end': '89.600', 'text': 'I could meet people that would help my'}, {'start': '87.840', 'end': '91.840', 'text': "game as well. It's been awesome to be"}, {'start': '89.600', 'end': '93.200', 'text': 'able to go from meeting them for the'}, {'start': '91.840', 'end': '95.520', 'text': 'first time, never holding a paddle'}, {'start': '93.200', 'end': '97.119', 'text': 'before in my hand to now being able to'}, {'start': '95.520', 'end': '100.000', 'text': 'play with some of the best people in the'}, {'start': '97.119', 'end': '102.400', 'text': "state. It's been a dream. Tanya's"}, {'start': '100.000', 'end': '104.000', 'text': "experience isn't unique. The Swson's"}, {'start': '102.400', 'end': '106.079', 'text': 'hosting learn to play clinics at the rec'}, {'start': '104.000', 'end': '108.079', 'text': 'center and other events to continue to'}, {'start': '106.079', 'end': '110.320', 'text': 'grow the sport they love. Anybody can'}, {'start': '108.079', 'end': '112.240', 'text': 'pick it up. Anyone can play and no one'}, {'start': '110.320', 'end': '114.159', 'text': 'sells it better than Brian and Kim to'}, {'start': '112.240', 'end': '115.840', 'text': 'make it as accessible as possible. Brian'}, {'start': '114.159', 'end': '117.200', 'text': 'and Kim have gotten me out of my house.'}, {'start': '115.840', 'end': '118.880', 'text': "You know, as a stay-at-home mom, didn't"}, {'start': '117.200', 'end': '121.280', 'text': 'really know a lot of people. They'}, {'start': '118.880', 'end': '123.920', 'text': 'changed kind of my life in the last'}, {'start': '121.280', 'end': '126.000', 'text': 'couple years and really brought me some'}, {'start': '123.920', 'end': '128.160', 'text': 'lifelong friends. Some of my now I would'}, {'start': '126.000', 'end': '130.479', 'text': 'call them my best friends. Friendship'}, {'start': '128.160', 'end': '132.400', 'text': 'and a sense of community. One Kim and'}, {'start': '130.479', 'end': '134.400', 'text': 'Brian are happy to give back to with the'}, {'start': '132.400', 'end': '136.319', 'text': 'proceeds from the tournaments benefiting'}, {'start': '134.400', 'end': '138.480', 'text': 'families impacted by breast cancer and'}, {'start': '136.319', 'end': '140.879', 'text': 'most recently the Marinette High School'}, {'start': '138.480', 'end': '144.400', 'text': 'band. After we got our outdoor courts'}, {'start': '140.879', 'end': '146.959', 'text': 'built and paid for, we just started uh'}, {'start': '144.400', 'end': '148.959', 'text': 'looking for causes now uh for our'}, {'start': '146.959', 'end': '151.200', 'text': 'tournaments cuz we really believe that'}, {'start': '148.959', 'end': '153.760', 'text': 'when people people pick a tournament,'}, {'start': '151.200', 'end': '155.360', 'text': 'they like to know what the cause is. And'}, {'start': '153.760', 'end': '157.800', 'text': "while they're both busy raising money"}, {'start': '155.360', 'end': '160.319', 'text': 'and awarding oversized first place'}, {'start': '157.800', 'end': '162.080', 'text': "medals, you'd be silly to think they're"}, {'start': '160.319', 'end': '164.319', 'text': "not competing as well. And we're"}, {'start': '162.080', 'end': '166.400', 'text': 'actually playing together on Sunday'}, {'start': '164.319', 'end': '168.319', 'text': 'afternoon. We normally play together,'}, {'start': '166.400', 'end': '169.120', 'text': "but um someone's got to run the"}, {'start': '168.319', 'end': '170.480', 'text': "tournament. Someone's got to run the"}, {'start': '169.120', 'end': '174.080', 'text': "tournament. Someone's got to run it. Kim"}, {'start': '170.480', 'end': '177.120', 'text': 'and I are just the faces and the names,'}, {'start': '174.080', 'end': '181.280', 'text': 'but without our scorekeepers, our'}, {'start': '177.120', 'end': '182.800', 'text': 'hospitality people, our setup crew in'}, {'start': '181.280', 'end': '184.720', 'text': 'the morning on Friday morning that comes'}, {'start': '182.800', 'end': '185.760', 'text': 'in and tape all the lines down, if it'}, {'start': '184.720', 'end': '187.440', 'text': "wasn't for them, we wouldn't be doing"}, {'start': '185.760', 'end': '189.840', 'text': 'the tournament. A husband and wife with'}, {'start': '187.440', 'end': '192.319', 'text': 'a passion for the sport, their small'}, {'start': '189.840', 'end': '194.720', 'text': 'town, and the friendships made along the'}, {'start': '192.319', 'end': '197.200', 'text': "way. We've met people throughout the"}, {'start': '194.720', 'end': '199.440', 'text': 'state of Wisconsin that we would never'}, {'start': '197.200', 'end': '202.480', 'text': 'ever ever have met. People come together'}, {'start': '199.440', 'end': '203.920', 'text': "and they're welcoming. So that mean that"}, {'start': '202.480', 'end': '205.920', 'text': "means a ton. Like that's what it's all"}, {'start': '203.920', 'end': '207.760', 'text': "about. It's really all about friendships"}, {'start': '205.920', 'end': '210.000', 'text': "and it's about people feeling good about"}, {'start': '207.760', 'end': '212.080', 'text': 'themselves. Reporting in Marinette with'}, {'start': '210.000', 'end': '215.640', 'text': 'photojournalist Shane Fitz Simmons.'}, {'start': '212.080', 'end': '218.200', 'text': "We'll continue to run tournaments"}, {'start': '215.640', 'end': '220.159', 'text': 'until we get'}, {'start': '218.200', 'end': '222.319', 'text': 'divorced because it gets pretty'}, {'start': '220.159', 'end': '225.319', 'text': "stressful. I'm Emerson Layman for small"}, {'start': '222.319', 'end': '225.319', 'text': 'towns.'}]