Atlantic South Regional Tournament Update

Hi Pickleball Players!

Just a reminder, registrations for the first Atlantic South Regional Pickleball Tournament closes Saturday,January 12th, 2013 for mail in entries and Monday, January 14th, 2013 for on-line registration.

For your convenience,  we have included links below for the Tournament Flyer which will have all the detailed information available for now and the Registration Forms.

We are happy to announce that the Quality Inn and Suites Golf Resort will be the Host Hotel for this years Regional Tournament. The hotel has Standard Rooms / Two Queen Beds, Junior Suites King Bed/ with Sleeper Sofa/Kitchen and Deluxe Suites/Full Bedroom with Kitchen and Living Room/ Sleeper Sofa/ Two Bathrooms. They have a full Continental Breakfast/ Restaurant, Heated Swimming Pool, Outside Tiki Bar, Golf Course that you can play at a discounted price, and Two Tennis Courts which will be lined off for Pickleball Warm-up and Play.

The Dinner/Social will also be held there which will begin at 6:30pm. Come early, Happy Hour runs from 3:00-7:00pm.  We will have a full cash bar set up with Bartender during the dinner. All are encouraged to come and enjoy, make sure to mark your form, only $6 per person if you are not a USAPA member.

Any hotel you choose from those listed on the link or listed on the info page have agreed to extend days before and after the tournament at the discounted prices. So come and spend a week in Naples, Florida during prime time at discounted prices. Enjoy the beach, activities, shopping, restaurants, and places to go and see! The average winter temperature in February is high 70's with lows in the 60's.

Hope you come and join us!
The Atlantic South Regional Tournament Team

CLICK HERE for FLYER

CLICK HERE for Registration Form

Pickleball in PEAR Park - Leesburg

Information and Photos submitted by: Ken and Lynn Corbett - Leesburg, FL

There is now a public park in Leesburg, FL, that offers pickleball.

PEAR Park is located about 4 miles north on Highway 27 from the Florida Turnpike Highway 27 North exit. The entrance to the park directly across from the highway from the entrance to the Legacy community. The park opened up 4 new pickleball courts in September and they are in the process of building 2 more. The asphalt is ready; they just need to put the fence up, paint and put the nets up. "We are playing at least three times a week."   Players from the surrounding communities of Highland Lakes, Royal Highlands,  Hawthorne, Water Oaks and Plantation frequently play there. A few players from Highland Lakes and Royal Highlands play regularly on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Last week Ken and Lynn Corbett of Highland Lakes sent out an e-mail for Black Friday play and got 16 players...... and another for the following Saturday and had 14 players.

 PEAR park has been added to the places to play page on the USAPA website, along with contact information for Ken and Lynn Corbett.

Start Up - Pickleball

On Sunday November 18th,  TampaBay area residents were introduced to pickleball for the first time at the Cheval Athletic Club in Lutz, FL.  Ambassador Larry Neely,  a resident and avid tennis player at Cheval,  hopes to add pickleball to the Club's athletic schedule, open to the public and to players of all ages.

Larry himself is new to the game - so wants to extend special thanks to fellow ambassadors, John Hilliard of New Port Richey, Lee Boerckel of Hudson, and veteran player Bob Cicetti of the Long Center in Clearwater  for  being there to help him out.

Twenty two people learned about pickleball, first with an orientation that talked about the game and introduced them to the paddles and balls.  Then they had an opportunity to take to the courts for instruction and play.   The club is working on scheduling times for open play - so we should see this listed on our places to play page pretty soon.  Larry also has a large supply of paddles and balls available for sale to interested players.

Next is to take his portable nets on the road to surrounding communities in New Tampa, (Tampa Palms), Heritage Springs (Trinity)  and to Tampa's MP Tennis and try to introduce a TampaBay Pickleball league.

 

Great Pumpkin Pickleball (Benefit) Tournament

Submitted by Ann Earley

The Great Pumpkin Tournament was held on November 17 and 18 on the courts of the North Georgia Pickleball Club in Canton, GA.

