Pickleball demos coming to Phipps tennis center

Published November 29, 2014 - www.palmbeachdailynews.com

Palm Beach (FL) tennis centers will feature Pickleball, a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis.

Never heard of it? Free demonstrations will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday and Dec. 11 at Phipps Ocean Park Tennis Center.

When played on a clay court, participants use a decompressed ball and a wood paddle.The sport was created for all ages and skill levels.

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Pickleball Clinic To Be Offered At Parks And Recreation – Brevard NC

Published November 27, 2014 - www.transylvaniatimes.com

 

Pickleball is the fastest growing paddle sport in the country. Although it has been around since the '60s, it is just now catching on around the country and in many places around the world.

But what is it and why is it so exciting?

"First of all, it is a game played on a court half the size of a tennis court with paddles and a whiffle ball," said John Jessen, who runs weekly pickleball clinics at Transylvania County Parks and Recreation.

"It has all the strokes of tennis, but you do not have to be a tennis player in order to play the game. That's one of the reasons it is so much fun."

Anyone can learn to play. Players only have to cover an area about 10 by 15 feet, so less running is involved and the game is less stressful on the body.

 

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Pickleball becomes huge hit at community center

Published November 25, 2014 - www.northfortmyersneighbor.com

Mike Welter of Cape Coral has built his life around a sport that is a combination of tennis and ping-pong, and he's not the only one.

Pickleball has become all the rage at the North Fort Myers Community Center. What started as a hearty group of six people and one court has become a huge hit, with more than 60 players coming in for the four sessions per week the center offers.

While many who play the game are seniors looking to stay in shape, there are some younger players who have fallen in love with it.

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North Carolina Holiday Smash Pickleball Tournament Huge Success

Submitted by Robert Nibarger, District Ambassador, Piedmont District - North Carolina

　
Holiday Smash Pickleball Round-Up
November 22, 2014 - Carolina Courts, Concord, NC

 

Over 120 Pickleball enthusiasts from the Atlantic South Region participated in the 1st Annual Holiday Smash Pickleball Tournament and Holiday Food Drive. Carolina Courts, the indoor host, was chosen because of the superior facilities which included over 80,000 square feet of indoor space, restrooms and a snack bar. Pickleball teams participated in a Round Robin tournament whereby each team plays each over 5 or more matches then plays a "head to head" match to determine bracket or age group winners. Carolina Courts has been chosen by the United States Pickleball Association (USAPA) to host the upcoming Atlantic South Pickleball Regionals scheduled for March of 2015. Local pickleball clubs from Bailey’s Glen Subdivision, Cornelius NC, and Sun City Carolina Lakes along with North Carolina USAPA Regional Pickleball Ambassadors provided volunteer support for the tournament. Special thanks to our Bailey's Glen and Sun City Pickleball volunteers.

Winners posted soon at www.carolinacourts.com. 

Pickleball is one of fastest growing sports in the United States with over 2,000 places to play within the United States. For more information, please contact www.ncpickleball@aol.com and www.usapa.org. 

 

Too cold to play? Bah! Humbug!

Submitted by Ann Earley, Ambassador, North Georgia



Throughout the past two weeks of cold weather, if there was a degree over freezing and sunny skies (even the hint of sun!), the North Georgia Pickleball Club was on the courts! We had four courts with players waiting last Saturday; we cancelled Monday only because it was raining! This week we have players coming from Peachtree City (GA), Chattanooga, and Nashville, TN We also plan to play at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving!

PTC locals dominate USAPA annual pickleball tournament

Published November 18, 2014 - www.thecitizennews.com

Tyson Sandlin and Chris O’Brien won decisively in their brackets during the first annual Pickled Peach Tournament held in Athens, Ga. Neither Sandlin nor O’Brien lost a game, which placed them against each other for the championship.

In a game normally played in 20 minutes, the two battled for 45 minutes. It was a contest of speed versus size. Sandlin was fast while O’Brien possessed long reach and a bigger size. Eventually Tyson squeaked past his longtime friend and fellow player, 15-14.

