ASR AMBASSADORS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

December 15, 2009

The Atlantic South Region (ASR) E-Newsletter is distributed on the 15th of each month to all ASR Ambassadors. This newsletter is intended to keep all of you apprised of what is happening in your region and to consolidate our news into a once/monthly communication. Please forward this information to all USAPA members, all pickleball players/clubs in your regions and post to your local pickleball Blogs or Websites


………….ATLANTIC SOUTH REGION WELCOMES THREE NEW LOCAL AMBASSADORS…..

Rena Grant - Ambassador, Myrtle Beach, SC – Rena has a way of getting seniors up and active; first with Volleyball and now with Pickleball. In the last year she was responsible for working with the Recreation Centers in Myrtle Beach to introduce the games to seniors. At the Crabtree Gym she started with two courts and now there are plans, because of increased interest and players to consider expansion to six courts. She will soon be introducing pickleball to the Pepper Geddings Gym as part of their “Choose To Lose” weight loss program. She has also contacted the local school district in hopes of getting the game included in gym classes and extracurricular programs.

Linda Hopkinson, Recreation Leader – City of Myrtle Beach writes. “She has
been the driving force and the "Ambassador" if you will, for introducing, teaching, expanding when needed because of overflow, communicating with the Recreation Center as new equipment was needed and has truly been an encouragement to
many who thought they could not play the game.”

Rick Laskey – Ambassador, Jacksonville, NC – Rick has had the opportunity to play pickleball in several states including MI and GA and is a former national volleyball referee. A recent message from Rick:

“Thanks for the opportunity to promote Pickleball here in eastern North Carolina! I have already spoken to the folks at the Mt. Olive Pickle Company who sponsor the North Carolina Pickle Festival in Mt. Olive NC in April each year. They are interested in having a pickleball tournament during the festival. We have plans to introduce pickleball into the public and DoD schools here in Jacksonville NC and to challenge some of the high school tennis players.
Lee Branche, Joan Taylor, and I have recently returned from the USAPA Nationals in Arizona where we had a great time and met a lot of great people. Lew Hendricks and I are heading to Ft. Myers FL in early December to play pickleball in the Florida Senior Games.
I briefly met Laura Patterson, Ambassador from Winston-Salem NC, at the USAPA Nationals in Arizona. I plan to communicate with her and the other North Carolina Ambassadors. I will be in Charlotte in a few weeks and hope to meet with John Simpson.” (Ambassador from Charlotte, NC)
Dr. Donald Schildhaus – Ambassador, Bonita Springs, FL -Don and his wife Yvonne originally were introduced to the game of pickleball in Shelbyville, KY about four years ago and now want to promote the game in the Citrus Hills Communtiy in Bonita Springs. We first heard about Don, back in April of 2009 when he was featured in an article in the Naples Times, stating “….a pickleball video was presented by Don Schildhause, the pickleball expert……………. “Don previously organized tennis programs in NY for both children and adults, so he’s no stranger to the work involved in starting new programs or places to play. At present he is getting bids from companies to resurface and set up two pickleball courts on a present unused basketball court in Citrus Park.
Don has also been in contact with Joe Johnson with the Bonita Springs Parks and Recreation and hopes to plan a large demonstration in their gym or park sometime in December. Located between Ft. Myers and Naples, Bonita Springs is perfect for generating both competitive and social pickleball events, tournaments as there are groups already established in both areas.
Don tells us: "PB will service and entice most older adults who seem to be drawn to competitive sports yet, as myself, cannot run marathons or play high levels of competitive tennis any longer. PB provides the interest of many and can be a very healthy outlet for those who still want to feel younger than they really are.
Not only do I want Pickleball to grow in this area but I want people to purchase their own paddles and to even take the sport back home to their winter homes.”

………. REFLECTING BACK ON THE YEAR – YOU SHOULD ALL BE PROUD………

Since this is our last newsletter for the year 2009, I thought we’d step back and take a look at what we’ve accomplished in the Atlantic South Region (ASR) over the past twelve months. It’s pretty amazing!
• From Oct. 2008 through Oct. 2009 we increased USAPA membership by 192%. Since the beginning of November, we added 26 more new members.
• It was the ASR that brought in USAPA’s 1000th member, and The Villages, Fl took the title of the #1 Pickleball Community away from Surprise, AZ with its 213 USAPA members.
• We welcomed 20 new Local Ambassadors, increasing our leadership group in every State in our region. Al–2, GA-2, FL–9, NC-3, and SC-4.
• We added 22 new locations to the USAPA websites Places to Play. We continue to add active adult communities, but we are becoming more aggressive with our local Parks and Recreation and Community Centers. Ambassadors, primarily in NC have made some breakthroughs in getting pickleball introduced to our youth in the YMCA’s and at the Mt. View School Campground.
• The Villages, Fl was called the “Mecca of Pickleball” and named the #1 place to live for pickleball by Masters Athlete Magazine.
• Pickleball was played in 10 local Senior Games and the State Championship Sr. Games in Florida, Two of them introduced pickleball for the very first time this past year. It was played in the NC Senior Games in Onslow County and at the Mt. Olive Pickle fest.
• The ASR held its First USAPA Sanctioned Tier 4 tournament in Sebring, Fl and was the host of the 2009 NSGA National Championship Games in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.
• Our ASR website allowed us to celebrate with clubs in every state as we read about recreational and social pickleball events like the Geezer and Gals Pickleball and Pizza events, the Labor Day Jamborees, Winter in Paradise, Pennies for Pickleball, Spring Picnics and Round Robins, Cookouts and Dinner Dances.
• We played pickleball for a Good Cause, like the Rally for the Cure in Flatrock, NC, the Turkey Swat in N. Georgia for the Cherokee County Humane Society and the Toys for Tots Tournament in The Villages, Fl
• In addition to Parks and Rec Centers and Community Centers and YMCA’s we took pickleball to the Media, to Rotary Clubs, to Sports Talk Shows, to Hi Neighbor events, to Outdoor Expos, to more RV parks and resorts, AND we showcased our very own Pickleball Crawl!
• We did Beginner Training Clinics and Skills Clinics, Referee Clinics and we introduced the country to The Pickleball Coach – Coach Mo, his website, his pickleball tips of the month, his strategy guide and his 21 Clinics DVD.
• Four of our ASR Ambassadors traveled to the first USAPA Pickleball Tournament in AZ, and we celebrated the success of all our players as they returned home with 20 medals.
• We shared ideas and ways to promote the game and grow our membership with our feature articles on pickleball clubs and communities in our newsletters and ASR website, and through our membership in the How-To Google Group.

Next year will bring us new challenges and even greater opportunities. We are fortunate to have some of the best Pickleball leaders and promoters in the country that are willing to step up to the plate and make things happen. We were the first to introduce a Regional website; other Regions are now doing the same. We are the first to successfully implement a monthly newsletter for our Ambassadors and other Regions will soon recognize our advantage and follow suite. Communication and sharing of ideas is one the most critical elements in reaching our goals. We’ve proven that it works.

