Still Showing Up
At 90 years old, Allan Bleich isn’t chasing trophies. He’s chasing the next game.
After a long, distinguished career in medicine, Allan never imagined retirement would include pickleball — let alone that it would shape his daily rhythm. A colleague mentioned the sport. It sounded interesting. Active. New. He decided to try it.
Today, he plays three times a week at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. What keeps him coming back isn’t just the exercise — though he’ll tell you it helps him feel stronger and steadier — it’s the people.
“It’s just wonderful to be able to come to a place that has so much to do,” Allan says. “I come to the MJCCA almost every day.”
When the Eva G. Lipman Pickleball Complex opened, it elevated the experience. Dedicated courts, thoughtful design, welcoming staff —a space built not just for play, but for connection. It’s the kind of place that invites people to stay awhile — and to return.
Through open play, Allan formed friendships that extended beyond the court. One connection led to critical medical guidance for his wife when she needed it most. Another inspired a former colleague to pick up a paddle in retirement.
“What you need now,” Allan told him with a smile, “is a pickleball paddle.”
For his 90th birthday, Allan’s children surprised him with a celebration at the pickleball complex. Grandchildren played alongside longtime friends. Family members who had never held a paddle stepped onto the court. “It was like two worlds colliding,” he reflected — and it felt exactly right.
His family honored him with a plaque at the courts, supporting the place that has given him so much. Allan calls it the best gift they could have given him — not because his name is displayed, but because it strengthens something he values deeply. “I am grateful to the JCC,” Allan says, “for what it’s brought to my life.”
Three generations of the Bleich family are members of the MJCCA. For Allan, the MJCCA represents access — to wellness, to community, to Jewish life lived naturally and joyfully. His goal for the year ahead is simple: “Just to play as long as I can. Every day I can get out there, I feel very fortunate.”
For Allan, the MJCCA isn’t just a place to exercise. It’s where retirement found rhythm. Where friendships became meaningful support. Where his children and grandchildren gather. He talks about showing up. About trying his best each game. About being grateful for the day in front of him. And three times a week, paddle in hand, that’s exactly what he does.