The Saturday Opening Ceremony was provided by the Teasley Middle School Jr. ROTC Air Raiders.  A short presentation by The Rifle team  was followed by  the presentation of the flag and a reenactment of the Imo Jimo Memorial. A $250 check was presented to their Commander Santiago Santana.  Pastor Ken Terrell sang the National Anthem and play began!

Anne Early (along with Atlantic South mascots, Bocce and Clyde) present the awards to the winners in front of their new North Georgia Pickleball Club Banner donated by Floyd Moody Graphics.


 Floyd Moody topped the Charlie Brown division and Pat Denman came out first  in the Lucy division.

Over $1500. was raised for the Cherokee county Humane Society.

Pictured is Ottis Moore with his rescue long-haired Dashund puppy accepting the checks from Tom Earley.  Ottis has been past President and Board member plus he orchestrates the weekly adoption at PetSmart.

Despite a cool beginning, the day was clear and spectacular!

Play continued on Sunday. Another cool day on the courts, but another very good pickleball day.

Top place in the Snoopy Division was Don Lucas, and joining him in first place from the Linus Division was John Pyle.

Also on the court last week was artist Katie Brown who honored Ann Early.  Pictured above she is presented with a painting of a heritage turkey (just like the ones she and Tom raised a couple of years ago) as a "thank you" for their work on the tournament.

Well deserved Tom and Ann!

All the pictures from the tournament have been added to the GA Photo Gallery.
CLICK HERE to view

Out with the Old - In with the New

North Georgia Pickleball Club gets new Club Banner!
Submitted by Ann Earley

Thanks to Floyd Moody (Moody Graphic Designs)  in Ball Ground, we "retired" our 5+ year old club sign in time for our "Great Pumpkin Pickleball Tournament" on November 17th and 18th. 

Seen with our new sign (bottom photo) is Tom Earley (left) and Floyd Moody on the ladder. The club logo was designed by Moody Graphic Designs. The old sign (top photo)will be used one last time at the entrance to the tournament.  By the sign is (left) Tom Earley and (right) Bill Hess. More than 60 players are expected for the two day tournament.  Over $1,200.00 was collected for entry fees and will be presented to the Cherokee County Humane Society.

National Senior Games - Cleveland, Ohio

• Registration is now open for the 2013 Cleveland Games. The pickleball competition dates are Sunday, July 28-Thursday, August 1, with an open practice day on Saturday, July 27. 

• Early Registration must be completed online or post marked by midnight Thursday, January 31, 2013, eastern time. You will save $25 by registering online. 

• Regular registraion must be completed online or post marked by midnight Wednesday, May 1, 2013, eastern time. 

• There are still a number of states that have not sent their qualifiers to the NSGA. However, states are being added on almost a daily basis. If your state is not listed (on NSGA website), contact your state organization to confirm your qualifying status.

• Here is a link to the NSGA website: http://www.nsga.com/

Pickleball at Keowee Key

This video is "Hot off  the press............it is the pickleball history video sent in to us from ambassador Dick Stone..  It is the history of pickleball growth in his home community, including beginner pickleball, the construction of the new courts, the ribbon cutting and the installation of the USAPA Banner.

ENJOY !


 

Pickleball Club Raises Over $15,000 for Hope For The Warriors!

Submitted by Jane Harvey
Ambassador, Indian Land, SC
Sun City Carolina Lakes

Tournament Fundraising chairperson, Donna Maguire, set the bar high this year when she set a goal to raise $10,000 for Hope For the Warriors. Maguire organized a 5k fun run, pickleball marathon, and silent auction, and sold souvenir t-shirts and string backpacks. Each event moved the Club closer to its goal. In addition, sponsors generously gave money and gifts in kind, including delicious snacks for the Veterans' Invitational Tournament.

Months of planning and hard work paid off. When all the money was counted, members of the SCCL Pickleball Club had raised over $15,000. Accepting the check at the tournament banquet, was Duke graduate and former NBA star, Jack Marin of the Baltimore Bullets. Marin, who is a member of the Board of HFW, expressed his appreciation and admitted he had never heard of pickleball before. He promised to give it a try.