Thank you all for your continuing support and hard work. I wish each and every one of you a Safe and Happy Holiday and a Healthy and Prosperous Pickleball New Year.
Keep Swinging
Donna



Tournament and Pickleball Event Update…..
• Turkey Swat Pickleball Tournament – Canton, GA – Ambassadors, Tom and Ann Earle of Canton, GA were the organizers for this event. Originally scheduled for November 13th and 14th, bad weather caused the second day to be postponed for one week. Tournament players travelled from as far as Tennessee to play in the Turkey Swat, and enjoyed good food, a free T-Shirt and great pickleball. Proceeds from this event, which total $1500, went to the Cherokee County Humane Society. Congratulations!! The complete story, along with tournament winners and pictures of the event are featured on our website. Click Here: http://south.usapa.org/2009/11/n-georgia-turkey-swat-part2.html

• Florida State Senior Championship Games - December 4 and 6, 2009. More than 100 players turned out for the State Games. Unfortunately, the SUN was not shining in the Sunshine State this weekend, but we commend the tournament director and her staff for the great job they did finding an indoor facility close by. Six of our local Ambassadors along with the Regional Ambassador were there for the event. Rick Laskey, our newest Ambassador from Jacksonville, NC travelled the farthest. This was a double elimination tournament with the best two out of three games in both the winners and consolation brackets. Click this link for the complete story, pictures and tournament winners:


Watch for more news on these Upcoming Tournaments
Registration/ information are available on our Atlantic South site……………

• Lee County Senior Games, Ft. Myers/Cape Coral – January 2010, dates TBD
• Collier County Senior Games, Naples, Fl – February 2010, dates TBD
• Polk County Senior Games, Poinciana, Fl, March 9th and 10th, 2010
• Heartland County Senior Games, March 2010, Place/dates – TBD


………USAPA MEMBERSHIP CLOSING IN ON 2000 ACTIVE MEMBERS… as of today we are at 1959 active members. Will the Atlantic South Region bring in our 2000th member?.............................



………Pickle Ball News from across the Region…..

Al Rosati, Dennis Sarlo – Ambassadors, The Villages, Fl The Geezers N Gals will be hosting their Holi-Daze mixed pickleball social from 10:00 AM to 12:00PM at the Bacall courts on December 19th. $2.50 per person. Twelve teams only. All players must wear some article of clothing in keeping with the Holi-Daze. They better send us pictures!!


Rena Grant, Ambassador. SC - Between Rena Grant and Rona Sherman, USAPA NY Capital District Ambassador and Linda Hopkinson, Recreation Leader – pickleball is finally going to be played at the Pepper Geddings Rec Center in Myrtle Beach. The “Choose to Lose” is being introduced at the Rec Center and pickleball will be part of the program. Rena and Rona (that should be fun!!) will be the volunteers for the pickleball. What great synergy - two ambassadors from two different regions!!


Laura Patterson, Ambassador, Winston-Salem, NC - Laura continues to pursue getting pickleball included as a regular activity at the local YMCA’s in the Winston-Salem area. On November 21st, Laura demonstrated the game at her second location, the YMCA in Kernersville, NC About 20 people turned out to learn about pickle ball. She tells a very interesting story of how she persuaded a local racquetball player to come and learn the game. We introduced Laura this month on our Website too. Here is a link to her short BIO and her recent visit to Kernersville YMCA. http://south.usapa.org/2009/12/winston-salem-has-new-usapa-ambassador.html

Jim Hisman, Ambassador, Summerville, SC – Jim reports that he has been in contact with Mr. Jester, the Senior Program Specialist at the Mt. Pleasant Senior Center. “I have talked to Gary Jaster over the phone and now I will be going down to Mount Pleasant to talk to him an look over his facility - they really seem interested and excited about getting Pickleball started. They have over 2000 members at their senior center. He is also going to come up to Del Webb and watch some of our league play. But he suggested that we wait until after the new year, so we will be getting them started in January.”

Jim is also pursuing a couple other new places to play: one with the Hanahan Youth Center and the other with the Athletic Director of James Island Parks.


Bob Taylor, Ambassador, Anna Maria Island, Fl and Mary Selby, Ambassador, Asheville, NC. - On Saturday, November 21st, The Lakewood Country Club of Naples, Florida hosted a pickleball demonstration for their members and quests. Valerie and Bill Wilson, and Toni and Jim Teasdale from Anna Maria Island provided to pickleball exhibitions for more than 40 potential new players. As a result of their excellent performance – the Lakewood CC hopes to continue the program and set up a mixed doubles program for the quick learners, and an open round robin for everyone to join in and a separate time for free instruction.
“Special thanks to Bob Taylor for his assistance for the last several months. His direction has been extremely helpful, and without him we would never have had the opportunity to meet these wonderful pickleball players who have had such a positive influence on our program. He's a true ambassador of this game."

Additionally, a group of 24 members of a Sarasota Florida Country Club visited Anna Maria Island Monday, November 16 to learn more about Pickleball. The group's visit was arranged by Mary Selby. There are about 24 members of this Country Club who are excited about playing the game. Unfortunately their tennis courts are all Clay…….so they are now in search for a place to play. Mary will continue to work with them to get a program up and running.

Rich and Donald, Ambassadors, FL
Rich has been very busy this past month. We visited a new RV Park down in Arcadia, Fl, where they have one very large tennis court that is not used. With a few of our RV pickleball players we hope to put on a pickleball demo for the park residents after the first of the year. Rich did a Skills Clinic at Torrey Oaks RV Resort in Bowling Green, two at the Thousand Trails RV Park in Wauchula, one for the Kings Point Pickleball League, and on for the Sun City Center Pickleball Club.
His name is posted at the Pickleball Courts at the RV Park as a contact for anyone wanting to learn to play. We also have plans to introduce pickleball to another over 55 community in Ruskin Florida after the first of the year. Members of the Kings Point League will be helping us.



Want to feature your Club, League or Pickleball Group? I continue to hear from so many of you across our entire region who are working hard to get pickleball established in your communities. I can’t wait to share your success stories. Those of you have already gone through these growing pains, I encourage you to tell your story for others to enjoy and benefit from. – Donna-
If you have ANY news/information from your area that you want included in our monthly newsletter, please send it to Donna Donald at rddonald2@gmail.com

ASR AMBASSADORS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

November 15, 2009

The Atlantic South Region (ASR) E-Newsletter is distributed on the 15th of each month to all ASR Ambassadors. This newsletter is intended to keep all of you apprised of what is happening in your region and to consolidate our news into a once/monthly communication. Please forward this information to all USAPA members, all pickleball players/clubs in your regions and post to your local pickleball Blogs or Websites

………….ATLANTIC SOUTH REGION WELCOMES NEW LOCAL AMBASSADOR…..

Please extend your best Atlantic South Welcome to Jerry Eamer, our newest Ambassador representing Conway, South Carolina. Jerry and his wife, both retired, originate from the Rochester and Watertown area in upstate NY and relocated to SC about three years ago. Jerry has always enjoyed sports, especially tennis and racquet ball and so when he was introduced to pickelball just a year ago he was addicted and committed to promoting this new sport.

Jerry tells us there are currently about 40 players in his area; a small group that plays in his community and a larger group who play in nearby Myrtle Beach. One of his first goals is to attract new USAPA members. He has already been in contact with the local parks and recreation department as well as a private recreation club to introduce the game. He is excited about trying to introduce pickleball into the local Senior Games and working with other local ambassadors in NC and SC to build some competitive tournament play.

Welcome aboard Jerry!



