Fall Piedmont Plus Senior Games

Submitted by
Laura Patterson
Ambassador, Winston-Salem,  NC

It seems just yesterday when we were getting ready for our Spring Piedmont Plus Senior Games. The coordinator for our Piedmont Plus Senior Games thought it would be a good idea to have a mini Fall Senior Games. He brought the idea to the Senior Games Steering Committee and we all agreed that it would be a good idea. We chose the week of October 15th and included the following events: Shuffleboard, Bocce, Corn Hole Toss, Archery, Billards, Table Tennis, Badminton and of course Pickleball!

According to Chuck Vestal, Piedmont Plus Senior Games Coordinator, “The week may have started out a little soggy with the rain on Monday forcing Shuffleboard and Archery back, but we finished strong. We had 80 individual entries for the Games. The best attended event was Pickleball! The Winston-Salem Journal was on site to take photos which were posted on the next day in an article about the popularity of retiring to the Triad. Twenty-eight people came out for a good time with a mixed doubles competition. The Fall Senior Games served it’s purpose in that it brought out both new and familiar faces to fellowship and have fun participating in different games. It also got some energy behind a few of the events such as table tennis, badminton and archery”.

 Since this was just for fun and bragging rights, there were no medals presented to the winners. However, we did have a few drawings and some of the participants received tickets to Wake Forest basketball or football games and bowling passes to Creekside Bowling Alley.

Pickleball Demo in McCormick, SC

Submitted by: Mike and Loretta Beckner, Ambassadors, Aiken, SC

On October 11th, four Aiken pickleball players, Maggie Ward, Dick Keeler, Mike and I, went to McCormick, Sc to the Savannah Lakes Village community to give a pickleball demo.

 Pam Royal, who is the Director of Recreation, called to see if we might be interested in doing this. There were 42 people who had signed up and it was an enthusiastic crowd! I gave a short talk on the history of pickleball, how the game is played, some of the rules, etc., and we followed this with questions/answers. Maggie, Dick, Mike and I then played a game to show the residents what pickleball in action looks like! Afterwards, we put paddles in the hands of those who wanted to try hitting balls, and there was good interest.

 I have since heard from Pam that Sally Perkins, one of the residents who had played pickleball years ago, is now giving group classes twice a week. Sixteen players have signed up for the classes. 

Eventually, we would like to visit each other's programs for some friendly competition.

Pickleball in Solivita

On October 27th & 28th, at our annual Halloween Tournament, the Solivita Smashers celebrated the life and loss of a member who was very instrumental in the formation of the club and a great friend to all. Carl Clous died of cancer this year and was remembered by his fellow club members and Carl also served as our representative to the USAPA.


"The 2012 Carl Clous Halloween Tournament" and "Team Smashers Kick-Off Celebration for the American Cancer Society's 2013 Relay for Life."   The Smashers also had a raffle for three quilts made from various Pickleball tournament shirts. The proceeds went towards a $750 scholarship for a needy student from our local high school.

A great two days of pickleball and fellowship was had by all.

Frostbite Sunday Pickleball and Chili Cookoff....

Submitted by Tom and Ann Earley......North GA, Pickleball Club

"It was a cold and windy night"...... Really!

That being said, we had 20+ Pickleball players on the courts and several spouses taking to the courts from the sidelines. Next week I think we will have several new players! The Morneau men gave everyone a tough match and Ke Kai Ruckstuhl came from Tennessee with an assortment of new and unique paddles for everyone to purchase.

After 2.5 hours of Pickleball, everyone warmed up in the heated stable with 17 pots of chili for the North Georgia Chili Cook-Off. With the following chili entries:Ruxes M meatless Chili (Ke Kai Ruckstuhl), Big Buck Chili (Donna & Greg Goodall), Chili Weather (Gabriele Miller), Willie's Chili (Bill & Dena Whatley), Chillicious Chili (Floyd Moody), Mom's Recipe Chili (Ken & Janice Riordon), Leggero Chili ( Dottie & Jim Frassetto), Kitchen Kickin Chili (Kathy Brown), Frankly My Dear (Tony & Debbie Franks), Hot Chic Chili (Cheryl & Bruce Kosin), North Meets South Chili (Jamie McDaniel & TC), Savanna St. Chili (Elizabeth Kelly), Chili O Chili (Regina & Don Lucas), Sit in the Creek Chili (Pat Denman), Chili Pavo (Jon Pyle), and Oktoberfest Chili (Sabine & Fabio Yeppes).

