More Than a Hometown Match: A Weekend Bigger Than the Scoreboard
For Atlantic City Aces player Sheri Courter, the October 8–11 MLP Champions Series event in Columbus offered something especially meaningful: the opportunity to compete in her hometown.
Following the event, Sheri shared what it meant to have family and friends cheering her on, the gratitude she feels for her team, and why the people and relationships behind the competition make the experience so special. Below, she reflects on the weekend in her own words.
It’s 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. I pick up a few teammates at the hotel, and we head to MatchPoint. It’s such a short drive that there’s only time for one song: Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You!” And honestly, that felt pretty fitting.
We arrive, get warmed up, and by 7:30 a.m., I start noticing familiar faces walking through the doors.
My husband. My parents. Of course.
Then my cousins, who have never seen me play in person.
Pickleball friends I met when I first picked up the sport in 2020. Friends I’ve only known for a few weeks. My drilling partners. My PT. My best friend.
And the faces just keep coming.
Parents of my pickleball friends. A family friend who came with her grandson. Players I gave lessons to years ago who have since become friends. Members from The Pickle Shack. And the Atlantic City Aces owners, who traveled with their own friends and brought their incredible energy into the building.
One by one, they kept walking in.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, I had a moment I will never forget.
I had the privilege of stepping onto the court to play the sport I love, surrounded by so many people who have been part of my life in different ways. Looking around and seeing all those familiar faces, all those connections, all that love in one place… it filled my heart in a way that’s hard to put into words.
Sometimes, in our busy lives, we only gather everyone together for the big milestones: graduations, weddings, and, sadly, funerals.
But this weekend, we gathered around pickleball.
My pickleball. My passion. My little corner of the world.
And that took my breath away.
I may not remember every point I played or whether I won a particular match. But I will remember looking around that court and watching the people I love show up for me. I will remember the smiles, the familiar faces, and the feeling of having so many different parts of my life come together in one place.
That is a gift I will never take for granted.
And then there was another moment that made this weekend even more special.
One of the most special and meaningful parts of the weekend was sharing the experience with a friend who subbed in for our team.
I watched this person take in the team practice, sit at our team dinner, listen to the playful banter and stories, and experience what makes this group so special. Then came the competition, the energy, and the opportunity to play and win a match, 11–10 in the third, with family and friends cheering from the sidelines!
This was the fourth stop of the season. By this point, the travel can be exhausting. The pressure can build. It’s easy to get caught up in how you’re playing, the results, and everything that comes with competing.
But watching someone experience it all with the biggest smile on their face reminded me of something so important.
This is what it’s all about.
The people. The team spirit. The competition. The laughter. The shared experiences. The opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself.
I felt it. Our team felt it. And I hope we never lose sight of it.
We are incredibly blessed to have this opportunity through the MLP Champions Series. So much hard work happens behind the scenes to bring these events to life, and I am deeply grateful to the founders, executives, planning crews, and amazing referees who make it all possible. Every detail, every long day, and every person working behind the scenes contributes to an experience that means so much to all of us.
Thank you for creating something that brings people together in such a meaningful way.
And finally, there is something I have heard people say many times: “I play for the best team.”
Well, I’m saying it, too. And I mean every word.
The Atlantic City Aces are more than a team.
Our ownership is so much more than uniforms, team dinners, and putting a roster together. They are creating an unbelievable experience for us. They share their love of pickleball, bring their closest friends into our world, and invite us to be part of something that extends far beyond the court.
They are investing in memories, relationships, friendships, and experiences that will stay with us long after the final point is played.
There is no currency that can measure the value I place on the opportunity they have created for me and for this team.
A simple thank you somehow feels too small, yet it is also the truest thing I can say. Because what they want most is to share in our journey, both on and off the pickleball court. They celebrate the competition, but they also celebrate the people, the friendships, and the moments that make this journey so special.
To our Aces ownership: thank you for believing in this team, for sharing this experience with us, and for creating a culture where we get to compete, connect, laugh, grow, and make memories together.
To my family, friends, teammates, and everyone who walked through those doors this weekend: thank you for showing up. You may have thought you were just coming to watch me play pickleball, but you gave me something so much bigger. You reminded me how fortunate I am to have so many wonderful people in my life, and how beautiful it is when all those worlds come together.
Aces family, you have given me something I will never be able to repay. But I promise to keep trying in the ways that matter most: by supporting our players, showing up for one another, and helping nurture the beautiful, passionate team culture you have created.
This weekend reminded me that the greatest victories aren’t always found on the scoreboard.
Sometimes, the greatest victory is looking around a pickleball court in your hometown, seeing the people you love gathered together, and realizing just how lucky you are.
My heart is full. My gratitude runs deep. And I will carry this weekend with me for a very long time.
Thank you for showing up. Thank you for sharing the journey. And thank you for reminding me that sometimes, the most extraordinary moments happen when we simply gather around the things we love.
Sheri’s hometown experience captures something at the heart of the Champions Series: the opportunity to compete at a high level while sharing the experience with the people who make the journey mean even more.