Harold Mannes

“One tournament, two gold medals. That’s one of my pickleball highlights. But my favorite thing is all of the friendships I have made.”

It was love at first swing.

Harold Maness knew his way around a golf course and a tennis court. A successful commission-based salesman, he worked hard to retire at 58 so he could play golf full time. But when he first tried pickleball at age 85, he entered his pickleball era. “I knew it was the most fun I ever had,” recalls Harold. Soon he was playing 4-5 times per week, sometimes twice a day.

For Harold, it’s about more than just a game. “If you get into the psychology of it, I believe that if a person enjoys doing something, anything, he’s going to be happier and friendlier and live longer like I am. It all adds up to positive thinking and positive living. And that’s pickleball. That’s part of my secret to successful aging,” shares Harold.

In fact, Harold has become something of a role model in the pickleball community and the EverTrue Laclede Groves community for his positivity and his pickleball ability.

“I can’t live on pickleball alone,” he confesses. His interests also include a writing his own book of true stories, traveling the world and even skydiving. He enjoys driving and several times a year hops into his car and drives to visit family in Tennessee. After taking some classes, he discovered he had a real talent for painting with acrylics. “I don’t slow down,” he declares.

However, he found that painting was taking too much time away from his pickleball playing. Playing on the court and connecting with others is his happy place.

A true athlete, he begins each day with his personal exercise regimen to keep himself in top condition, including 100 crunches and stretching work with a deflated basketball. Always looking to grow his skills, he has worked with top pickleball coaches in the region.

A favorite pickleball memory was a tournament in which he faced down opponents who were decades younger and he prevailed. “We beat all the teams six out of seven games,” he says fondly. “One tournament, two gold medals. That’s one of my pickleball highlights. But my favorite thing is all of the friendships I have made.”