Pickleball for a Purpose

The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust was chosen as the benefactor for a pickleball tournament hosted by South Lake High School students Ari Weizman, Nico Riley, Mateo Cossio, and Marco Anguizola. NVCT was chosen after the high schoolers searched for local non-profits in the area that focused on environmental preservation. Each group member had a personal connection to conservation and wanted their efforts to go toward that cause. Mateo Cossio recounted his experiences visiting family in Bolivia. He witnessed “National forests in Bolivia and the Indigenous communities’ connection to nature,” which inspired him to find a way to bring that connection back home. Nico Riley shared that he has seen the exact relationship between the environment and people in rural communities of Colombia. These students are passionate about protecting the plant and expressed concern for how they feel about the current state of the environment. “A lot of people don’t focus on the environment; things seem to be going in the wrong direction,” said Arik Weizman. When asked what saving nearby nature meant to them, they each shared memories of camping, visiting a peaceful stream, or enjoying a walk in the woods. They cherish the accessibility to nature that their hometown of Reston has and recognize the importance of protecting it.

Pickleball was chosen because it is an extremely popular sport in the area, and the students felt it would be an accessible sport option to ensure a larger turnout. The event was held at the Pine Crest Swim and Tennis Club in Fairfax County. Sponsorships from Anytime Fitness and a partnership with Microsoft were also important partnerships for the event. These passionate picklers went above and beyond to promote this event. They spread the word around the local community and even created an Instagram account (@play.for.the.planet) to boost exposure for the event! The event went smoothly, with a few schedule changes that the students handled adeptly by subbing in when needed. They enjoyed taking part in friendly competition, but the opportunity to gain real-world experience in planning and executing an event for a charitable cause was their favorite takeaway. Entry Fees, concessions, and donations all went toward NVCT, totaling 1,100 dollars being raised! They plan to host another event like this and would happily partner with NVCT again.

“NVCT was super supportive; you guys sent over pictures, logos, mission statements, and any other material we needed for this,” said Mateo.

We are incredibly grateful to Arik, Matteo, Marco, and Nico for organizing this event and engaging their community in recreating for a purpose. These conservation champions have shown us that there are so many creative ways to get people involved in our work and give back to the environment.