Every Thursday, George Niman of Arlington Heights shows up at the Arlington Ridge Center, or the ARC, for drop-in pickleball. Typically, he is one of nearly 30 players on hand to play, but Niman stands out. While many of the players are retired, Niman is in a league of his own: At 97, he’s still playing pickleball.
(L-R) Joe Pietro, George Niman, his son George Niman and Karen Bersch
“It’s my exercise,” Niman says. “I just play once a week. It’s about all the exercise I get.”
On this particular day, he played with his son, George, who comes with him every week, as well as Karen Bersch, who volunteered to fill out their court, and Joe Pietro of Arlington Heights, who plays with him every week.
“He’s amazing,” Pietro says. “He comes every week with his son. I just make sure we play with someone who’s not going to smash it at him.”
Niman grew up playing tennis and ping-pong, so making the adjustment to pickleball was relatively easy. In his retirement years, he also played golf, with the Our Lady of the Wayside Men’s Golf League at Arlington Lakes Golf Club.
Yet, tennis was always his love. He used to play singles, but in his later years he played doubles at Forest View Racquet Club.
“I’d still be playing if my group hadn’t disbanded,” Niman says.
Career-wise, Niman worked as an engineer, first at Motorola, where he met his wife, Mary Jane, and then at Northrop Grumman in Rolling Meadows. Though he has been retired for more than 30 years, his engineering mind is still sharp.
He has lived in Arlington Heights for 57 years and still lives in the same house where he and his wife raised their two children.
Niman laughs when asked what he attributes his ability to still play at the age of 97. In fact, he intends to play when he turns 100, saying: “Now, that will be the story!”
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