Local competitors earn medals at Lowcountry Pickleball Classic

Published April 28, 2015 - www.blufftontoday.com

The second annual Lowcountry Pickleball Classic drew competitors from across the country April 17-19 in Sun City. Several local residents took home medals from the event.

In the 50-plus 3.0 category, Angie Allen and Joyce Addams won a silver medal; in the 65-plus 3.0 category, Joanie Pranc and June Allison won a silver medal and Marilyn Booher and Jan Hawks won a bronze medal; and in the 65-plus 3.5 category, Mary Claire Horner and Carol Short won a gold medal.

In mixed couples 50-plus 3.5 category, Rueben Odor won a bronze medal; in the 65-plus 3.5 category, Mary Claire Horner and Jim Horner won a gold medal and Elliot Butter won a silver medal.

 

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North Myrtle Beach Hosts Second Successful Tournament and Plans Unique Opportunity

Submitted by Rick Harpster, North Myrtle Beach, SC

On April 24 and 25, the North Myrtle Beach Recreation Department hosted its second indoor Paddle at the Beach Pickleball Tournament. The Paddle at the Beach is unlike most tournaments that use a double elimination tournament format. Instead, round robin pool play on the first day is used as a seeding mechanism for double elimination tournaments on the second day. This format provided the nearly 100 players with a significantly higher amount of play time which was well received.   

Instead of providing each player with a tournament t-shirt as a gift, the Recreation Department chose again to give each player a thermal mug with the city logo on one side and the Paddle at the Beach logo on the opposite side. Also, departing from awarding medals to the winners, Champion and Runner-Up finishing teams in each bracket received a 6 oz. glass etched with the Paddle at the Beach logo and their tournament finishing position.

The next Paddle at the Beach is scheduled to be held on September 28, 29, and 30, 2015. Borrowing a concept that has been used very successfully by the City of St. George, Utah, and the Huntsman World Senior Games, the North Myrtle Beach Paddle at the Beach and the Myrtle Beach Seaside Classic will be held during the same week. With one trip to the beach, a player can play five days of pickleball in two of the best tournaments offered on the Southeast Coast.

A player’s week of tournament play begins on Monday and Tuesday, with the Paddle at the Beach’s Men’s and Women’s round robin pool play format event. On Wednesday, at the request of players, a Mixed Couples double elimination event will be held. On Thursday a player can relax on the beach or play golf and then attend the Myrtle Beach Seaside Classic dinner dance. On Friday and Saturday play more pickleball in the Seaside Classic. Both of these events are age and skill level based, and all five days of tournament play will be held indoors, greatly reducing the impact that weather may have.

Don’t miss out on this very unique opportunity that few places offer. Register early for both events and take advantage of the early registration discounts to guarantee you a spot!!

Don’t Play Petanque? How About Pickleball?

Published April 23, 2015 - www.ncflindependent.com

Pickleball is game that may best be described as a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton. It is played with a paddle and a small ball on a small court with a small net strung close to the ground. There is a serve, a volley and rules that say the winner must win by two points. Information can be found online at www.pickleball.com.



The City of Fernandina Beach (FL) schedules games throughout the week that are played on a court near the skate park at Main Beach in Fernandina Beach, according to the city’s website www.fbfl.org. For information on Pickleball games, the city’s website says to email David Cultice at dcultice@yahoo.com.

At a city meeting last month to discuss the new park study, city officials said the game is popular and taking off locally. The big sign at Main Beach says there’s a tournament coming up this weekend.

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Yes, it's really called pickleball

Published April 22, 2015 - www.obsentinel.com

What sport do you play with four people, ping pong paddles and a whiffle ball on a mini tennis court?

Well, pickleball, of course.

Reported to be the fastest growing sport in the country, pickleball has its own following in Dare County. Three days a week, a group of dedicated players can be found inside the gym “Rec Park” in Kill Devil Hills.

Played like tennis, there are serves, aces, volleys, smashes and dink shots. Pickleball even has its own scoring. Players wear court shoes, quick dry shirts, sweatbands and even gloves. The graphite paddles look like ping pong paddles on steroids.