…..CONTENT RICH WEBSITE: USA PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION………

The USAPA website is rich with content on how-to host a Pickleball tournament and how-to apply for USAPA sanctioning. Reading the USAPA guides is a time investment that pays off in high player satisfaction with a well run tournament. Here are the USAPA website sidebar titles to look for and the direct links.
1. Run a Tournament http://usapa.org/sanctioning/tournament_tips.html

2. Tournament Software http://usapa.org/tourney/

3. Sanctioning http://usapa.org/sanctioning/index.php

4. Rankings http://usapa.org/rankings/index.php

5. Ratings http://usapa.org/rankings/ratings/indes.php

6. Official Rules http://usapa.org/officialrules/ and Scoresheet http://usapa.org/tournamentnews/OFFICIAL_USAPA_SCORESHEET.pdf

7. Training Room Referee Guide and Referee Clinic http://training.usapa.org/

8. Partner Search http://usapa.org/partner/partner.php

It is important to note that USA Pickleball Association desires to list ALL Pickleball tournaments on the USAPA Upcoming Events Calendar - sanctioned and unsanctioned, competitive and recreational.

"A USAPA-sanctioned tournament allows players to be ranked on a national basis. Non-sanctioned tournaments may also use these sections as guidelines. Tournament directors for non-sanctioned tournaments may be flexible in the use of these guidelines to better fit the skills, ages, and diversity of their players. The USAPA enthusiastically encourages these non-sanctioned tournaments to promote knowledge, growth of the game, skill development, and having fun while playing pickleball. Tournaments may be sanctioned for the ranked events that they include even though a tournament director may also choose to include recreational or unranked events."

Janet Razz, USAPA Great Lakes Region
http://www.mipickleball.usapa.org/
http://www.greatlakes.usapa.org/


……. Tournament and Pickleball Event Update…..

The Jacksonville “50 and Beyond Forever Fit” Pickleball Senior Event was held on Wednesday October 9th in Jacksonville Florida. Pickleball is still in its infancy in the Jacksonville area. The only place listed for pickleball is Sweetwater at Del Webb, where less than 20 players enjoy the sport. But despite the lack of places to play, participation in this event increased nearly 31% over last year. Again this year they continued to welcome and accept walk-ups to the event. Pickleball was played as a double elimination event, and is a qualifier for the 2010 National Senior Games, Winter Festival to be held in Rochester, NY.
Click here for complete tournament results and to read more about this event:
http://south.usapa.org/2009/11/jacksonville-fl-senior-games.html


2009 USAPA National Pickleball Tournament– took place from November 2nd through 8th in Buckeye, AZ. This was the very first National Tournament sponsored by the USAPA and was the largest such pickleball event held in the country. Approximately 400 registrants participated in junior, young adult, senior and open events. Local Ambassadors, Laura Patterson, Winston-Salem, NC, Nancy Meyer and Cindy Eddleman, Ft.Myers, FL and Rich Skaare, Summerfile, FL, represented the Atlantic South. Several players travelled from our Region to participate in this milestone event, and made us proud, bringing home 19 medals! Great Job! Congratulations to all our players.

Our very own “Coach Mo” also had his PickleballCoach banner proudly displayed. While hailing from Florida in our Atlantic South Region, he and his website draws the attention of players across the country. Five clubs/websites that support and promote www.pickleballcoach.com were featured on his banner, and three were from right in our Region. Tanglewood Pickleball Club, Sebring, Fl., MeadowPointe Pickleball Club, Wesley Chapel, Fl., Cajun Picklers, Lafayette, LA, Michigan Pickleball, and Plantation Pickleball Club, Leesburg, Fl.

Here are some links for ASR, Results and Pictures that you will enjoy
Atlantic South Results: http://south.usapa.org/2009/11/2009-usapa-national-tournament_13.html
Complete Tournament Results: http://www.tpbtms.com/cinfo.pl?tid=13
Photos on Light-Reflections.com http://web.me.com/dinahsmith/Light_Reflections/Pickleball.html



Watch for more news on these Upcoming Tournaments
Registration/ information are available on our Atlantic South site……………


•Kings Pointe - Advanced Pickleball Clinic - Nov. 14th, Sun City Center, Fl
•Plantation Pickleball – Leesburg – Scott Green 3rd Annual Pickleball Tournament and Dinner Dance, Nov. 13th an d 14th, 2009
•Turkey Swat – Pickleball Tournament – Canton, Ga. – Nov. 21-22, 2009
•Florida Senior Games State Championships, Ft Myers/Cape Coral, Fl Dec. 5-6, 2009
•Lee County Senior Games, Ft. Myers/Cape Coral – January 2010, dates TBD
•Collier County Senior Games, Naples, Fl – February 2010, dates TBD
•Polk County Senior Games, Poinciana, Fl, March 2010, dates TBD
•Heartland County Senior Games, March 2010, Place/dates – TBD


………USAPA MEMBERSHIP CLOSING IN ON 2000 ACTIVE MEMBERS…

USAPA Membership Chair Nancy Jordan recently reported our membership growth over the last few years. We are very close to doubling the number of new members for the second year in a row. In 2007 we averaged about 24 new members per month. For 2009 we were at nearly 99 new members per month.

What is just as exciting is the impact that our Atlantic South Region has had on membership growth this past year.

Membership Change from 10/31/08 10/30/09
AL - 1 to 3 members/ an increase of 200%
FL- 104 to 299 members/ an increase of 188%
GA- 4 to 27members/ an increase of 575%
NC -6 to 10 members/ an increase of 67%
SC -3 to 5 members/ an increase of 67%
Total From 118 to 341members/ an increase of 192%

Only the Great Lakes Region surpassed our numbers taking their membership from 93 to 366 members for a 294% increase. That 2000 number is very very close. As of this writing we have reached 1916 active members!!!

How about adding MEMBERSHIP GROWTH to your MINI PLAN this year? What’s the goal for your club/ group/ city/ state? Need some ideas? Your new HOW-TO Google Group has some great ideas. Check it out.

………Pickle Ball News from across the Region…..

Al Rosati, Dennis Sarlo – Ambassadors, The Villages, Fl The Geezers N Gals will be hosting their Holi-Daze mixed pickleball social from 10:00 AM to 12:00PM at the Bacall courts on December 19th. $2.50 per person. Twelve teams only. All players must wear some article of clothing in keeping with the Holi-Daze.

John Stevens - N. Carolina Pickleball - John Stevens plays pickleball at the Levine Jewish Community Center in Charlotte, NC. This month we featured the “J” and some of their players on our website. The group plays every day and would love to bring in new players. If you live in the area, or are visiting the area, be sure to stop by. Here’s a link to John’s write up on the “J”. http://south.usapa.org/2009/11/north-caroilina-pickleball.html


Mike Perkins – President, Sun City Center Pickleball Club, Florida –Mike and his pickleball club have been very busy these last two months. Last month they successfully hosted the Tampa Bay Senior Games. This month Mike set up a table at the annual Sun City Center “Hi Neighbor” event complete with our pickleball promotion video, pickleball brochures, pickleball equipment and our USAPA Banner to introduce our sport and to solicit potential new players to the game. They were one of more than 95 clubs and organizations participating in this showcase to over 300 new residents. Here’s a link to this story that recently appeared on our website - http://south.usapa.org/2009/11/florida-pickleball-club-participates-in.html


Tom & Ann Earley – Ambassadors, Canton, GA - Registration for their Turkey Swat Pickleball Tournament this month, has been outstanding. I’ve heard from Ann a couple of times and I think the registration and donations for the Cherokee County Humane Society will be far more than they anticipated. That’s great news! We know this will be a fun event and look forward to seeing great pictures – including that “Turkey Swat” logo on everyone’s t-shirt!! Have fun…………

