Wednesday, May 29, 2013

North Georgia PB Courts Grand Opening

Submitted by Ann Earley, Ambassador, North Georgia

"Grand Opening" for the new courts will be Saturday, June 15, at 1:30 p.m. Family and friends are welcome. CLICK HERE to RSVP.























CLICK HERE for more photos.

Summer Hours for Pickleball:
9 a.m. on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
1:30 p.m. on Saturdays
Sundays by arrangement

If you want to play at any other times or have visitors in town that want to play, please call and we can make the courts available. We love to promote the sport and enjoy sharing our courts.

Tom & Ann

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Daytona Beach; Pelican Bay Pickleball Skills Clinic

Submitted by:
Rich and Donna Donald
Ambassadors - Florida Heartland

It was a few months ago that I was communicating with Cathy Stansbury, the USAPA Ambassador in Daytona Beach.  I mentioned that Rich and I would be vacationing in Cocoa Beach in May and so plans were made to get together, and then we made plans for Rich to provide a Skills/ Techniques Clinic for their players.  The Clinic took place on Saturday May 25th.

Cathy Stansbury does a great job promoting pickleball, and not just in her home community of Pelican Bay - where with determination she spearheaded the conversion of two tennis courts to four beautiful pickleball courts, but to ambassadors and players in the surrounding cities and counties.  We arrived to an array of goodies, pastry, fruit and juice set up in the clubhouse near the courts, donned our name tags and were introduced to somewhere between 35-40 players who would be attending the clinic including fellow ambassadors across Volusia County: Carol Fiore - Deland, FL,  Maxine Sharp - Ormond Beach,FL  and the recently appointed ambassador also from Deland, Meryl Baker.   After a very active question/answer session - mostly on the "official rules"  we took to the courts.


Sixteen of the players were selected to participate and were able to get some "hands on" practice.   Following the instructional part of the clinic all the players took to the courts for a game, while Rich critiqued their play.   We hope that everyone enjoyed the day, learned a few new skills to improve their game, and had as much fun as we did!    CLICK HERE to see more great photos!

We were also introduced to Dave Vander Weide, who drove over from Winter Garden, FL,  in Orange County.  We were so impressed with his story of promoting pickleball that we wanted to share it.

He and his wife live in a gated community in Winter Garden, FL  which limits access, but where they are allowed to invite guests to play on their three courts. The (picture) article below tells the story of how those courts, shared with the in-line hockey players and soccer players came about.     After play, they need to store the nets and plies and cover the anchor channels in the surface with metal plates.  The courts have already been the hose of one tournament and Dave hopes to have more.

We are in the beginning stages of developing the sport in the area.  Before our courts were put in place, I don't think there were any in the Greater Orlando area.  I have had contact with the Winter Garden Recreation Department as well as Orange County.  It's a matter of educating and demonstrating the sport to them.  They have  to be shown there is a demand for the sport and the popularity.  Once that happens,  I think I can get them to put some public courts in some of the parks.  

That's were I am trying to raise some money to produce brochures, buy some balls and paddles for demonstrations.  Travel and other activities related to promotion cost money. 

 Dave had a shirt shop make up some shirts (pictured above) for personal use and was very excited about the quality and appearance and thinks that selling them may be one of the best was to promote the game.  He had some great response at the clinic at  Pelican Bay.  These shirts are not your typical pickleball t-shirt.  They come in a multitude of colors for men and the V-neck for woman, and are that  very light weight "more-dry type" of material.

Dave can be reached at 407-877-6661 if you'd like more information or would like to purchase one of these shirts!



ClearOne Tournament in Orlando

Hi to all Pickleball Players,

Just a reminder that the deadline for registration for the ClearOne Doubles Invitational in Orlando, Florida is June1. The online registration deadline is June 8. This will be an indoor tournament-a great warm up for the National Senior Games Tournament in Cleveland later this summer.

Click here for the TOURNAMENT FLYER and REGISTRATION SHEET. Hope to see all of you there!!