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Naples to host 2016 US Open Pickleball Championships

Published April 22, 2015 - www.news-press.com

The 2016 US Open Pickleball Championships will be held at East Naples Community Park in Naples.

This weeklong event, from April 26-May 1, 2016, will showcase the top professional and amateur pickleball players from the United States and around the world, says Rob Wells, Collier County Senior Sports Marketing Manager.

“Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and this will be the first event of this magnitude for the sport,” Wells said. “Modeled after tennis’ U.S. Open, this event will feature a championship court complete with stadium seating and luxury box seats to watch both a professional open bracket as well as amateur brackets broken down by age and skill level.”

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Published April 16, 2015 - www.etrigg.com


Open play for intermediate and experienced pickleball players. Equipment provided if you don't have your own.

Twenty to 40 players usually attend this indoor event. Three courts open. Water and restrooms available. Just wear athletic shoes and come prepared to have FUN!

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Pickleball Classic returns to Sun City

Published April 14, 2015 - www.blufftontoday.com

About 220 competitors ranging in age from 12 to 82 will take over the Sun City pickleball courts Friday through Sunday for the Low Country Pickleball Classic.

Tournament organizer Bob Grueser expects it to surpass last year’s inaugural event in terms of success.

“Last year went extremely well,” he said. “We have 220 competitors coming this year representing 14 states as far away as California, Nevada and New York.”

The youngest players, ages 12 and 14, are a brother and sister duo joining the tournament from Florida.

 

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Pickleball championships may have found forever home in East Naples

Published April 12, 2015 - www.naplesnews.com

EAST NAPLES, Fla. - Collier County tourism officials seem to have found a tap into burgeoning underground sports markets.

Weeks after landing the World Championships of the Pro Watercross Tour, complete with back-flipping Jet Skiers and watercraft races, Collier County is set to become the host of the first ever U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in 2016.

Commissioners are expected to approve a three-year deal with Open officials Tuesday that would bring the championships to East Naples Community Park in 2016, 2017 and 2018

The tennis-like sport, which has been around since the 1960s, has surged in popularity across the country over the past several years. But Florida in general, and Naples in particular, have been hotbeds for the sport, said Chris Evon of the U.S. Open Championships.

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Pickleball takes Jupiter by storm

Published April 7, 2015 - www.wptv.com

JUPITER, Fla. - It's a super fun game with a strange name -- it's Pickleball!

The program came to Jupiter two years ago after Joyce Baila played the game in North Carolina.

She says it's easy to pick up the game and you feel success right away. It's great for kids and adults of all ages!

The sport is a combination of racquetball, badminton and tennis. It's played with an oversized ping pong racquet.

Pickleball started in Jupiter with just eight people showing up, now there are 300 players!

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Coach Mo ready to take his pickleball show on the road

Published April 5, 2015 - www.villages-news.com

Richard Movsessian came to Bonnybrook about a decade ago as a tennis player with sore knees. Today he is known as Coach Mo, the King of Villages pickleball.

And now he’s going national.
Coach Mo, 73, holds clinics here twice a week: Mondays, 3 p.m. at Pimlico Recreation Center and Thursdays, 3 p.m. at Big Cypress Recreation Center. He has been teaching here for years and has also sold thousands of copies of his instructional DVD.

Now the Coach is taking his pickleball act on the road. He and his assistant, Matty Klein, have either done or scheduled clinics in Michigan, North and South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware and New York, as well as throughout Florida.  “I just love teaching,” said Coach Mo, a retired physical education teacher and tennis and hockey coach from Lunenburg, Mass. “It just makes me feel good when I see players improve.”

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Seniors back on the courts

Published March 31, 2015 - www.highlandstoday.com

On Saturday, play was delayed in the Heartland Games for Active Adults pickleball tournament to allow the courts to dry. When players took to the South Florida State College courts in mixed doubles’ competition, they faced extremely strong winds which played havoc with the light whiffle-type balls.

In the 55 to 59 age group, Linda and Dave Shaner of Highlands Ridge captured the gold while Tanglewood’s Tracy Smith and Aart DeVos won silver.

Tanglewood’s Tracy Vernest and Grant McLaughlin finished in top spot in the 60 to 64 category, with Judy Granger and Dave Linderman, playing out of Sun ‘n Lake, taking second.

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