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USAPA Nationals VI in Buckeye, AZ

Congratulations to all the winners from the Atlantic South Region!

Gold Medalists
Joshua Elliott – The Villages, FL: 17-18 Junior Men’s Doubles, 13-14 Junior Men's Singles, 11-14 Junior Mixed Doubles
Rachel Elliott – The Villages, FL: 11-14 Junior Mixed Doubles
Robert Elliott – The Villages, FL: 19+ Men’s Doubles
Kyle Yates – Ft. Myers, FL: 19+ Men’s Doubles
Phil Bagley – The Villages, FL: 35+ Men’s Doubles, 35+ Mixed Doubles
Brian Staub – The Villages, FL: 35+ Men’s Doubles
Denise Boutin – The Villages, FL: 55+ Women’s Doubles
Alison Fulton – Lady Lake, FL: 55+ Women’s Doubles
Diane Bock – The Villages, FL: 60+ Mixed Doubles

Silver Medalists
Rachel Elliott – The Villages, FL: 11-14 Junior Women's Singles
Matt Staub – The Villages, FL: 19+ Mixed Doubles, Open Men’s Doubles
Diane Bock – The Villages, FL: 55+ Women’s Doubles

Bronze Medalists
Kyle Yates – Fort Myers, FL: 19+ Men’s Singles, Open Mixed Doubles
Brian Staub – The Villages, FL: 19+ Mixed Doubles, Open Men’s Doubles
Phil Bagley – The Villages, FL: Open Men’s Doubles
Jodi Elliott – The Villages, FL: 35+ Women’s Doubles
Lydia Willis – The Villages, FL: 35+ Women’s Doubles, Open Mixed Doubles
Byron Freso – Wimauma, FL: 55+ Men’s Doubles
Harriet Kalin – Delray Beach, FL: 75+ Women’s Singles

University City YMCA Pickleball

Submitted by Robert Nibarger, District Ambassador, Piedmont District - North Carolina

The University YMCA of Charlotte kicked off its pickleball program on November 13th as members of the Bailey’s Glen Pickleball Club (Cornelius, NC), presented Pickleball 101, and informed players on basic rules, strokes and drills. The University YMCA is located at 8100 Mallard Creek Road in Charlotte, NC. According to USAPA Piedmont Ambassador Bob Nibarger, pickleball is growing “roots” in the Charlotte area as he receives calls almost weekly. To learn more about pickleball in the Piedmont Region of NC, send an email to ncpickleball@aol.com or visit www.usapa.org for places to play in NC.

Sun City Carolina Lakes Pickleball Education Program

Submitted by Robert Nibarger, District Ambassador, Piedmont District - North Carolina

 

Sun City Carolina Lakes Pickleball continues to promote the sport by conducting clinics for old and young alike.  Frank Kinder, local pickleball coordinator, recently conducted a two-day skills clinic.  Other clinics have featured Coach Moe and Deb Harris.  The Sun City program continues to grow with new courts scheduled in the near future.

New North Carolina Indoor Facility A Big Success



Submitted by Robert Nibarger, District Ambassador, Piedmont District - North Carolina

 

Concord, NC - Carolina Courts (www.carolinacourts.com) became a major player in pickleball in the Charlotte, North Carolina area on November 3rd as almost 20 participants assembled for match play.  Carolina Courts Manager, Phillip Vaughn, sees continued growth for pickleball at both their Northern and Southern facilities within North Carolina.  The North Carolina USAPA Regional Ambassadors are hosting a holiday tourney (HOLIDAY SMASH) at Carolina Courts, which will be the prelude for the USAPA Southeast Sanctioned Regional to be held in March of 2015.  Carolina Courts is open 5 days a week for pickleball from 10 AM to 3 PM.  For more information on Carolina Courts, please send an email to ncpickleball@aol.com.

Island Rec Center hosts second annual pickleball tournament

Published November 6, 2014 - www.islandpacket.com

Thirty-five teams in five divisions will take to the court Friday when the Island Recreation Center (Hilton Head Island, SC) hosts its second annual pickleball tournament.

The tournament is divided into 50-64 and 65+ brackets in the Men’s and Mixed divisions. There is also one all-inclusive Women’s division because of a smaller number of teams.