Sincerely,

Cindy and Nancy
Pickleball Specialties
www.pickleballspecialties.com



Saturday, May 25, 2013

Palmetto Indoor Doubles Invitational Pickleball Tournament

Published May 25, 2013 - www.events.wspa.com

Saturday, Aug 17 12:00p
Odell Weeks Sport Community Center
Aiken, SC

We will be introducing a New Format for skill level tournaments at the "Palmetto Indoor Doubles Invitational" Pickleball Tournament which will be held at the H. Odell Weeks Recreation Center, 1700 Whiskey Road, in the beautiful city of Aiken, South Carolina. Let the tournament festivities begin on Friday night, August 16, with a "Meet and Greet" social at the city's historic Vistors Center and Train Museum, from 6:00-8:00pm, located at 406 Park Ave. Se. Complimentary light finger foods and beverages.

READ MORE...

Pickleball Demo/Clinic - Delray Beach Community Center, Florida

Submitted by Josh Kalin, Ambassador, Delray Beach

Delray Beach, Florida News


Pickleball is continuing to grow. Our first Delray Beach Demo/Clinic was held in Delray Beach Community Center and was well attended with over 100 people. We've included a fantastic video done by our Dick Freshley, Ambassador. Here is the link to our You Tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjI14UWq6jI&feature=youtu.be

Thank you to our volunteer players who helped make the presentation very successful. They are: Art Pumpian, Dick Freshley, Eileen Tuckman, Emily Stepner, Lee Kritzer, Mark Mermelstein, Mary Ellen Harris, Merrill Beveridge, Richie Liss and Verna Freshley.

Josh Kalin, Ambassador, introduced the game while our group played and helped show everyone how to hit the ball. Thanks to Leslie Liss and Marsha Mermelstein who helped register everyone. Harriet Kalin organized the demo/clinic.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Macon County Senior Games

Submitted by Nancy Falkenstein, Ambassador, Franklin, NC


The Senior Games Pickleball Tournament was held April 22, 23 and 24th at the outside courts at the County Recreation Park. Singles for both Men and Women was played the 22nd, and the winners were: Gold - Paul Baillargeon, Silver - Ron Schott and Bronze - Larry Noyes in the Men's Division and in the Women's Division Nancy Falkenstein took the Gold, Joyce Jacques the Silver and Mary Mitchell the Bronze.

Tuesday the Mens and Womens Doubles were played at the National Guard Armory.

In the Men's Division the team of John Lumpkin and Mike Harris won Gold, Mike Falkenstein and Don Wirth took Silver, and Larry Noyes and Paul Baillargeon got the Bronze Medal.

The Women's Doubles winners were:
Gold - Judy Wirth and Nancy Falkenstein
Silver - Irma Mason and Nan Noyes
Bronze - Milly Honeycutt and Pat Zilbauer

The event finished Wednesday with the much anticipated Mixed Doubles. Nine teams participated in competetive matches. Winners were Mike and Nancy Falkenstein - Gold, Vince West and Irma Mason - Silver and Larry and Nan Noyes - Bronze.

The tournament was Double Elimination with 2 out of 3 games to 11 points in the Winners Bracket and in the Non-Winners Bracket one game to 15. This format allows players the opportunity to play more than one game ensuring every participant a fun time!

Pickleball is not played at the State Games however it is anticipated that it will soon be included in the North Carolina State Games as several States are already playing it locally and at the State Level.

Anyone wanting information about Pickleball play in Franklin may contact either Jan Sharp at 828-371-0971 or Mike and Nancy Falkenstein at 828-369-9052. Summer play is at the outside courts at the Rec Park on Monday and Wednesday mornings.

To see more photos from the Games, CLICK HERE.
 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

5th Annual City Cup Corporate Fitness Challenge

Submitted by Mike Beckner, Ambassador, Aiken, SC

The city of Aiken hosted the 5th annual City Cup Corporate Fitness Challenge the week of May 13. This annual event celebrates National Employee Health and Fitness Day and is actively supported by many local businesses and corporations. Pickleball was a featured sport for the third year in this competition with a total of 11 corporate teams signed up to compete in outdoor doubles play. There was spirited play among the competing teams with several potentially excellent players showing their stuff on the courts provided by the Parks Recreation and Tourism Department at H.Odell Weeks Recreation Center. City Team 2 comprised of Zach Holley and Nathan Campbell edged Jeff Metz and Stan Courtney of City Team 1 in an exciting championship match that was much closer than the final score reflected. Most of the participating players were first timers, but the athleticism they exhibited bodes well for their future in this new sport. Several indicated that they hoped to continue to hone their skills in anticipation of the first annual Aiken Palmetto Doubles Invitational Pickleball tournament to be held, indoors, at the recreation center August 17 and 18 of this year. Volunteer officials for this event included Aiken Pickledilly stalwarts Sharon McMichael, Maggie Ward, Ron Nelson and Mike Beckner.