Louann Dubendorf- Kings Point, Sun City Center, Fl - All three pickleball courts at Kings Point were recently resurfaced. That includes that horrific multi-purpose, multi, multi lined third court that everyone hated to play on. Just in time – the snowbirds are back and Louann has a Pickleball Clinic scheduled this month to help their group better prepare for the upcoming State Senior Games. Louann and her PickleballBug will be setting up a table at the State Games and will be introducing some new pickleball merchandise. Check out the new courts at http://www.gotpickleball.com/

Nancy Meyer and Cindy Eddleman, Ambassadors, Ft Myers. Nancy and Cindy have recently relocated, so as Ambassadors, they now are assigned to a new area. Fortunatly for us, they are still in the Atlantic South Region but now in the Ft. Myers area. And what perfect timing - they are soon to be very busy. I welcomed them to their new area with requests to follow up on several locations that are in the infant stages of introducing pickleball. So with their skills and expertise we hope to have a few more places to play as they follow up in Bonita Springs with both the Parks and Recreation Department and with the Citrus Park Community, in Cape Coral at Seven Lakes, and in N. Ft. Myers at Lake Fairways. Both of them recently returned from the National Games in AZ, and in just a few weeks will be competing in the Florida State Games. Good Luck You Two!!

Laura Patterson, Ambassador, Winston-Salem, NC - Laura has been busy contacting local YMCA's in the Winston-Salem vacinity and in just a few short months has been successful at getting the opportunity to talk about and demonstrate this "new sport" to her area. On November 11th, she had the opportunity to set up a modified court and introduce the game to school children, senior citizens, families and the YMCA director and staff who now have court dimensions...........and this will be on their schedule soon. Another formal introduction is scheduled later in November.
Click this link to read more about her YMCA experience. http://south.usapa.org/2009/11/pickleball-introduced-to-winston-salem.html



Want to feature your Club, League or Pickleball Group? I continue to hear from so many of you across our entire region who are working hard to get pickleball established in your communities. I can’t wait to share your success stories. Those of you have already gone through these growing pains, I encourage you to tell your story for others to enjoy and benefit from. – Donna-
If you have ANY news/information from your area that you want included in our monthly newsletter, please send it to Donna Donald at rddonald2@gmail.com

ASR AMBASSADORS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

October 15, 2009

The Atlantic South Region (ASR) E-Newsletter is distributed on the 15th of each month to all ASR Ambassadors. This newsletter is intended to keep all of you apprised of what is happening in your region and to consolidate our news into a once/monthly communication. Please forward this information to all USAPA members, all pickleball players/clubs in your regions and post to your local pickleball Blogs or Websites

………ATLANTIC SOUTH REGION REPRESENTED ON USAPA BOARD…..
Rich Donald will become our new Ratings Chair. Rich is originally from Elmira, NY, and relocated to Tampa, FL in 1994. He retired in 2006 after a 29 year career in the HVAC Engineering field. Rich joined USAPA in 2007 as an Ambassador in the New Tampa area where he has played a key role in promoting and growing the sport throughout the Atlantic South Region. As a member of the board we know he will work hard in an effort to make pickleball a fun and enjoyable game for all.

………Ambassadors HOW-TO Google Group………

Ambassadors – You all recently received an e-mail from Dick Manasseri inviting you to join our new HOW-TO Group. This Google Group is the tool that you all have been waiting for. As Ambassadors you are already great leaders in promoting the sport in your local areas. This tool will take your leadership skills to the next level. Regional and Local Ambassadors across the country are sharing their success stories and providing you with detailed information to help grow pickleball and USAPA memberships in your area. Learn from those who have already walked in your shoes. Check out the mini-plans and pick a couple of things that you would like to accomplish this year. Or, partner up with another Ambassador and work as a team to build and carry out your mini plan. If each one of use sets just two goals for the year – just think how much we can accomplish as a Region. For right now just check out what's there and share your ideas. The group has only been up and running for less that two day and as of this writing there are already nearly 35 members. What are you waiting for?

………. Tournament and Pickleball Event Update…..

The Pensacola (FL) Senior Games, sponsored by the Pensacola Parks and Recreation, were held on September 25th at the Vickrey Community Center.

The Jacksonville “50 and Beyond Forever Fit” Pickleball Senior Event was held on Wednesday October 9th in Jacksonville Florida. Still awaiting results.

NSGA National Championship Games – This national event was held right here in the Atlantic South Region at the CB Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, Fl, just outside of Ft. Lauderdale. Pickleball players from several states including, but not limited to, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, Alabama, California and New York enjoyed the competition from October 1st – 4th in sunny Florida. The event included round robin pool play to determine final team partnering for the championship double elimination rounds. This was a Tier 1, UASPA Sanctioned Event which included men’s and women’s doubles and singles competition and a mixed doubles event. A very special Thank You to USAPA Board Members David Jordan (Marketing/Sales) and Nancy Jordan (Membership) for all their hard work as tournament directors to make this an exciting, competitive and fun filled event. After some tough games, the athletes enjoyed player appreciation night, an evening of food and fun at the nearby Hyatt Bonaventure. Next year’s NSGA National Championship Event will be held in Rochester, New York. Look for qualifying games in your local areas.

If you have not already, follow the link below to read more about this event and enjoy the pictures and slide show on Atlantic South Website. http://south.usapa.org/2009/10/national-championship-games-held-in.html

Click here for the tournament results:
http://usapa.org/tourney/bracket_list.php?tname=nsga09


The Tampa Bay Senior Games took place on Wednesday October 7th at the Sun City Center courts. This event continues to pull some of the largest numbers of players from several surrounding counties and this year’s player count surpassed last year. A single elimination tournament with men’s and woman’s doubles and mixed doubles competition. The temperatures soared to 107 degrees on the courts – so players were thankful for the ample water supply and for the great lunch available for all players. Once again, tournament director, Paula Jory and her staff from the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Dept. put on a great event. Special thanks to the Sun City Pickleball Club for the use of your facility and for the morning coffee, donuts and sweet rolls!

For more information and tournament results click this link
http://south.usapa.org/2009/10/tampa-bay-senior-games.html


.......Watch for more news on these Upcoming Tournaments..........
Registration/ information are available on our Atlantic South site……………

• USAPA National Pickleball Tournament, Buckeye, AZ - Nov 2-8, 2009
• Plantation Pickleball – Leesburg – Scott Green 3rd Annual Pickleball Tournament and Dinner Dance, Nov. 13th an d 14th, 2009
• Turkey Swat – Pickleball Tournament – Canton, Ga. – Nov. 21-22, 2009
• Florida Senior Games State Championships, Ft Myers/Cape Coral, Fl Dec. 5-6, 2009
• Lee County Senior Games, Ft. Myers/Cape Coral – January 2010, dates TBD
• Collier County Senior Games, Naples, Fl – February 2010, dates TBD
• Polk County Senior Games, Poinciana, Fl, March 2010, dates TBD
• Heartland County Senior Games, March 2010, Place/dates – TBD


………PLACES TO PLAY……….

