Pickleballers in the 808: Teri and Sarah Imanaka
“Pickleballers in the 808” Teri and Sarah Imanaka
Honolulu—The wonderful thing about pickleball is how it brings people together; people who have never met before and would never meet IRL, friends who reconnect through the sport, co-workers who find common ground on the court, couples and families.
At the Courts one day, I saw a young man who looked to be in high school, his Dad (who looked to be around my age), and the Grandfather. Multiple generations, all playing together. And that’s why pickleball is so special…you don’t typically see three generations represented in soccer or volleyball or basketball.
Which is why I had to chat with Teri and Sarah Imanaka when I saw them at a K2 Pickleball tournament. A mother-daughter duo!
Luckily, they were game to be featured, so please join me in getting to know Pickleballers in the 808 Teri and Sarah Imanaka!
Currently residing in: Hawai’i Kai
Where did you grow up and what high school did you go to?
Teri: Hawai’i Kai and went to Kaiser.
Sarah: I grew up in Hawai’i Kai and went to Kaiser High School.
How did you discover pickleball and when did you start playing?
Teri: Two years ago a tennis friend Jet injured her shoulder and couldn’t play tennis so we learned pickleball from her good friend Kea—we had so much fun learning and playing together.
I bought a mini net and started hitting in the garage with Sarah during the pandemic. My son Rex and I started to teach Sarah along the way.
Sarah: I learned to play because my mom enjoyed it and wanted to spread the fun! I started about 1 1/2 years ago.
What do you do outside of pickleball?
Teri: I still enjoy tennis and now we are crazy about Mah Jong and Rummikub too! I work full-time but still find time for pickleball.
Sarah: I’m also learning Mahjong and Rummikub with my mom. I also enjoy baking—I recently made mini pumpkin cheesecakes for a potluck with my friends!
What do you love most about pickleball?
Teri: One of the best things about pickleball are the friends I have met! We all love pickleball and other things too, Rummikub and Mah Jong, and get together to do all as often as we can! We have so much fun and had the greatest summer ever!
The other is my family loves pickleball and I love spending time with Sarah, playing in open play and fun tournaments, and working on getting better together. We’ve been taking lessons from Lori and Kyle at K2.
Sarah: I like the challenge of learning something new and getting to hang out with my friends! I’ve also met a lot of great people while playing! And I’ve also gotten some of my friends into it…my friends and I go to open play together on the weekends.
What paddle are you currently playing with?
Teri: I just started playing with the Six Zero and love it, for now…
Sarah: I just got a Legacy Pro Air and am really enjoying it!
How often do you play?
Teri: Two to four times a week.
Sarah: I play about 1-3x a week.
Sarah, after winning a 6.0 paddle at a recent event, with her mom, Teri
Mahalo Teri and Sarah, for allowing us to learn more about you! And a big thank you to Michelle Chun for the photos!
