My whole life has been an endless pursuit of community and belonging. Whether that means I, myself was searching for a way to belong—or coming up with creative ways to draw others in to community, it’s who I am.
From elementary school to adulthood, I’ve been drawn to “involvement.” I joined clubs, teams, and hobbies. Then I created clubs, hosted gatherings, and became insatiably nosy about the possibility of fun. I was involved.

Some things were a good fit; others weren’t for me—but I knew they’d be just right for someone else. So, I’d recommend them. Belonging is a powerful part of the human experience, and something I find endlessly fascinating. This desire to connect and foster connection for others has been a throughline of my entire life.
A couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of this. I was invited to attend a beginner clinic hosted by the Minot Area Pickleball Association and share about the experience. If I’m honest, I wasn’t immediately on board.

I like pickleball. I play occasionally with family. But I’m not naturally athletic, and it sometimes ends in what I lovingly refer to as a “rage quit.” My curiosity won over my skepticism. So, I went to a meeting with the coordinators to learn a little more.

I expected a conversation about pickleball, and strategies for getting new players to sign up for the clinic. It quickly became clear that this wasn’t just about the sport or churning out players. The real goal was creating an easy entry point — a simple, approachable way for people to find connection and community.
Athletic, I am not—but that’s a mission I can support.

In Minot, where many arrive on military orders, that kind of entry point matters. The game itself is secondary. It’s something to do with your hands while you meet people, learn names, and begin to recognize familiar faces.
It’s a way in, an on-ramp.

I attended the clinic and invited three women I met while volunteering at the Minot Air Force Base thrift store — another unexpected on-ramp to connection in my own life. But that’s a story for another day.

“Today isn’t about becoming an advanced player,” one of the coordinators told us at the start. “It’s about learning techniques that help you play a more consistent game — because it’s more fun when you’re not always stopping to chase the ball.”

The expectation wasn’t perfection — it was participation. More consistency, less rage quitting, more fun—that’s what I signed up for.

Over the course of two hours, I not only sharpened my skills, but watched people introduce themselves, exchange contact information, and make plans to meet up to play again.

It wasn’t complicated, it wasn’t about the game. It was exactly what the coordinators described in our initial meeting: a touchpoint to belonging.

When people talk about moving to Minot, the hesitation is usually the same: cold weather and isolation. But what I’ve found — again and again — is that this is a community striving to ensure others are not isolated.

There are on-ramps to belonging everywhere.

Sometimes they look like a pickleball clinic. Sometimes they look like a volunteer shift, coaching t-ball, book club, open gym, or an invitation to dinner. They’re created by ordinary people who simply decide to make space for others.

The beautiful thing is, creating these on-ramps doesn’t require anything elaborate. It can come from an interest, a small amount of time or just willingness to include someone new.

But there’s another side to this, too.

We don’t need to wait for someone to come yank us up the ramp. At some point, we have to choose to step onto it.

That might look like saying yes when you’re unsure. Showing up when you don’t know anyone. Trying something that isn’t entirely in your comfort zone.

It might look like volunteering at a thrift store. Or agreeing to go to a pickleball clinic.

Not because you’re trying to become an expert, but because you’re open to what could come from it.

For more information on the Minot Pickleball Association, find them on Facebook. To read more from me, join me at amyallender.com or on social media @heyminot. Come back next week when I share about an unexpected “on-ramp” to wellness I found at Cornerstone Chiropractic.