This is a reminder to all Ambassadors. PLEASE make sure that your home park/court/recreation center etc. is listed on the USAPA Website under places to play. Please refer to the PTP and Membership document previously mailed to all Ambassadors. Please add your name as Ambassador in the Admin section along with the approximate number of players (if you know). If there are places to play in your area/region that are not listed, please make sure they get added. To all members and players reading this newsletter – if you know of a place that is not listed you too can add the location by going to this link: http://usapa.org/ptp/addedit_ptp.php?id=2330
or you can e-mail the information directly to me at rddonald2@gmail.com

Believe it or not – there are a lot of people who use this as they travel across the country. Here are just a few recent e-mails sent to me – and we were able to find them a place to play their favorite game! I’m sure some of you out there have received similar questions.

(to the Upstate Pickleball Club) “Hey, we're having pickleball visitors on Friday from Arizona! They emailed us that they are full time rv'ers from Happy Trails in Surprise, AZ, and are coming to visit someone, family or friends in Anderson, SC, that's not too far from here. They saw us on the USAPA and want to come and play with our group.”

“I've been learning pickleball here in Delaware. I will be spending time in Brandon, Florida on and off in the coming year. Looking for a drop in place to play. Any information would be appreciated”.

“Going to be visiting Florida. I see lots of sites to check out for play. Are the Villages private play only--or can one pay and play?”
Cheers, Steve

“Frank and I will be wintering in Myrtle Beach and were wondering if
there were any pickleball groups, etc. that you knew of. Looking forward to hearing from you. Rona”

.. your blog mentions Sarasota County Parks making available the Raymond Foxworthy Park tennis courts for pickleball. I've not been able to locate any park by such a name around our Region.... or any name close to it. Do you know where it is located or any other courts in Sarasota County?

Please make sure your courts are listed, even if they are private courts that are not open to the public. Many times a guest is welcome to play if with a resident. Also listing all the places to play helps us to better determine how many places and how many players we have in our Region and across the country. A little investigation and we found three new places to play here in Florida this month. I appreciate your help!

………Pickle Ball News from across the Region…..

Al Rosati, Dennis Sarlo – Ambassadors, The Villages, Fl The Geezers N Gals will be hosting the following events between now and the end of the year:
1. October 22, 2009 – Open pickleball, followed by a pizza party at the Bacall Rec Center. $5 per/person sign up. All Villages players welcome.
2. November 11th, 2009 – Sadie Hawkins pickleball mixed social. This is where the Gals get to choose their male partners. The choosing of partners will be done at the conclusion of the Oct. 22 pizza party. Cost is $2.50. Twelve team only. Sign up ends Oct. 18th
3. December 16, 2009 – Holi-Daze mixed pickleball social will run from 10:00 AM to 12:00PM at the Bacall courts. $2.50 per person. Twelve teams only. All players must wear some article of clothing in keeping with the Holi-Daze.

Bill Leach – Legacy of Leesburg, Fl - Bill recently purchased Coach Mo’s new DVD and scheduled the community social hall for showing the video to any of the community players who wanted to view it. Here’s his follow-up: “Showing the DVD to the group went well. We all realize we have some bad habits that should be changed. I've noticed some people trying to make changes. Several people who couldn't make the evening have borrowed the DVD to watch themselves. I think we would get a great deal by having a clinic for the group…….. after the snowbirds return. "

Mike & Mary Selby –Ambassadors, NC. Pickleball players held their 2nd annual Pickleball tourney and luncheon. Unfortunately the tournament was rained out. The luncheon continued and included a Pickleball Quiz, a recap of the new rules and a revisit to some of the old rules. (especially the underhand serve!!!) A fun time was had by all.

Tom & Ann Earley – Ambassadors, GA -CALLING ALL PEEPS! “ In association with the Cherokee County Humane Society (CCHS) "Turkey Trot 5K" at Woodmont, we will sponsor the "Turkey Swat" PB Tournament! Our tournament will be a BENEFIT for the Cherokee County Humane Society.

The tournament will be held November 21 and 22. If we only have a one day tournament, it will be SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST beginning at 8 a.m. If we have more than 40 players, we will turn this into a 2-day tournament with "A" players on Sunday and "B1" and "B2" players on Saturday. The rain date will be the weekend after Thanksgiving, November 28 and 29.

Please note that this is a contribution and is tax deductible. If you want to participate, you must RSVP and bring cash/check to CCHS for $20 by November 1st. All players will receive their t-shirt and lunch. Water and snacks will also be provided throughout the day. Be generous even if you decide not to play in the tournament. Support the other players, buy a t-shirt, and root for your favorite "turkey". Donating spectators get a t-shirt as well!”

While traveling through Paducah, KY Tom and Ann stopped to speak with the tournament director for the Paducah Senior Games. It was a little late for them to provide a Pickleball demonstration this year – but we now have a contact who is interested in introducing pickleball at their games next year. Thanks Tom and Ann for planting the seed.

Plantation Pickleball Club, Leesburg, Fl - The Plantation Pickleball Association had the opportunity to offer its members lesson clinics taught by Richard “Coach Mo” Movsessian on Sept 11th.
Winter Leagues to begin. Members can sign up on September 12 - October 18th. It will be first come first serve to accommodate the 8 player rotation. Those who do not make the cut will be put on a waiting list. So, sign up early. The Winter League will be a 12 player round robin format with 8 members playing 7 games a week, over a 12 week season.

Carl Clous, Ambassador, Poinciana, Fl – Carl reports that the players (Smashers) in the Community are looking for some better competition and he approached the group with a couple of recommendations. The first was to have the Smashers become “affiliated with the USAPA and promote some play with other USAPA clubs” suggesting that this would solicit solid competition from groups outside the community, bring more people to the community who might want to become residents and it might encourage the owners to make changes to some of the existing courts to allow for safe, correct and competitive play. We are starting some initial discussion to introduce some tournaments other than Senior Games to entice players from surrounding areas.

Laura Patterson, Ambassador, Raleigh/Durham, NC - "Things have been going pretty slow here in Winston-Salem but I expect things to pick up over the next couple of months. I sent a letter to 5 different YMCA's, introducing myself and the sport of pickleball and making myself available to help implement the sport at the different facilities. I received my first communication from the Director at the YMCA in Kernersville and we met yesterday to discuss how we can introduce the sport to its members. Each of the Y's have a family day once each month where their members are invited to the Y to do different family activities and the director wanted to use pickleball as one of those activities for the family night in November...yeah, yeah, yeah! The event is currently scheduled to take place on November 21st. I just ordered a pickleball tournament set and will use this to introduce the sport on that day. Pickleball will be the main focus!!!

Laura is looking for help with flyers and any other ideas to help make the introduction of pickleball a success. Send her your ideas.

Rich and Donna Donald – New Tampa, Fl -We have been in contact with Jeff Kauzlarich with the Florida Sports Foundation to see about getting our Senior Games pickleball event as a qualifier for the State and National Games. In many locations, pickleball is drawing some of the largest numbers of players. The last e-mail from Jeff also indicated a desire for USAPA Sanctioning, as he wrote “we are still interested in sanctioning our event down the road and we will review this decision again next year for the 2010 Senior Games. Once again, thanks for all of your help and I'll be sure to touch base with you next year when we discuss sanctioning our 2010 event”

We have contacted AVATAR the sponsors for the Polk County Senior games to consider a double elimination USAPA event. No response to date.

We have started initial discussions with Paula Jory, Tampa Bay Senior Games tournament director about USAPA Sanctioning in 2010, and she has also expressed an interest.

We have contacted the Hardee County Rotary and Parks and Recreation Department in hopes of doing a pickleball demonstration at their Oak Park location Wauchula, followed by a Senior Pickleball Tournament event.

