Another SC Pickleball Community

Ambassador Rena Grant introduced 15-20 new people to the game of pickleball at the nearby community of Seasons, about 10 minutes from Myrtle Beach in the celebrated Grand Stand Village of Murrells Inlet, SC.

Carol and Tom Gray who invited Rena in for the clinic say:   "Thanks so much for your help- it was a huge success and I think alot of people are interested."

Kissimmee/St. Cloud Senior Games

The Kissimmee-St. Cloud Games have not been played in the last couple of years, but it was obvious from the excellent turnout that the pickleball players were very glad to have them back on the schedule.

The pickleball event was held on Monday and Tuesday, September 12th and 13th on the beautiful courts of Solivita in Poinciana, FL.  

Compliments to Tournament Directors Mike Holtzclaw and Tom Leva for a very well organized and well run event and to the Solivita Smashers who manned the food tables and score sheets and made everyone feel so welcome.  Players arrived surrounding counties, and far away states, including;  Kissimmee, Sebring, Ocala, Lakeland, Summerfield, Davenport, Hernando, The Villages, Sun City, Leesburg, Ocoee, Ft. Myers, Lecanto and Wimauma Florida.  Out of state players arrived from Morgan City and Rayne, LA and Darien, IL. 

Some of the the very best players competed in the two day event which included a single elimination age bracket competition for Mens' and Ladies' singles and doubles on Monday and mixed doubles on Tuesday.

Players ranged in age from 50 to 93 and pictured below is 93 year old Gold Medal  Singles Winner  Don Bellinger and (80-84) Gold Medal Winner, Tom Hylas, both of Kissimmee. 

 

Other Gold Medal Winners included:

Men's Singles

50-54 - John Rupert - Summerfield

55-59 - Jim Cetlinski - Summerfield

60-64 - Steve Kennie - Summerfield

65-69 - Alan Kaplon - Kissimmee

70-74 - Ed Janko - Leesburg

75-79 - Russ Pulman - Leesburg

Ladies Singles

50-54 - Jan Konn- Darien, IL

55-59 - Diane Bock - The Villages

60-64 - Cathy Miller - Kissimmee

Mens' Doubles

50-54 - John Rupert /Steve Kennie - Summerfield

55-59 - Frank Cherille/Tom Nonnemacher - The Villages

60-64 - Marcus Bock/Paul Kelly - The Villages

65-69 - Mark Telfer/Jim Maynard - Sebring

70-74 - Russ Pulman/Charles Yohan - Leesburg/Ocoee

75-79 - Carl Clous/Tom Hylas - Kissimmee

Ladies Doubles

50-54 - Denise Boutin/Susan Gapan - The Villages

55-59 - Sheryl Greiner/Brenda Littlefield - The Villages

60-64 - Margie Diaz/Cathy Miller - Kissimmee

65-69 - Linda Kramer/Diane Reynolds - Sebring

70-74 - Gloria Soltes/Gail Brown - Sebring

Mixed Doubles

50-4 -Don Chaulk/Susan Gapen - The Villages

55-59 - Marcus Bock/Diane Bock - The Villages

60-64 - Bill Freeman/Deb Harrison - The Villages

65-69 - Mark Telfer/Diane Reynolds - Sebring

70-74 - Jim Maynard/Gail Brown - Sebring

A listing of all winners will be posted in the USAPA RESULTS section

Click Here for photo gallery of the games.



SC TOURNAMENT SUPPORTS WOUNDED WARRIORS..

 

CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION FORM

Florida International Senior Games

Notice to Floridians and Out of State participants - There are changes to this year's Florida Senior Games State Championships

New to the 2011 Games will be the introduction of the Florida International Senior Games where all out-of-state domestic and international competitors are only permitted to compete in the International Games, and qualifying at a local event is not required. Senior athletes will have the opportunity to compete against other nonresidents and Floridians entered in the Florida Senior Games State Championships.

Note: Florida athletes cannot enter the Florida International Senior Games directly. Floridians must enter the State Championships in order to compete. This event is being presented to better serve all athletes in this new format. Floridians will enjoy their very own State Championships, while still having the opportunity to hone their skills against out of state athletes. Out of state competitors will have a better opportunity to come to Florida enjoy our first-class facilities and competition.

