Florida seniors are not just watching sports, they’re playing in ever-greater numbers By Jon Wilson THE VILLAGES — Pickleball. Come on, is that a serious sport? In a word: Very. But what a name. More on that in a minute. First, consider the racket game’s prodigious popularity. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association estimates up to 2.8 million people play nationwide. In The Villages, a central Florida retirement community, thousands