 

Monday, May 20, 2013

It's Pickleball season!

Published May 14, 2012 - www.examiner.com


Spring is in the air. The fields have been groomed, the beer vendors are stocked and the red, white and blue banners have been strung up. Kim Kardashian is slated to throw out the first pickle and country music legend George Jones is scheduled to sing the National Anthem. There is electricity in the air as the anticipation mounts for the start of the 2013 Pickleball season.

Okay, I’m a sports nut but I’ve got to tell you, I don’t have a clue what the hell Pickleball is. I thought maybe Sheriff Andy Taylor’s Aunt Bee might be the league’s commissioner or something, the Vlasic duck might have something to do with it and as far as I know ESPN’s Sportscenter has never had a late night show called “Pickleball Tonite”.

The game as far as I understand is simple. Invented by a dog named Pickles in a back yard somewhere out west in the late sixties, Pickleball fever is sweeping the nation like the Harlem Shake or Honey Boo Boo.

READ MORE...

Welcome New Ambassador Rick Whissel

Submitted by ASR Director Howie Thompson

Here's the letter Rick Whissel received from the USAPA:

                                
Rick Whissel
Palm Harbor FL 

Hi Rick,

We are very pleased to announce you have been approved as our USA Pickleball Association Official Ambassador for Palm Harbor FL.

We believe that by being a member of USAPA and agreeing to be an Ambassador demonstrates your willingness to promote Pickleball as America’s fastest growing sport! Introducing more people to Pickleball and getting new PB locations started throughout the land is the best way to share our great game with others!

As these locations come on, we ask you to insure the information on playing sites is properly entered into the Places to Play segment on the website, along with the name and contact information of a local person. Please encourage this person to keep this information current at all times. PTP is a valuable reference for members and non-members who may be looking for a place to get in a game. Even though many locations are private, the contact person can usually bring the visitor in as a guest.

New members are our lifeline and we ask that you constantly seek out members for our organization. Remember the best chance for our success is to have a large and growing membership. There are many benefits to being a member and the most important is that most PB players embrace our goal to grow and share our game with others of all ages.

We are attaching our Ambassador Packet consisting of several important elements of our program. You will also be receiving business cards and a copy of our promotional DVD (you can view this DVD on the Home Page of our website).

Your name has already been entered on our website as an Ambassador. To reduce the likelihood of spam we have hidden your email address.

Please become familiar with the Ambassador section of our website, especially the Effective Ideas and the Pickleball Promoters How-To Guide. You will find many helpful hints for promoting and growing our great game.

You will also receive a separate invitation to join the USAPA Pickleball Promoters How-To Group! You will be able to read about ‘Best Practices’ from other Ambassadors and resources that can be copied and edited to meet your specific needs. This group is also the place to find collaborators that may be nearby or across the country that can assist you as you promote Pickleball.

Because you reside in Florida, you will be assigned to our Atlantic South Region. Our Regional Director there is Howie "Coach" Thompson. Howie will be able to help you wherever you need assistance and we encourage you to take advantage of this. His contact information is 919-824-1110 ncoachhta@hotmail.com

Good luck in everything you do! We are happy to have you aboard the Pickleball Express!


 
Earl Hill  | Assistant Ambassadors Director
USA Pickleball Association 
P.O. Box 7354  | Surprise, Arizona 85374

  

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Welcome New USAPA Members

Submitted by Jerry Eamer, Ambassador, North Myrtle Beach, SC

Michele and Steve Boswell

Michele retired from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, MD, after 35 years of service in December 2011 and Steve retired from US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, after 33 years of service in February 2012. We moved to Emmens Preserve in Myrtle Beach on August 1, 2012. We have two daughters, Caitlin, 24, and Kelsey, 22 along with Dakoda, our 5 year old granddaughter.