CLICK HERE for more information on the games..............

Pickleball Update from Winston-Salem Ambassador

It's been a while since we heard from our Winston-Salem, NC Ambassador, and that's because  Laura Patterson  has been very very busy teaching people how to play our game.  Every Wednesday, during the month of August,  from 1-3 pm she was introducing pickleball to brand new players at the Winston-Salem Gateway YWCA.

 

And on  Friday, September 2nd  with a friend from Tenessee who wanted to learn the game, she stopped by to play with the group at the Senior Culter Center in High Point, NC.  She introducecd these folks back in November of 2010 and today they are playing every Wednesday and Friday. Unfortunately they are still playing on modified courts with modifed nets, but the Director  has promised to now invest in two USAPA nets.

Needless to say, her friend loved the game and vowed that she was going to find out if/where it might be played back home in Tennessee.     Also at the Center that day were to two staff members fom the YMCA in Greensboro, NC.  They had stopped by to see what the game was all about and  their timing was perfect! After Laura got them on the courts, like everyone  else, they were hooked. They invitedLaura to Greensboro to demonstrate and introduce the game to potential players there.  

Next on Laura's agenda is to get a letter out to the local high schools and see if she can do a few demonstrations there.   And she'll be making the trip again this year to the USAPA Nationals.  Good Luck Laura!!!

The young, and the young at heart, enjoy Labor Day Weekend Pickleball in North Georgia!

Tanner Morneau (pictured with ASR Mascot Bocce) just turned 5 years old last month, but Dad, Mark Morneau is already introducing him to pickleball.

And Tanner has a great teacher. Ann Earley of the North Georgia Pickleball Club says that Mark is "unbelievable! Never tested in a USAPA tournament but possibly a 5.0 ranked player. Tanner, she says is definately a 2.5!"
Also pictured above are North Georgia Pickleball players, Tom Earley, Dan Ross, Jon Pyle and Marck Morneau. 

Tom and Anne Early want to send along a reminder to any of the out-of-town players who are planning on playing in their Halloween Pickleball Tournament to contact them quickly to lock in your place in the tournament.   Call or e-mail then quickly as they may need to cut off registration soon.  Even players from Palm Creek Arizona have already registered to play.

This tournament is a benefit for the Cherokee County Humane Society.....and you get a really really cool T-Shirt!!!!

Many of us are expecting rain over this Labor Day weekend - but Anne says

"we have dedicated players with squeegees and towels!"

Hickory Nut Gorge (Pickleball) Olympiad

The Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad is a three day Family sports Festival held in Lake Lure, North Carolina.   On Friday August 26th, under the direction of Don "Smoke" Hickman, pickleball was played on the tennis courts at the Rumbling Bald Resort.  This amazing video was prepared and sent to us from  pickleball player, Dick Stone, from Keowee Key, SC. 
    


According to Smoke.... "31 players participated in an open Pickleball Tournament at Lake Lure, North Carolina. as part of the Hickory Nut Olympiad games. Participants came from the Upstate Pickleball Group in Greenville, SC; Fletcher-Arden, NC; Keowee Key ,SC;  Brevard, NC, Hendersonville, as well as Lake Lure, NC. Competition was keen and all had a great time playing, participating, talking and sweating."

The winners were:
 Mixed Doubles - Mike Kaplan and Jan Amacher from the Upstate Pickleball Group in Greensville, SC.
Men's Doubles....Larry Formicella and Paul Coletta from Fletcher, NC.
 Women's Doubles: Laurel and Karen (sorry  we don't have last names!) of Brevard, NC.

 There is also a great write up and pictures on the  Upstate Pickleball Group's website and you can CLICK HERE for all the pictures from the event.

Kyle Burger, WAAY TV 31, Joins Seniors for a game of pickleball...

Burger Bytes: Pickle Ball
waaytv.com Huntsville, Al
August 31, 2011,

The folks at Huntsville-Madison County Senior Center have been playing Pickle Ball for a couple years.
 

“I love racquetball, then when I got introduced to Pickle Ball I just got so over-whelmed with it,” Monserrate Pina said. “[Jane] and I, we're the crazy ones - we'll be here everyday if we can. We enjoy it so much.”  READ MORE