The Spruce Creek Pickleball Club is already working on Sanctioning the 2010 Geezer Meister Games – and work has begun on getting referees trained for the event.

And – a reminder to all of our RV Friends – The Annual Pickleball tournament at the Thousand Trails RV Park in St. Clair MI, has been scheduled for July 10th and 11th next year. Mark your calendars for travel in that direction in July


Want to feature your Club, League or Pickleball Group? I continue to hear from so many of you across our entire region who are working hard to get pickleball established in your communities. I can’t wait to share your success stories. Those of you have already gone through these growing pains, I encourage you to tell your story for others to enjoy and benefit from. – Donna-

If you have ANY news/information from your area that you want included in our monthly newsletter, please send it to Donna Donald at rddonald2@gmail.com

ASR AMBASSADORS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
September 15, 2009



The Atlantic South Region (ASR) E-Newsletter is distributed on the 15th of each month to all ASR Ambassadors. This newsletter is intended to keep all of you apprised of what is happening in your region and to consolidate our news into a once/monthly communication. Please forward this information to all USAPA members, all pickleball players/clubs in your regions and post to your local pickleball Blogs or Websites

………WELCOME OUR NEW ATLANTIC SOUTH AMBASSADORS..…..

Before introducing our newest Ambassadors this month we need to send our thanks to Richard “Greenie” Greenfield as he steps down from his position as our Regional Ambassador.
Those of you who had the pleasure of meeting Greenie, know how enthusiastic is about our sport, about playing the game and introducing players of all ages to the game. He has definitely left his mark within our Region, especially with the work he’s done with our youth. If you needed help with a new group in your area, the “Greenie Mobile” would be there with nets and paddles and balls and banners if he could!! If you saw him at the tournaments, especially in Florida, he spent as much time at the membership table as he did on the courts.

Greenie will always tell you, "I love good pickleball and spread it wherever, whenever and however I can........ Greenie, we know your health does not allow you on the courts as frequently as before, but we know your heart is always in the game, and that you will definitely continue to spread the game “wherever, whenever and however” you can. Thank you for your contributions and your accomplishments.

Greenie will be difficult to replace, but I look forward to working with all of you. Each of you was selected to represent USAPA for our Atlantic South Region because of your leadership skills and your commitment to promoting the game. Each of you has a special talent and your own unique way of working with the pickleball community. I’ll be asking each of you to share those attributes with your fellow Ambassadors as we strive to keep the Atlantic South Region in the forefront.

Keep Swinging,

Donna Donald

INTRODUCING SIX NEW AMBASSADORS THIS MONTH!

Tom and Ann Early – Please welcome Tom and Ann Early as our newest North Georgia Ambassadors, representing pickleball in the Canton area. They introduced pickleball in N. Georgia about five years ago. They are respected leaders in the pickleball club, always welcome and train new players. As new Ambassadors they are working hard to promote USAPA membership. With their skilled involvement we anticipate not just membership growth, but tournament growth in both Cherokee and Cobb Counties. With the recent formation of the North Georgia Pickleball Club they successfully recruited 15 new USAPA members during the month of August. Read more about N. Georgia Pickleball in our feature article below.


Bill Daugherty – Please welcome one of our newest Florida Ambassadors. Bill will be representing pickleball in N. Marion County, Ocala, Fl. He spends his winters at On Top Of The World, which is an active adult community in Ocala Florida. There are other adult communities in the Ocala area where he enjoys pickleball at a higher skill level. He is currently working with his home community to improve court availability, attract new players and improve player skill levels.

A recent note from Bill: “……..I'm in Cayuga Ontario playing pickleball. ….. in Oakville On. just South of Toronto. Had a good time and met some very nice people and the play was spirited. ……… Back at On Top of The World in Ocala Florida we are in the process of converting two tennis courts to dedicated pickleball courts which should increase the number of players. I will return to Florida mid to late October..”

We’re sure to hear more from Bill this winter.

Rich and Karen Skaare – Please welcome two more new Florida Ambassadors representing Summerfield, Fl. Rich and Karen reside in Spruce Creek, which is a Del Webb community of active adults that boasts 12 fabulous tennis courts. Rich is the past president of the SCC Pickleball Club which currently welcomed their 321st member. Our USAPA Banner was proudly displayed this past winter as they hosted the Florida Geezer Meister Games, an event that brings out some of the best players in the area. Rich and Karen are active tournament players and we hope they bring home the gold at the Nationals in Arizona this November. There are great opportunities for USAPA Sanctioned tournament play and membership growth in the Summerfield, Fl area.

Laura Patterson – Please welcome our newest Ambassador from North Carolina representing the Winston-Salem, NC area. A former racquetball player, Laura was introduced to the game just last year in the Midland, MI area. She too is an active tournament player and is a trained tournament referee. We wish her luck as she represents our region in the Nationals in November in Az. Laura is relocating to North Carolina from Michigan and will be working with local representatives to introduce pickleball to the YMCA’s and middle schools in her area.


………Another perspective on USAPA Membership………………

Whenever the USAPA or anyone for that matter mentioned the word ‘membership’ the Atlantic South Region was always the first to come to mind. All of us have held our head high and let everyone know just how proud we are of that accomplishment.

I’m sure you all read the article in the e-newsletter, from Janet Razz regarding the Great Lakes Region, and then the message for our fearless leader, Dick Manasseri about the membership numbers. Yes, the Great Lakes Region has surpassed the efforts of the Atlantic South.

Now, we can always go to the USAPA and challenge the numbers! After all, look at how many of our Atlantic South ‘snowbirds’ joined the USAPA and used their ‘non-snowbird’ address. Take all those people from the north and Canada and give them “dual Regional Membership” and we’d probably be back on top!! Well, yes we could – but we won’t!!

Our Atlantic South Region is strong! Some of our Ambassadors last year did a stellar job in building our membership – Remember the growth from the Sebring, Fl area, and Bob Taylor’s hard work on Anna Maria Island? And what about those Ambassadors from The Villages! Dick shared with us a recent article in Masters Athlete Magazine, where they identified the Top Ten List of places to play Pickleball. And the Atlantic South came in Number One, recognizing The Villages as a “pickleball paradise.” They also have the largest USAPA membership of any pickleball community in the country.

We can regain our No. 1 Ranking as a Region. Our new Ambassadors in NC are setting the pace. Let’s follow! Hat’s off to the Great Lakes Region! Congratulations on your success. Let’s keep the challenge on and take back the lead.

As of this printing: Great Lakes – 346 Atlantic South - 337


………. The North Georgia Pickleball Club, Canton, Georgia……………..

Tom and Ann Early learned how to play pickleball about five years ago in Palm Creek Golf and RV Resort in Casa Grande, where they still enjoy visiting and playing with old friends. They brought the game back to North Georgia immediately and began teaching others, including going to local schools and clubs to draw interest.

Ann tells us “We are starting an organization for our members that come to play with us at our tennis courts weekly. We will call the group the “North Georgia Pickleball Club”. The club has one requirement - all members must join the USAPA…..there are no dues, no elected officers, no age requirements. Everyone enjoys playing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9 a.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. Balls and Paddles are furnished and beginners are welcome. Members will enjoy regular play, participate in tournaments and round robin events and enjoy social events together.

A few days later she followed up with this message: “We are thrilled about this new "club" idea and our players are joining USAPA as their only "requirement". They also presented us with a $260 gift card to show appreciation in starting the club and furnishing the courts, balls, paddles, instruction, drinks, food, and tournaments for the past 3+ years. For us, it has been a pleasure”.

