Age has not slowed down longtime Oak Park resident Don O’Brien.
At 95, O’Brien is a regular on the pickleball courts at Euclid Square Park. He plays every morning with a group that meets seven days a week, as long as the courts are dry and the temperature is not unreasonably cold.
“It’s just something to get my body going in the morning,” O’Brien said. “It’s something to do and to look forward to.”
The vibrant and welcoming group at Euclid Square Park is composed of pickleball players of all ages and skill levels. According to Oak Park resident Tim Bannon, the group was formed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has organically grown ever since.
“One thing about this group at Euclid is that we are very democratic,” Bannon said. “You don’t need an invitation. You don’t need to know somebody to join, and you don’t need to be at a certain level. Everybody is welcome.”
Like many of the players at Euclid Square Park, Bannon is impressed by O’Brien’s athleticism and dedication to the sport.
“Don is 95 years old and here he is playing a solid game of pickleball,” Bannon said. “It’s remarkable.”
O’Brien’s commitment to pickleball is particularly evident on mornings after it rains. He keeps a squeegee and a broom in his car, and is known for arriving early in order to dry the courts and make sure they are playable by the time the rest of the group gets there.
“He’s here every single day,” said Hooi Lim, an Oak Park resident who plays with the group.
In November, Lim organized a celebration for O’Brien’s 95th birthday. When O’Brien arrived at the courts, he was greeted by more than 30 pickleball players who sang “Happy Birthday” to him. The group also presented him with a big cake and a new lawn chair to relax in, in-between matches.
“At 95 years old, I hope I can still walk properly let alone play pickleball,” Lim said. “He’s awesome.”
For O’Brien’s birthday, Lim and her teenage daughter also made O’Brien a custom t-shirt. It’s a blue, long-sleeved shirt that says “95 Years Young and Still PickleBalling…What’s Your Excuse?”
Prior to picking up pickleball just two years ago, O’Brien was a tennis player. He first learned to play tennis in 1948, while serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserve when he was 19.
Although he always enjoyed tennis, O’Brien did not play very much during the years when he was working and raising his five children with his wife, Margaret Mary.
After retiring in 1991, he joined an open tennis group at Taylor Park and began playing three or four times a week.
“I played with them for many years – actually, 30 years,” he said. “During that time, people in the group came and went.”
It wasn’t until 2021 that pickleball sparked O’Brien’s interest.
“At Taylor Park, I saw people on nearby courts playing this new game, pickleball,” he said.
Since O’Brien noticed that all serves in pickleball have to be made underhand, he was intrigued. Ten years prior, he had torn the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, which left him unable to serve overhand. Serving underhand was appealing. The smaller court size was also appealing. It looked like the people were having fun.
Soon after, he learned about a group that played pickleball just two blocks away from his house, at Euclid Square Park, so he dropped by and gave it shot.
“The convenience was too appealing, so I started playing there almost every day,” he said.
“I just really enjoy the game. I love it.”
In addition to playing pickleball, O’Brien also enjoys singing. He has been involved in community theater over the years and was also a member of a barbershop quartet up until 2020. In addition to their five children, he and his wife of 71 years also have 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Describing the atmosphere on Euclid’s pickleball courts each morning, O’Brien said it reminds him of the theme song from the 80s/90s sitcom “Cheers.”
“It’s a place where everybody knows my name,” he said.