August 25, 2013 - www.thecoastalsource.com
Savannah Pickleball Ambassador Lem O’Neal has spent the past two years building up the Pickleball court at Lake Mayer Park. “The facility was just sitting here and was the only one of its kind in Savannah, so I figured if I could fix it up we could get a league going out here,” says O’Neal.
Pickleball is a sports that follows a lot of the same rules as tennis. However Pickleball is easier and slower than Tennis. It is played with a wiffle ball and a paddle, and the competition can be as fierce as desired.
CLICK HERE to read more.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Letter: City shows support for pickleball
August 24, 2013 - www.aikenstandard.com
When we recently moved to Aiken, we were surprised that no one in Aiken had heard of pickleball (it has been around for 50 years, but not widespread – now recognized as the fastest growing sport in the country). We approached the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department to use one of the public tennis courts to play on, and the department’s Director Glenn Parker and Jeff Metz, Athletic/Tourism Director, were skeptical about our request. To their credit, and our everlasting gratitude, they kept open minds while we explained the sport – even the goofy name.
Read more: Letter: City shows support for pickleball | Aiken Standard
When we recently moved to Aiken, we were surprised that no one in Aiken had heard of pickleball (it has been around for 50 years, but not widespread – now recognized as the fastest growing sport in the country). We approached the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department to use one of the public tennis courts to play on, and the department’s Director Glenn Parker and Jeff Metz, Athletic/Tourism Director, were skeptical about our request. To their credit, and our everlasting gratitude, they kept open minds while we explained the sport – even the goofy name.
Read more: Letter: City shows support for pickleball | Aiken Standard
Metro Savannah Pickleball
Lake Mayer Community Park in Savannah Georgia has a brand new Pickleball court looking for players. The court surface is VersaCourt and looks great and feels great after hours of play. This is an outdoor court that is available anytime from 10AM to 10PM, free of charge to anyone that wants to play. If you don’t have your own net, ball, and paddles; or if you need instruction; or if you would like to arrange a time to play with others, please RSVP. The park has room to add additional courts as we grow and get more players that want to play leagues. So if you want to play or run a league, please contact Lem O’Neal, Metro Savannah Pickleball Ambassador at picklesav@att.net or 912-220-8901.
Registration Closes August 31st (mail in), Sept . 5th for Battle of Franklin
Hi to all Pickleball Players,
The 2nd annual Battle of Franklin is being held September 13, 14, 15, 2013 in Franklin, Tennessee. This is an age level tournament. We have attached the flyer and registration sheets to this email for your consideration. This is an outdoor tournament and the yellow Dura Ball will be used. Lunch will be provided on Saturday to all players.
Registration deadline is postmark August 31 for mail in entries, September 5 for on-line entries. To register on-line, go to www.active.com, and in the city name put Franklin, Tn, and keyword, Pickleball.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Cindy and Nancy
Senior center offers “Pickle-Ball” for all skill levels
as posted at elkintribune.com, August 2013
Jonesville, NC: The Yadkin Valley Senior Center is hosting Pickle-Ball classes.
Pickle-Ball is a sport for primarily seniors, combining tennis and badminton.
The senior center offers a class Wednesdays at 10 a.m. for people of all skill sets. Players range in skill from “never heard of Pickle-Ball” to expert.
The center, located next to Lila Swaim Memorial Park, provides the equipment. There is no charge to play.
Players use the crafts/exercise room on the right side of the building as a court.
Pickle-Ball was created in 1965 by two men, Congressman Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, in Washington State. The two men had returned from playing golf and found their families sitting around with nothing to do.
Pritchard’s home had an old badminton court so the two men looked for equipment. The rackets were damaged but they improvised by using four wooden paddles resembling large Ping-Pong paddles.
The net was lowered from badminton’s 60 inch height to 34 inches, and a perforated plastic ball used. The ball catches the air and slows down, meaning players can keep a volley going much longer than in tennis.
Pritchard’s family cocker spaniel, Pickles, was the namesake.
Today the sport draws young and old alike, as was its intention. Ten percent of the more than 75,000 players nationwide are physically active seniors.
Seniors are more than able to play because the game is meant for every age of family, from young children to older members.
There is even an organization that regulates the sport: the USAPA, USA Pickle-Ball Association.
Anyone interested should contact the Yadkin Valley Senior Center at 336-526-1087 for more information. Official rules and a detailed history of the sport can be found at www.usapa.org.
To contact Taylor Pardue call 336-835-1513 ext. 15, or email him at tpardue@civitasmedia.com.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Clinic introduces locals to pickleball
Submitted by Mitchell Ball, Ambassador, South Florida
By Sara Shell, Forum Publishing Group
August 23, 2013
On a recent Thursday evening, more than 50 people turned out to play pickleball at Pine Island Park in Davie. The hockey rink-turned-playing court had a line of people waiting for their turn at the sport.
"Having to wait is a good problem to have," said Mitchell Ball, ambassador of the USA Pickleball Association of South Florida.
Pickleball, which is a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton, has grown immensely. According to the sport's official website, it has become a popular draw among seniors and has more than 200,000 players nationwide.