At last count Tom and Ann have recruited 20 new USAPA members since introducing their club in August!! Fantastic!!

New players and visitors to the area and always welcome and Tom Earley is enthusiastic about introducing the game to new players. And people do stop by to play with the group. Just recently Dan Munson, a current Florida resident who plays at The Villages, looking to move to the Canton area, stopped in to play a few games while he and his wife were in the area searching for a home. And when you come to visit you will meet the 2 Standard Poodles and the Club Mascots, Dinner and Tommy (turkeys) who love to watch the players on the courts.

The next Tournament, which will probably end up being a tournament/social event, is planned for November – so watch our website for news, results and pictures!

You can read more about pickleball and see pictures of the North Georgia Pickleball Club on our website. You might event catch a glimpse of the Poo’s and the Peeps!! Just click this link to read the article.
http://south.usapa.org/2009/09/meet-tom-and-ann-early.html


………. Tournament and Pickleball Event Update…..

The Villages – Geezers and Gals - On August 19th, the Geezers and Gals pickleball group held the Pickleball Pizza Social at the Bacall Rec Center. The event was open to all players in the Villages. The morning started with open play and at 10:00 am. Coach Mo arrived to provide a training clinic for those in attendance. Between 11:30 and 12:00 players left the courts for a Pizza luncheon, followed by a short meeting to finalize their upcoming tournament. The Round Robin event took place on August 26 and was open to Bacall players only. Congratulation to winners: #1 Dennis Sarlo & Margie Schultz 5-0, #2 Bob Wilkinson & Billy Jean Montalbano 4-1, and #3 Jim Wallace & Fran Cotter 3-1. You can see pictures and read more about this event on our Atlantic South website. http://south.usapa.org/2009/08/blog-post.html

August Pickleball Social at Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure, NC - If you remember, we just introduced this pickleball location last month. Here’s a follow up e-mail I received a few days ago from Carrie Sims, the Wellness Center Lead at the Resort.

“Thank you again for the wonderful article and the publicity! We were very pleased with the results. We did have our Pickleball promotional evening and it was a huge success. We had about 25 players come out some experienced and some first –timers. We raffled a new racquet and some other items.

I did take photos, but we have yet to unload them from our camera. Our marketing director is working on that this week and we hope to have some nice photos to put on our website. I’ll be sure to send them along to you. We aren’t planning much this winter, but guests and interested players can always be updated by our facebook page.

Hopefully next season, we’ll be able to have some more events and I’ll defiantly make sure we send the dates and times to you. Maybe we can even host some tournaments in the future! I’ll keep in touch.”

Kings Point Labor Day Pickleball Jamboree – This annual event hosted by Louann Dubendorf and the Kings Point Pickleball League was held on Saturday September 5th at Kings Point in Sun City Center. Always a festive and fun day of pickleball this year drew players from the Sun City Pickleball Club – along with their own cheering crowd, the Solavita Community in Poinciana, which is near Orlando, and top players from Ft. Lauderdale and Ft. Myers. Ambassadors Rich and Donna Donald never miss the event, and this year was joined by Ft. Lauderdale Ambassadors Nancy Meyer and Cindy Eddleman. This year Louann opened her Tattoo Parlor – providing (washable) pickleball bugs and Pickleball Fever Paddle tattoos to everyone! Round Robin events took place in Men’s and Woman’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Congratulations to the event winners: Men’s Doubles: Steve and Bob (Solavita), Gary and Artie (Kings Point) Clyde and Don (SSC Pickleball Club). Woman’s Doubles: Nancy and Cindy (Ft. Lauderdale, Diane and Charlene (Kings Point) and Margie and Sylvia (Solavita). And in the Mixed Doubles: Nancy (Ft Lauderdale) and Irv (Kings Point), Bob and Sylvia (Solavita) and Gary (Kings Point) and Sherron (Ft.Myers)

Read more about this annual event, complete with pictures on our website: http://south.usapa.org/2009/09/posted-by-picasa.html


……..Watch for more news on these Upcoming Tournaments/Events.
Registration/ information are available on our Atlantic South site……………


Bacall Center, The Villages – Woman’s Doubles Pickle ball Social – Sept 23rd.
Pensacola, Fl Senior Games - September 2009Jacksonville, Fl Senior Games - October 2009
National Senior Games Championships, Ft Lauderdale, Fl Oct 1-4, 2009
Tampa Bay Senior Games, October 7, 2009 -
National Pickleball Tournament, Buckeye, AZ Nov 2-8, 2009
Pickleball Tournament – Canton, GA November (dates TBD)
Florida Senior Games State Championships, Ft Lauderdale, Fl Dec. 5-6, 2009


...............News from Local Ambassadors and from around our Region....

Al Rosati – Ambassador, The Villages, Fl “Plans are being finalized for the upcoming women's double Pickleball social to be held at the Bacall courts,hosted by the Geezers N Gals. You do NOT have to be a member of the Geezers N Gals to participate ,however we would like to limit it to the Gals that frequent the Bacall courts. The social will be a round robin; adjustments may be made at that time depending on the weather conditions. "

Liz Velázquez, Ambassador, N. Carolina “We had a wonderful time recently playing with some of the players from Louisville, Kentucky, who came to visit our campground and, of course, the beautiful Smoky Mountains. …… Needless to say we all got a great workout and lots of social sharing. Now, we are planning a tournament where Louisville, Kentucky meets Robbinsville, North Carolina, sort of speak, hopefully we can all come together for some fun and excitement in the Smokys. It is truly fantastic to be able to enjoy this great sport with wonderful people. " Click this link for pictures and more about Pickling in N. Carolina. Click here to see pictures: http://south.usapa.org/2009/09/pickleballing-in-n-carolina.html

Rich and Donna Donald – New Tampa, Fl - "One of the newest pickleball groups in our area is at Valencia Lakes, an active adult community located near Waumaua, Fl. Through Neal Nightingale, who introduced pickleball to the community, we have had the opportunity to talk with their Lifestyles Director, Marshall Bross. We’ve offered our assistance. We hope to learn more about this community, to offer training/clinics for their players and to encourage USAPA membership. They were holding their first pickleball social event over the Labor Day weekend, and Dan promised to share news and pictures!

We have contacted the organizers of the Polk County Senior Games in hopes of getting the games USAPA Sanctioned this year. The games are scheduled for March 2010. We have the support of several of the Solavita players where the games are played. Solavita and Avatar Homes is also one of the sponsors of the games. Will keep you posted on our success. We are also hoping that the Heartland Senior games are USAPA sanctioned again this year. It was such a success last year!

We spoke with Traci Thomas, a 22 year employee with the Parks and Recreation Department in Cobb County, GA. Traci learned to play pickleball in Florida and is very interested in introducing the game in Cobb County. She is also the Tennis Director for Lost Mountain Tennis Center which boasts 12 tennis courts, and has expressed great interest in having pickleball tournaments played at her center. We’ve contacted our new N. Georgia Ambassadors, Tom and Ann Early and asked them to touch base with her."



