‘Cool’ pickelball now played at Genesis Center (FL)

Published October 13, 2016 - www.yoursun.com

LAKE PLACID –– The game called pickleball has swept the country. It’s a game often referred to as a mix of tennis, ping pong and badminton. It’s most popular with seniors, as it is easier on the knees and ankles compared to tennis.

Until recently, if you live in Highlands County you could only find outside courts and usually had to play early morning or evening to avoid the heat.

That all changed in mid July when First Presbyterian Church in Lake Placid opened its new Genesis Center to pickleball players. Making it even more attractive is Lake Placid residents no longer have to travel miles to find a court. And the biggest plus: It’s inside and air conditioned.

Sam Klatt, who manages the center, was approached by former tennis player Bill Putmam, along with Sam Lindskoog and his wife, Cindy.

“We sat down and worked out a plan to bring the sport to town,” said Klatt. “We hold many youth activities at the center, namely basketball and volleyball. We wanted to find a sport to serve the seniors. We purchased the nets, balls and paddles. Now we have 20 folks coming each week.” The players rotate so all get a chance to play.

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City of Auburn (AL) adds pickleball courts

Published October 13, 2016 - www.auburnvillager.com

Over the last couple of years, one sport has been spreading rapidly in the United States — pickleball.

The U.S. Pickleball Association calls the game the fastest growing sport in North America. That growth trend was recently recognized by the city of Auburn, which opened two new regulation pickleball courts last week.

The new outdoor courts are located next to the Frank Brown Recreational Center, where a shuffleboard court was also built.

While many still don't know what pickleball is, they usually remember it by its peculiar name.

"The guy who developed it, his dog was Pickle," said Debbie Rusk, Auburn resident and pickleball player. "It's hard to tell what it is when you hear the name, but the guy who made it named it after his dog."

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New pickleball, shuffleboard courts open in Auburn

Published October 11, 2016 - www.oanow.com

Tucked behind Frank Brown Recreation Center and the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center, extra space for a quickly growing sport is open for play in Auburn.

Two pickleball and two shuffleboard courts opened to the public last week, inviting players young and old to test out and enjoy the sports every day of the week.

Becky Richardson, Auburn parks and recreation director, said the idea for the courts was birthed out of brainstorming ways to get more seniors in the area involved in programs offered through Auburn’s parks and recreation department. With pickleball’s popularity and national growth, Richardson said the courts have been used almost every day since they were opened.

“Our vision when we built the facility and did the fitness center and were on the same site with the arts center, is that, let’s say somebody wants to come and they can play pickleball, then they can go play bridge, then they could take an art class—there’s something that they could do pretty much any time of day. So that’s the idea behind it,” Richardson said.

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Harbor Hills Country Club Pickleball Championships

The Landings hosts first annual Special Pops Pickleball Open

Published September 17, 2016 - www.savannahnow.com

Pickleball has officially arrived in Savannah, and if what took place Saturday at The Landings Club’s pickleball courts is any indication, the sport has come here to stay.

The Special Pops Pickleball Open is the first official pickleball tournament held in Savannah. The event’s 108 participants came from across the Southeast, with some players coming from as far away as Virginia.

Pickleball, a sport whose popularity is growing, combines elements from tennis, table tennis and badminton.

Ralph Ferrone, the executive director of Special Pops Tennis, couldn’t say exactly why the sport is growing so rapidly, but when you hear the passion with which he and other tournament organizers talk about the game, it’s clear to see that pickleball has plenty of “growing” coming its way.

“Unlike other sports like tennis or golf, this sport is in its infancy,” said Ferrone in between gulps of Gatorade after playing in a match of his own.

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Annual Pickled Peach Valentine Classic

Play in the Annual Pickled Peach Valentine Classic Tournament, February 10-12, 2017, at the Classic Center in downtown Athens, Georgia!

This is a USAPA-sanctioned tournament. 

The Title Sponsor is HUMANA.

Competition will include age groups with ratings and open play for 5.0 players. Singles will be on Friday, Men's and Women's Doubles on Saturday, and Mixed Doubles on Sunday. 

Grab your Partner and Dosey Do(e)!

CLICK HERE to register.

East Naples is now home to a pickleball academy – Naples Daily News

Published September 7, 2016 - www.naplesnews.com

Want to learn pickleball?

Or just get better at it?

There's an academy for that — in East Naples (FL).

The U.S. Open Pickleball Academy has swung open for business at East Naples Community Park at Thomasson Drive, off U.S. 41 East. It's an outgrowth of the first U.S. Open Pickleball Championships held at the park in April.

The first "academy," or camp, will be held Oct. 7-10.

The head instructor is Simone Jardim, the U.S. Open singles champion. She will recruit other instructors certified by the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association for the camps.

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Pickleball For All

Published September 7, 2016 - www.coastalbreezenews.com
 
 Florida is the vanguard of a movement that is sweeping the nation: the sport of Pickleball. It has taken speed beyond all bounds and few have known how to harness its force like Jim Ludwig. There are pickleball players. There are pickleball pros….and then there are individuals whom have become ambassadors of the sport, free of charge, donating their time and admiration for pickleball’s growth and prosperity. Jim has been a major proponent in bringing to Naples hundreds of designated courts, multiple USAPA (United States of America Pickleball Association) tournaments, as well as creating a nonprofit organization known as Pickleball For All.

This organization’s mission statement is to instill encouragement, integrity, strength of character and strong sense of self in mind, body and spirit. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation we have supported and will continue to support one of the many means with which Pickleball For All has worked towards accomplishing their mission statement: focusing on our youth.

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