We were originally introduced to pickleball in Fairfield Glade Tennessee several years back. It looked like a game that would fit our activity level nicely. When we moved to Myrtle Beach we began playing pickleball in Sept 2012 at Crabtree Gym. We now play pickleball at 3 different locations 3 times a week. The pickleball comrades have been fantastic and always fun to play with!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Pickleball Featured in Mystery Story

Submitted by Mitchell Ball, Ambassador, South Florida

“I don’t think his death was an accident” said Mitch Logan, the organizer of the first pickleball tournament in Miami Beach, "I think it was murder."  Murder Outside the Inn is the third in the Stories From the Inn series by Barbara Fox. A group of people check into the inn for a weekend of Pickleball but when one of the guests has a fatal accident, Mitch and Sandy, the owner of the inn, are sure it was murder and they set out to prove it. Who are the suspects? What was the motive and what will happen to the tournament? Mitch Logan, the hero of Murder Outside The Inn, is based on the real life Mitchell Ball, Picleball ambassador for South Florida; Barbara Fox is am author and Pickleball fan. She decided to combine mystery and Pickleball into a short story ,consulted with Mitch about the rules of play and asked him to be one of the characters. He agreed “as long as you don’t murder me”. Who did it?

Villages Pickleball vs. Seattle Stars

Published May 6, 2013 - www.pickleballvideos.net

Two of the best teams in the world compete against each other in an exhibition style event. Teams are ….from the Seattle area Timothy ( Puppet Master ) Nelson and Billy Jacobson VS Villages Team #1 Phil Bagley and Brian Staub. Starting around the 15 minute mark, this is some of the best pickleball that we’ve ever seen!


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Regional Goal

To: All Ambassadors in the Atlantic South Region
From: Howie Thompson, Regional Director

There are programs that I want to present to the National USAPA. However, with Registration to the National being somewhere around 30-40% in our Region and even lower in some cases, I would find it hard to ask for anything with that kind of participation. If you truly love this sport, then it is imperative that you support your National Association.

So, today, I am setting a goal of 80% of all of your current members who play be registered with USAPA. Is it a mandate? No! Is it a request? Yes! And this request is vital for our strength and unity. Especially in people 40 and younger. That does not mean that we ignore the older generation amongst us.

If you care about Pickleball, and if you want this great sport of ours to grow and flourish, then I would ask you to make this priority one. More members means more money, and more money means more equipment, more clinics and a growth in this game like no other. I am challenging each and every Ambassador to reach and exceed this goal. It starts with one new person each day and it grows to 10 or more each day by the time you reach your goal.

I would like a report from each Ambassador as to the current level of USAPA registration in your area. I will take all of this and post each states current level of registration. Each month you will send a report to Marsha, who will post your successes on the Regional Website.

This is a challenge for sure, and I know that you love this sport enough to step up to the challenge and make this happen. We will see great things when we reach a Regional goal of 80%. This is not easy, if it were, everyone would be an Ambassador. You are special because of what you do. I know I can count on you and I know we can make this happen.

"We climb a mountain one step at a time." Sir Edmond Hillary

Thank you for all you do.

Howie

Friday, May 10, 2013

Pickleball by the Sea

Submitted by Verna Griffin
 
Ambassadors: Verna Griffin and Sandy Hooker
Isle of Palms Park, Jacksonville, FL
Jarboe Park, Neptune Beach, FL
Facebook: Pickleball by the Sea
www.pickleballbythesea.com
                                 
May 10, 2013

The makeup evening for all our raining days of cancellation of Pickleball was well attended. We had four courts actively playing with several people waiting to rotate in to play. The evening was just perfect for several games of high intensity playing. Two new people joined in the fun. Dillon has been watching us play from his home across the street from the park. Ben inquired about our sport through a friend already playing. Each open play day/evening we are introducing this wonderful game to more people.

Fleet Landing in Mayport now has 2 courts. A clinic was given on May 6th to teach the game to the residence. Dave, a player with Pickle by the Sea, assisted with the clinic. Way to go Dave with spreading the joy of the game. Hopefully, fleet Landing will invite us to a game or two on their new courts.

We abide farewell to Larry, Roger, and Bonnie. They were visitors from different states who found us via the USAPA website. We wish them safe travels and look forward to seeing them on the courts when they travel our way again.