 

The $50.00 grand prize winner was "Big Buck Chili" by Donna Goodall. Other contributors were Mark Morneau with chips, Judy Vonesh with soft drinks, water, and beer, and Chuck & Linda Fahn with cornbread. Kathy Brown exhibited a small art show in the piano studio, everyone enjoyed tasting and eating, and today despite the cold temperature and gusty wind, there will be players back on the courts at 10 a.m. for more Pickleball! Thanks to all who came and participated! Brrrrr - back to the fireplace!

Ann &Tom Earley

Interest sparked in Palm Beach County....

 Dick Freshley is one of our Palm Beach county ambassadors from Greenacres, and Josh Kalin recently joined him from west Delray Beach.  With their wives, the four  of them  are working to promote the game and generate interest.   One recent location where they introduced the game was at a community called Huntington Pointe, an active adult, private community in south Palm Beach County.  According to Dick, They (Josh and Harriet) are doing all the work to get Huntington Pointe going. Verna and I mostly just show up to play!

We had quite a crowd at our Saturday morning pickleball game at Huntington Pointe this morning. Eleven people, four who had never played before.  The 4 newcomers were just walking by and stopped to see what this strange activity was. We encouraged them to give it a try. Two were veteran tennis players and picked it up in a jiffy. Soon they were holding their own with us "pros."

Huntington Pointe has a large tennis complex with eight counts and one paddle  tennis court; almost perfect for pickleball. Width is 20' (just right) length is 46' close enough for beginners).   We put down a piece of blue masking tape for the non-volley line and we are good to go.   We used the paddle tennis court and two adjacent tennis courts.

I am going to invite our representative from Palm Beach County Parks and Rec, He has promised us some public courts when we get enough interested people. I think we are there now.   I'd sure prefer a public facility closer to West Palm. Indoors would be perfect too.  

But this is not the only location :  According to Josh and Harriett: We are trying to promote the game in individual communities amongst themselves. If this takes hold, perhaps there will be more Clubs interested in playing at various Clubs on a rotating basis or developing a public location in the Delray Beach area for everyone. We are in the process of scheduling a demonstration within our gated community. We'll see how it develops since we only have Har Tru tennis courts. We have set up our portable net on an unused street in a local park and have been introducing some friends to pickleball.

2012 Kissimmee-St. Cloud Pickleball Senior Games

Looks like the pickleball players at the 2012 Kissimmee- St. Cloud Senior Games are having a great time!!

The event was held in Solivita, located in Poinciana, FL on October 15 and 16. There were approximately 250 competitors from various parts in Florida, with the oldest being 86 year old Tom Hylas of Solivita.

Participants competed in Men's, Women's and Mixed Doubles, and also Single's play. The weather cooperated over the two days where we had typically sunny Florida days. 

Tom Leva, Pickleball Director

CLICK HERE for COMPLETE RESULTS

CLICK HERE for photo gallery.

Beaufort-Jasper Active Adult Challenge begins Friday
Bluffton Today, www.blufftontoday.com
October 17, 2012

Frank Piscani has been competing in BJAAC for four years. Pickleball is Piscani’s choice of competition. He has won gold in his age division every year he has participated in BJAAC and hopes to continue winning.

 “We will see some tough competition in the age group again this year,” Piscani said.

Winston-Salem Journal
www2.journalnow.com
October 16, 2012
Winston-Salem ranks sixth in best places to retire

Tim Kute, a 67-year-old Winston-Salem resident, attempts to return the ball on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at the Gateway YWCA in Winston-Salem, N.C. Seniors gathered at the YWCA for the pickleball section of the Fall Senior Games. Pickleball is a game that is played on a badminton court with the new lowered to 34 inches at the center. It is played with a perforated plastic baseball and wood or composite paddles. Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks is hosting the Fall Senior Games this week through October 19. Game events also include shuffleboard, cornhole, bocce and badminton, amongst a host of other sports.