Play begins at 10 a.m. for the Women’s Division, 10:30 a.m. for the Mixed Doubles divisions and noon for the Men’s Doubles divisions.

Spectators are welcome. Folding chairs and sunscreen are advised.

Details: Call 843-681-7273 or email bob.rozek@islandreccenter.org.

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Local residents win medals in pickleball at NC State Senior Games

Published November 6, 2014 - www.warrenrecord.com

Linda Kidd of Norlina and Stanley Brothers of Lake Gaston found success in pickleball competition at the recent State Senior Games, bringing home gold and bronze medals, respectively.

Both have been playing pickleball regularly at courts in Warren County since local pickleball began almost four years ago. The sport combines tennis, ping-pong and badminton and is played with a wiffle ball slightly larger than a baseball.

At the regional level, Kidd won gold in women's singles for the 70-74 age group, and Brothers won silver in men's singles and bronze in men's doubles in the 70-74 age group.

 

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North Myrtle Beach Men’s and Women’s Tournament Format Receives Players Praise

Submitted by Rick Harpster

On October 31 and November 1, the North Myrtle Beach Recreation Department hosted its first indoor Paddle at the Beach Pickleball Tournament and received rave reviews from players for the pool play format. Departing from the usual format used for most pickleball tournaments, the Paddle at the Beach event did not offer singles or mixed doubles competition. Instead, competition was limited to men’s and women’s teams only, on six indoor courts in two gymnasiums at the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center. Also, instead of providing each player with a tournament t-shirt as a gift, the Recreation Department chose to give each player a thermal mug with the city logo engraved on one side and the Paddle at the Beach logo on the opposite side.

On Friday, teams were divided into pools by age bracket. Each team in the pool played every other team in their pool in round robin competition consisting of two game matches to 11 points. This format allowed each team a minimum of eight games, with many teams playing 10 games. Specific start times for matches were pre-established and a gym manager was assigned to each gym. This provided players with an estimate of the start time for each of their matches and the gym managers kept idle court time to a minimum.

On Saturday, the results of the pool play competition were used to divide the teams into Gold and Silver brackets. Friday competition results were also used to seed the teams for double elimination tournaments. Again, departing from awarding medals to the winners, first and second place finishing teams in each bracket received a black marble paper weight engraved with the Paddle at the Beach logo and their tournament finishing position.

The pool play tournament format received high praise from the players. Each team played more games than they would have played had the Recreation Department chosen the usual double elimination tournament format. A second Paddle at the Beach is planned for April 24 and 25, 2015. This event will also use a round robin pool play format. Additional information will be on the USAPA website soon.

Halloween Pickleball Chili CookOff

Submitted by Ann Earley, Ambassador, North Georgia

A good time was had by all at the Halloween PB Chili CookOff yesterday! It was great to see Alice Tym, Bart Brannon, and Lou Novechek from Chattanooga, TN; Steve and Renata Hess from Hoschton, GA; and our special guests from Canada: Randy & Judy Bourne and Colin & Andrea Caldwell.

We had five courts of chilly players and ten crock pots of chili to taste afterwards. Also, we had some killer cornbread offerings- one "truly Southern" made with bacon grease and stone ground corn meal and the other truly "gourmet" with broccoli. The winner was the Buck Fever Chili by Donna Goodall. A "blue northern" came through during our tasting, but everyone was snug and warm from the chili inside the Stable.

Pickleball in PTC

Published October 31, 2014 - www.thecitizen.com

The Peachtree City Pickleball Club kicked off in Peachtree City Sunday, Oct. 12. Close to 100 friends and family members gathered at the tennis center to see what the game with the funny name was all about.

Once thought to be only for the 50-plus crowd, children ages nine to 17 were out hitting whiffle-ball shots over the net, using either graphite or wooden paddles. Two of Peachtree City’s 20-somethings, Tyson Sandlin and Chris O’Brien, demonstrated the skills they learned at age 9. Sandlin’s father, Marty, built his own court 15 years ago so he could teach the neighborhood kids how to play.

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