Open play: Thursday, Jarboe Park, Neptune Beach 7-9pm
Saturday, Isle of Palms Park, Eunice Rd 9-11am
All equipment is provided. Please bring something to drink.

Please remember to stretch prior to playing games and to warm up with serving, stroking and dinking. See you on the courts!

Pickled to be Playing Pickleball - Verna

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Pickleball may be next popular local sport

Published May 1, 2013 - The State Port Pilot, Southport, NC

Marty Smith is a USA Pickleball Association Ambassador and his territory is Brunswick County.

“My goal is to get as many people as I can out to play pickleball,”
Smith explained. “I want to go after the older age group so they can get out and get some exercise in order to get the juices lowing and live longer.”

Pickleball originated in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, when a group wanted to play a game of badminton but could not ind a shuttlecock. So they lowered the net and fabricated some plywood paddles and started playing on the badminton court with a Whifle-like ball.

The court is 20 feet by 44 feet, compared to a tennis court that is 36 by 78. Experience in tennis, badminton and ping pong is helpful, as there are similarities with those sports.

“Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the USA and you are going to have seniors' quality of life improve as a result of getting more exercise,” Smith said. “We have more pickleball players in Brunswick Forest than tennis players, even though tennis courts outnumber pickleball courts six to four.”

Smith, a resident of Brunswick Forest in Leland, said games there started with eight or nine players; now there are more than 40 participating.

Senior Games demo

The North Carolina Senior Games will include pickleball as a sanctioned event starting in 2014. At the Gator Senior Games opening ceremonies held April 3, six residents of Brunswick Forest were on hand to demonstrate the sport.

Many of the Senior Games participants gave the sport a try. Mary Comer, an Oak Island resident, was among those at the Senior Games opening and she invited Smith to conduct a similar demonstration in Oak Island.

Local interest

Smith, Tim Camden, Jim Gautier and Vicki Shockley, all Brunswick Forest pickleball players, gave a repeat of their Senior Games demonstration at the tennis courts in Oak Island on April 18, attended by about 30 Oak Island residents. Again, there was interest in pursuing the sport.

Among the participants was Rebecca Squires of the Oak Island Parks and Recreation Department, who helped arrange the event. Squires said if there is enough interest in pickleball the department would consider providing some facilities.

Joe Meissner from St. James attended to learn more about the sport, and plans to check out the possibility of getting a pickleball facility there.

The sport
The used is a perforated plastic ball similar to a Whifle ball. The game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.

The net is a couple inches lower than a tennis court net, and the paddles are oversized ping pong paddles made of plywood, aluminum or graphite. The game can be played with two or four players.

In 1972 pickleball was incorporated to give the game a hub and keep up with the demand for paddles, balls, nets and other gear. Pickleball is played throughout the world through community groups, physical education classes, YMCA, retirement communities and other venues. There already are over 100,000 players in the United States alone.

When tennis and badminton players ind it dificult to navigate the larger courts, the next step is pickleball, where there is not as much running required.

Local beginnings

Smith provided background on how pickleball courts were made available at Brunswick Forest.

“Nancy Holly, a Florida resident from The Villages, where pickleball is a big-time sport, was purchasing a home in Brunswick Forest and she convinced the developer to include pickleball courts in the tennis complex.

Pickleball is played everyday at Brunswick Forest and three days have been scheduled for group play—Sunday morning, Monday and Wednesday evenings. “The group play is more social than competitive,” Smith observed.

Adding the game to Senior Games should be a real boost to increase the number of players and facilities.

Contact person

Marty Smith has offered to conduct pickleball demonstrations for other communities and organizations interested in learning more about the sport. He can be contacted at 703-928-1619 or ozone3696@hotmail.com.

"Lucky Strikes" play pickleball!

Submitted by Jayne M. Rogers (a.k.a. Grammy Jayne), Ambassador, Naples, FL

On Monday April 29th, ten ladies from the "Lucky Strikes" Naples FL bowling league came to Lakewood Country Club of Naples for an introduction to pickleball and several hours of play. Weekly on bowling night they heard about pickleball from Jayne Rogers, USAPA Ambassador for the Naples area, and were so curious that they had to try it!