When it was suggested the Club participate in the Lancaster, SC Veterans' Day Parade, we realized it would be a great opportunity to promote pickleball as well as support our veterans and foster goodwill in the community. We quickly rounded up an enthusiastic group of marchers and two decorated vehicles. Local ambassador, Jane Harvey, with help from USAPA member, Martha Burgess, created mini pickleball key rings to pass out to the crowd. Attached was a business card with the tournament logo, information about Hope For the Warriors, and instructions for finding out more about pickleball at the USAPA web site. The key rings were very popular, and with many folks asking “What is Pickleball??” and promising to check it out.

(Pictures Club members; pose behind the Hope For the Warriors Banner; Veteran Beauties wave their paddles to the admiring crowds from the back of Martha Burgess' hot red convertible; The tournament banner carried by USAPA members Fred Harvey and Roy Williams.)

Blue Ridge Mountains Pickleball.........

Nancy Falkenstein
Ambassador; Franklin, NC


Recently we decided we needed a name for the group.

Several of our players have ventured out to area tournaments and  noticed many of the players had shirts identifying their group and location. It was fun to see the different areas represented and so we pressed on.

After receiving many really good suggestions for a name, Blue Ridge Mountains Pickleball was selected. It seemed to capture best our location as many of our players are from outside of Franklin, and we have many summer folks who live elsewhere.

Then a logo was designed and our local Gooder Grafix put it on silk screen and the result is about 1/2 of the group ordered shirts and most, more than one!    We can also get ball caps and visors with the logo without a minimum order.   The shirts were delivered to the winter group and proudly worn during our Monday play November 5th as the pictures reflect!

Pickleball is hybrid game of tennis, Ping Pong and badminton 
Fayobserver.com, 11/10/2012

 In small pockets across the Carolinas, pickleball has developed a devoted following. Next year, it will be introduced as a sport in the North Carolina Senior Games.

And in Hope Mills, the sport billed as the "fastest-growing sport for people over 50" has found a following.

 Why? For openers, it's fun ... occasionally confusing with its oddball paddles and a ball that refuses to go quite where you aim ... but fun. It's also a great way for older athletes to maintain, or recapture, their competitive spirit.

Want to join?
Pick-up pickleball games are Tuesday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Thursday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Hope Mills Recreation Center, 5776 Rockfish Road. Anyone 50 or older is welcome. Paddles and balls are available for newcomers. A free pickleball clinic will be held Nov. 27 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. For information, call 425-6707.

Del Webb vs Del Webb.........

Submitted by Jodi Pree
Ambassador, Marco Island, FL

( Jodi spends her summers in GA and her winters in FL........this was the final pickleball event before she came south!

As for the wonderful peeps at the Village of Deaton Creek:

 Third time proved to be a charm...after 2 rain outs(one in the spring & one in the summer) fall proved to be the perfect time for the Del Webb communities of Village of Deaton Creek & Sun City Peachtree to have a face off.   On Tuesday, October 23rd at 10:30 am, the top teams teams of both communities competed at VDC. The weather was glorious with plenty of sunshine and a comfortable 74 degrees. 

 The VDC teams are: 

Alan Geller / Saul Levenson 
Jim Kreh / George Tzompanakis 
Chuck Pierce / Carole Greer 
Herb Silverman / Bob Fox 
Ed Kay is first alternate 





The Peachtree teams are:

Peter Phelps / Larry Lewellen 
Billy Craddock / Craig Peddicord 
Brad Wideman / Chuck Miller 
Jack Diehl / Elena Corrales 


 The teams played a full 16 game round robin with each team playing every other team, followed by pizza lunch in the downstairs clubroom at the VDC clubhouse.

 It was great that these two Del Webb communities finally got their match in!