Ball has been hosting events to help the sport grow locally. That included a recent pickleball clinic and demonstration at Stan Goldman Memorial Park in Hollywood. About 35 people came out to learn about the sport. And because it had such a great reception from community members and officials, Ball has helped implement open play days from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.
"This will be great for Hollywood," said Eric Brown, Hollywood's assistant parks and athletics manager. "It was my first time seeing the game live, [and] I believe seniors and others will really enjoy this game."
Brown said he picked up a paddle and played in a game and had a great time.
"I look forward to seeing [pickleball] go to the next level in Hollywood," he said.
The sport is played with paddles and perforated plastic balls on a court with a lowered net. Scoring is similar to that of badminton.
Ball said the draw is often the simplicity in learning the game, but it can become very competitive.
"We play very hard," he said of the regular players in Davie. "[Pickleball's] become big down here because so many seniors that live and play up north want to play when they visit here in the winter."
Ball brought the sport to the area after learning to play in 2012. At the time, the only year-round courts were in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Now, since forming clinics and open play in Davie and Tamarac in January, there are 81 players.
"I'd like to eventually have enough cities and teams to have inter-city tournaments and teams playing each other," Ball said.
Local pickleball enthusiast Michael Dippel said "it's a game that any age can play."
"Once it gets around town that the out-of-staters have a place to play, it's really going to grow," Dippel said.
Ball is planning another clinic for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Golden Isles Tennis Center in Hallandale Beach.
For more information, email Ball at misterpickleball@gmail.com.
Sara Shell can be reached at sshell@tribune.com.
Copyright © 2013, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
By Sara Shell, Forum Publishing Group
August 23, 2013
On a recent Thursday evening, more than 50 people turned out to play pickleball at Pine Island Park in Davie. The hockey rink-turned-playing court had a line of people waiting for their turn at the sport.
"Having to wait is a good problem to have," said Mitchell Ball, ambassador of the USA Pickleball Association of South Florida.
Pickleball, which is a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton, has grown immensely. According to the sport's official website, it has become a popular draw among seniors and has more than 200,000 players nationwide.
Ball has been hosting events to help the sport grow locally. That included a recent pickleball clinic and demonstration at Stan Goldman Memorial Park in Hollywood. About 35 people came out to learn about the sport. And because it had such a great reception from community members and officials, Ball has helped implement open play days from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.
"This will be great for Hollywood," said Eric Brown, Hollywood's assistant parks and athletics manager. "It was my first time seeing the game live, [and] I believe seniors and others will really enjoy this game."
Brown said he picked up a paddle and played in a game and had a great time.
"I look forward to seeing [pickleball] go to the next level in Hollywood," he said.
The sport is played with paddles and perforated plastic balls on a court with a lowered net. Scoring is similar to that of badminton.
Ball said the draw is often the simplicity in learning the game, but it can become very competitive.
"We play very hard," he said of the regular players in Davie. "[Pickleball's] become big down here because so many seniors that live and play up north want to play when they visit here in the winter."
Ball brought the sport to the area after learning to play in 2012. At the time, the only year-round courts were in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Now, since forming clinics and open play in Davie and Tamarac in January, there are 81 players.
"I'd like to eventually have enough cities and teams to have inter-city tournaments and teams playing each other," Ball said.
Local pickleball enthusiast Michael Dippel said "it's a game that any age can play."
"Once it gets around town that the out-of-staters have a place to play, it's really going to grow," Dippel said.
Ball is planning another clinic for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Golden Isles Tennis Center in Hallandale Beach.
For more information, email Ball at misterpickleball@gmail.com.
Sara Shell can be reached at sshell@tribune.com.
Copyright © 2013, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Senior Games Participants - Check This Out!
Doug Hamilton
USAPA Member, Los Gatos, CA
As a USAPA member and with the approval of Justin Maloof,
Executive Director of USAPA, my wife and I would like to
introduce ourselves and our company BLASTT, Beyond Limits
Active Senior Tours & Travel, LLC -- a tour and travel
company specializing in taking athletes to Senior Games
competitions all over the U.S.
We provide a one-stop solution including travel assistance,
airport transfers, luxury accommodations and transportation
service to and from the Senior Game events, social
hospitality and local site-seeing excursions.
Because many of the Senior Games include USAPA-sanctioned
events, we are reaching out to the Ambassadors and asking
for your help in reaching players who might be interested in
participating in 2014. This is COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY. We are
not asking that you endorse us but if you or anyone you know
is interested in learning more we can be reached via the
contact information below or through our ad on the USAPA
website.
As an incentive we will offer a 10% discount on all tour
packages for USAPA members.
To see our 2014 schedule visit our webpage,
www.blasttoff.com.
Sincerely,
Doug & Marianne Hamilton, Co-pilots
Beyond Limits Active Senior Tours and Travel, LLC
1 855 252-2788 (toll free)
1 408 395-2800 (office)
1 408 205-9641 (cell)
www.blasttoff.com
Monday, August 19, 2013
Aiken a hit as host of pickleball tournament
aikenstandard.com, August 18, 2013
Local travel seems to be the only aspect of the event impacted negatively by the soggy weather. Beckner said more than participants still made the trek from nine states outside of South Carolina – North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Kentucky.
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