Jayne Rogers along with teammates Paul Leeder, Tami Thomas and Joe Pucci gave a 5 point demonstration of the game to illustrate scoring and a few of the rules. Following the demo, each of the trainers took small groups to different courts to have the new players practice strokes and serves. After this short practice, each court started playing under the watchful eyes of each instructor. Most heard comment was "the serve is just like our bowling delivery"! 

Everyone had a great time and all of these girls, who soon would head North, were determined to check out places to play in their areas so that upon their return next season they would have learned more about pickleball. Everyone was excited about learning something new that was so much fun!

Regional Director Atlantic South Appointment

4/16/2013

Fellow Regional Directors and Ambassadors in the Atlantic South,

In the past several months as you know our well loved Donna Donald has requested to step down from the Regional Director's position for the Atlantic South. She has done a fabulous job especially in the area of promoting pickleball, encouraging new players and ambassadors through the region as well as write an incredible and awesome newsletter every couple of months. She has a fabulous team of ambassadors and to all of you that know her and have served her, we want to thank you.

Earl Hill and I have talked and emailed several of you that have asked about the position and after much consideration we would like to introduce to you your new Regional Director for the Atlantic South - 

He is Howie Thompson from Little River, SC. He graduated from the University of Tampa with a BS in Physical Education. He not only played baseball and football, he also has been the head coach for girls basketball, soccer, and softball teams. Howie also taught pickleball from 1998-1999 at Brewster High School in Brewster, NY

Howie has written several books that have been published since 1999 to the present which include A Game for All Seasons, Overtime, Fat Harold, The Legendary King of Shag, and the most recent book; And the Bands Played On...The History of Beach Music.

Howie is now retired from teaching and coaching. He plays pickleball and continues to reside in Little River. He has a plan to grow pickleball and has a list of ideas I am sure he will be sending to you.

It's with great pleasure that we present Howie to you. His email is ncoachhta@hotmail.com or you can call him at 919-824-1110.

You might even be able to get one of his books autographed!

Sincerely,

Christie Borne
 
Christie Borne  | Director of Ambassadors
USA Pickleball Association 
18827 Brighton Trail Ln.  | Tomball, TX 77377
Tel: 713.775.5273

  

Monday, May 6, 2013

Final Pickleball on tennis courts

Submitted by Ann Earley, Ambassador, North Georgia

Thanks to Ken Riordon, Jon Pyle, Floyd Moody, Chuck Fahn, Katie Brown, and Judy Vonesh for participating in the final games on the old tennis courts.  A special thanks to Floyd Moody, who stayed to work with Tom to take out the sand filled buckets.


Destruction of the courts begins tomorrow.  Resurfacing and new, permanent PB courts (six!) will be installed within the next two weeks. Play will resume on May 20th.....

Additional locations will be announced as we find places to play for the next 14 days! Thanks again, for braving the rain!

Tom & Ann Earley
....& Bocce, the regional mascot

CLICK HERE for more photos.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Results of Hillsborough County Indoor Pickleball Championship

Submitted by Russell Elefterion, Ambassador, North Tampa, FL

The tournament was fantastic!!! We had over 100 players including the social and we had almost every PB club from within 60 miles involved!   

25 mixed doubles teams
12 men’s doubles
12 women’s doubles

Men's Doubles
1st Place: Larry Cabrera/Dale Scott (St Pete Beach)
2nd Place: Byron Freso/Mike Kates (Valencia Lakes)
3rd Place: Larry Freed/Greg Watkins (Anna Maria)


Women's Doubles
1st Place: Denise Boutin/Susan Gapen (The Villages)
2nd Place: Marsha Freso/Debbie Stafford (Valencia Lakes)
3rd Place: Susan Forget/Sheryl Kinnebrew


Mixed Doubles
1st Place: Marsha Freso/Mike Davis (Valencia Lakes)
2nd Place: Byron Freso/ Trisha Chesky (Valencia Lakes)
3rd Place: Benningfield/Benningfield


CLICK HERE for more photos.

Island Rec Center Sponsors First Hilton Head Island Pickleball Tournament

Submitted by John Dreier


On Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th 50 pickleball players from as far away as New York and Florida played in a Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles pickleball tournament at the Rec Center facility. The level of play was excellent because participants included ranked players with lots of tournament experience. This made the medal rounds especially exciting. 