Pickleball at Pelican Bay - Daytona Beach

Submitted by
Cathy Stansbury, Daytona Beach Ambassador

Daytona Beach pickleball players met at Pelican Bay on November 2, a beautiful Friday evening, for a fun time of pickleball, appetizers and conversation. The group was joined by a father who is an avid pickleball player and his 13 year old daughter and her friend. Those young players added another dimension to our game, easily getting each and every ball outside their reach. Play began at 5:00, breaking for some yummy appetizers and drinks at 6:00 and more play after the lights on the courts were turned on. We played until we dropped. We all agreed that we have an addiction. Everyone is looking forward to the next pickleball social.

Shores Fall Tournament

Daytona Beach Shores Fall Tournament – Players in Daytona Beach Shores held their Fall pickleball tournament on October 28th.

According to ambassador, Anita Rimler, there were 45 players participating in the tournament, primarily from Daytona, Ormond and Port Orange.

 There was a small contingency of players from nearby Melbourne and Jacksonville, FL

She reports lots of fun for all with hot dogs as a treat after the awards.

Ormond Beach Senior Games

The Ormond Senior Games offered pickleball for the very first time this year, and it sounds like it might become an annual event!

Pickleball was played at the Nova Community Center in Ormond Beach, FL and the following comments were sent to us from Lori Koplin, the Coordinator for the Community Center.

The Pickleball Senior Games were a blast. The players had a lot of fun. I counted 20 players in the tournament. The Nova Community Center is open to anyone Monday through Friday from 9:00-12:30pm. We usually have 10-15 players come in to play and at least 2 new players a week. We are just beginning to plan another tournament at the beginning of next year because the Senior Games was so successful. We also want to draw some outside players inside when it is cold.   (Pictures of Daytona Beach and Jacksonville medal winners provided by Cathy Stansbury)

Upcoming Beginner Pickleball Clinics/Demos

The City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department is offering a pickleball session on Monday November 5, 2012.

Pickleball, named after one of the co-founder’s cocker spaniel Pickles, is a game played with a perforated plastic ball and wood or composite paddles on a court similar to badminton. The class will teach the rules of the game as well as offer som additional pointers.

Paddles and balls will be provided.

The session will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday November 5, 2012

The cost will be around $10 plus a daily court visit fee which is $1 per visit for members and $2 for non-members. It will be held at the H. Odell Weeks Center located at 1700 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC

For more information, call PRT at 642-7631 or Loretta and Mike Beckner at (703) 732-3075.

 For more on the game itself, visit www.usapa.org or www.south.usapa.org.

PICKLEBALL

WHAT IS PICKLEBALL YOU ASK?

Pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong and it’s one of the fastest growing sports in America. It may be a silly name, but it’s a serious sport. It’s fast paced and easy to learn, great exercise and lots of fun. Good for all ages …. Come see what the excitement is about!

OPEN DAY

 Cheval Athletic Club 4142

 Cheval Blvd

 Lutz FL 33558

Sunday November 18^th 2012

2.00pm – 4.30pm

Free instruction: come learn from current players of the game. We have all the equipment you need. Just bring yourself.

FOR MORE INFORAMTION CONTACT:

Larry Neely 813 279 5122

Also check it www.usapa.org or www.south.usapa.org

Beaufort Jasper Pickleball at Sun City Hilton Head

Submitted by Bob Grueser
 Sun City Hilton Head, SC

The Beaufort Jasper Active Adult Challenge (BJAAC) is part of the South Carolina Senior Games, and this year was a USAPA Sanctioned Tier 4 tournament that took place on October 29, 30 and 3, 2012

The BJAAC games had 109 teams participating and attracted participants from Ft. Myers, Fla., Charleston, Savannah, Hilton Head Island and other local communities. Medals were awarded in beginner, intermediate and advanced skill level as well as age groups. As a result 20 different classifications were presented awards.

These senior games are conducted annually on approximately the same dates. We welcome and encourage players from all over to join us in this very competitive and fun filled tournament.

The games are played on courts built exclusively for pickleball, are lighted for night play and provide excellent playing opportunities for the 700 plus members in the Sun City Hilton Head community.