Players and onlookers alike enjoyed the tournament and there were many requests that this become an annual sporting event on the island. This tournament raised funds for the Island Rec Center that will be used to support the pickleball program there. 

Medal winners were:

Men’s Doubles    
Bronze - Dennis Zeleski/Pedro Arevalo
Silver - John Dreier/Mitch Laine
Gold - Bob Grueser/Ken Kiurski








Women’s Doubles
Bronze - Joyce Bridwell/Mickey Hoehl
Silver - Teresa Shull/Trish Snyder
Gold - Denise Boutin/Nancy Whiteman
Mixed Doubles 
Bronze - Frank Piscani/Mickey Hoehl
Silver - Ken Kiurski/Cathy Taylor
Gold - Teresa Shull/Sean Shull
 
CLICK HERE to view more photos.

North Georgia PB Club - PB on Monday 10AM

Submitted by Ann Earley, Ambassador, North Georgia

We will begin court destruction on Tuesday May 7th and will have a few accessible sites and times for play until the competition of the SIX new courts at the end of the month. We will have a “Grand Opening” party and play on a date and time to be announced. We will send additional information for play at Lake Arrowhead and perhaps some additional sites later in the week. Hopefully we can enjoy one last day of play on the old courts tomorrow, Monday, May 6th at 10 a.m. Until then, HAPPY CINCO de MAYO!

Friday, May 3, 2013

Gherkin born Friday, May 3rd!

Submitted by Ann Earley, Ambassador, North Georgia

This arrived a few minutes ago from our North Georgia PB Club Member, Todd Intermill. Our first club Gherkin! Congratulations Todd & Kendra!

FROM TODD:

He finally came after 29 long, hard hours. We have a handsome new pickleball player. William Anthony Intermill. Born at 2:16 this morning. 7.0 lbs, 20 1/4 inches.





Thursday, May 2, 2013

Upcoming Tournaments in and around our region

Hi to all Pickleball Players,

We would like to announce some upcoming dates for tournaments in and around our region. We are proud to be the tournament directors for these tournaments and we hope that you will all make an effort to support these tournaments as players and/or volunteers.

Tournament information and registration sheets will be available on the USAPA website and on www.pickleballspecialties.com after May 1, 2013. We are working on a couple of more tournaments that will be announced as soon as the details are all set.

June 15, 16 2013: Orlando ClearOne Doubles Invitational, Orlando, FL
                               Sanctioned Tier 4 Skill/Age Combination (Indoor)                                                                                                       
                                            
August 17, 18 2013: Palmetto Indoor Pickleball Doubles Invitational, Aiken, SC
                                  Sanctioned Tier 4 Skill/Age Combination                                                            
                                  Social meet and greet on Friday evening August 16

Sept 13,14,15 2013: Battle of Franklin, Franklin, Tennessee 
                                  Sanctioned Tier 4 Age Level Tournament

Oct 25,26,27 2013: Tampa Bay Senior Games, Tampa, FL

Nov 1, 2, 2013: Myrtle Beach Seaside Classic, Myrtle Beach SC
                          Sanctioned Tier 4 Age Level Tournament
                          Dinner Dance on Thursday night, October 31

Dec 14, 15 2013: 4th Annual Riverbend Classic, LaBelle, FL 
                            Sanctioned Tier 4 Skill/Age Tournament

Jan 31, Feb 1,2 2014: Atlantic South Regional, Naples, FL 
                                     Sanctioned Tier 3 Age Level Tournament
                                     Social dinner Thursday, January 30, 2014

March 21, 22, 23 2014: East Naples Skill Level Tournament, Naples, FL   
                                       Sanctioned Tier 4 Skill/Age Tournament

Registration forms, flyers, and on-line registration will be available after May 15 for the June, August and September tournaments. Check back often for additional tournament forms. 

We look forward to seeing all of you!!

Cindy Eddleman
Nancy Meyer
Tournament Co-Directors

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Pickleball: growing sport for seniors

Published May 1, 2013 - www.stateportpilot.com


Marty Smith is a USA Pickleball Association Ambassador and his territory is Brunswick County.

“My goal is to get as many people as I can out to play pickleball,” Smith explained. “I want to go after the older age group so they can get out and get some exercise in order to get the juices flowing and live longer.”