Want to feature your Club, League or Pickleball Group? I continue to hear from so many of you across our entire region who are working hard to get pickleball established in your communities. I can’t wait to share your success stories. Those of you have already gone through these growing pains, I encourage you to tell your story for others to enjoy and benefit from. – Donna-

If you have ANY news/information from your area that you want included in our monthly newsletter, please send it to Donna Donald at rddonald2@gmail.com

ASR AMBASSADORS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

August 15, 2009

The Atlantic South Region (ASR) E-Newsletter is distributed on the 15th of each month to all ASR Ambassadors. This newsletter is intended to keep all of you apprised of what is happening in your region and to consolidate our news into a once/monthly communication. Please forward this information to all USAPA members, all pickleball players/clubs in your regions and post to your local pickleball Blogs or Websites


………USAPA AMBASSADOR PROGRAM……….
Ambassadors promote the sport of pickleball and the USAPA in the Local Area that they have chosen to represent. They may be individuals or couples working as a team. The main prerequisite is a love of the game and the desire to share our game with others of all ages. Some full-time RV'ers are Ambassadors At Large. They don't represent a particular Local Area, but travel extensively and plant seeds that grow into pickleball places and players.

The primary responsibility is to be the spokesperson and representative for the USAPA for all activities related to Pickleball within their Local Area.

The Atlantic South Regions continues to attract new Ambassadors, but this is the first time in several months that we have not introduced a New Ambassador to our Region. So this is the perfect opportunity to remind you to share this information from the USAPA website with enthusiastic players in your areas that love the game and love to promote the sport. Share this link to get them started: http://usapa.org/ambassador/


…..Popular North Carolina Resort Promotes Pickleball!..
Rumbling Bald Resort is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The Resort is situated below the base of the majestic 2,800-foot Bald Mountain on the north end of beautiful Lake Lure. The two championship golf courses received another 4 star rating for 2009, continue to receive praise from Golf Digest readers and offer guests the experience of playing on one of the famed filming sites of the movie Dirty Dancing!

And now the resort is receiving an A Rating by the USAPA Atlantic South Region for their promotion of the fastest growing sport in the country today!

Pickleball was first initiated at Rumbling Bald Resort in August 2008 when a small group of residents showed interest in the sport by taping off lines for Pickleball on the resort’s tennis courts. Don “Smoke” Hickman, who has been playing pickleball for over five years and is a certified Pickleball Instructor at his seasonal home in The Villages, Fl., suggested introducing the sport at the Resort.. He was enthusiastic about promoting the sport and introducing new players to the game. Popularity for the game continued to increase, and Don, with the help of Carl Nelson, succeeded in getting lines painted and the first official game, on the first ‘official’ court was played in June of 2009.

The resort continues to promote Pickleball weekly to new guests/members during the Monday Resort Orientation Sessions as well as through its Wellness Center. Today, a group of eight to twelve energetic players meet weekly for open play matches and “Smoke” continues to provide instruction to first time players and resort guest twice a week. Members and guests to Rumbling Bald introduced to pickleball unanimously approve of the addition of the sport to the resorts amenities saying it’s a great way to stay in shape, meet new people, simple to learn and enjoyable for all ages and fitness level. Yes – even the kids at the resort become addicted to the game.

“The Echo” is a periodic publication that provides readers with community news and events at the Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure. Pickleball is one of the featured articles in the Autumn/Fall 2009 edition. Here is a link to that edition: http://rumblingbald.com/lakelure/info/rst.news.echo.aspx

You can find more information on Rumbling Bald Resort at http://www.rumblingbald.com/ where we hope to see the Pickleball Program soon added to their Wellness/Recreation activities on their website.

The complete article as written and submitted by Carrie , Wellness Center Lead, Rumbling Bald Resort along with pictures of the Resort and the pickleball players is now available on our Atlantic South Website. Her article will provide additional contact information and links to Rumbling Bald on Face Book. Just click here Rumbling Bald

Thank you Carrie, for introducing us to your beautiful resort and to another new place to play pickleball in North Carolina.


………….USAPA Reports – Membership is on the rise…
USAPA reported that membership as of July 23, 2009 reached 1600. The Atlantic South Region should be proud, as we account for nearly 21% of that membership. Our region has the largest representation of members, and the state of Florida has the largest membership of any state in the country with 309 members! While this is great news – other Regions and states are catching up quickly.

Enjoying and promoting the sport is what all of us do who love the game. Seeing new groups and clubs introduced to the sport is what we all get excited about. Our very own Tim and Laura Statum of Georgia were amazed at the support they received from USAPA, from members and the organization’s leadership. They are not only USAPA member, they are now Ambassadors. And just a few days ago we received this e-mail from Patrick Hotchkiss who winters in Florida.

“Last year when I came home,(to New York) the nearest place for me to play was about 90 miles away. This year I started working with a couple local folks to get it going here. We now have 39 players in the greater Rochester area. We have set up outside and inside courts which number about 14 courts in the area…………………..

Yes, I did join the USAPA and became an Ambassador. They have been very helpful in supporting my effort."

Share this link with your fellow players and encourage them to become a part of this great organization http://usapa.org/memberships/index.php

……Atlantic South Players – Visible Countrywide!!.....
Do you keep up with the pickleball news across the country? Yes folks, there is pickleball outside of the Atlantic South Region! Really!!! How did those other states get it started you ask? I know, we’ve all heard about Pickles and those folks up in the state of Washington……….but here’s my theory.

All those northern ‘snowbirds’ head to the ‘south’ every winter. The enjoy our southern hospitality, our sunshine, make new friends, chuckle a little when someone mentions the word pickleball and then they get addicted to the game. How many times do we hear- “I’ve never heard of this game! They don’t play this up north! This would be great to get started back home!!!””

Let me give you just a few recent examples of how we’ve helped to introduce pickleball outside our own region.

• Did you read the paragraph above? Yes Pat Hotchkiss learned how to play pickleball in Sebring, Fl………..now he’s an Ambassador in upstate NY.
• A couple from The Villages, Fl worked with Parks and Recreation Department and got pickleball started in Davenport, IA.
• Thousand Trails RV park in St. Clair, MI now has an annual pickleball tournament, because a group of winter pickleballers in Fl decided to meet there one summer.
• Pat and Suzi Zwolenski learned to play pickleball in Wesley Chapel, Fl and started up a new group of players in Bellingham, WA.
• Jack Beck, Ambassador-Venice, Florida this summer started up pickleball in Sarasota, NY. He and pickleball even made the local newspaper.
• Johnnie and Barb McKinney (yes Dick – they learned to play in Florida) are now Ambassadors in Brownstown, MI.
• And just this month! If you haven’t already read this story on our website, here’s the link. Ned Middendorf learned to play pickleball at The Villages, Fl and gets the game started in Morton, IA http://south.usapa.org/2009/08/atlantic-souths-ned-middendorf-of.html

So what do you think? I think we should be very very proud of our Atlantic South Pickleball, and our Atlantic South Pickleball players!


……..Watch for more news on these Upcoming Tournaments/Events.
Registration/ information are available on our Atlantic South site……………

• August Pickleball Social, Rumbling Bald, Lake Lure
• Geezers and Gals , Pizza and Pickleball Social Aug. 19th and Closed Tournament for Members August26th – The Villages, Fl
• The Villages, Fl – August – Beginner and Advanced Pickleball Tournament
• Kings Point Labor Day Jamboree –Sun City Center, Fl Sept. 5, 2009
• Pensacola, Fl Senior Games - September 2009
• Jacksonville, Fl Senior Games - October 2009
• National Senior Games Championships, Ft Lauderdale, Fl Oct 1-4, 2009
• Tampa Bay Senior Games, October 2009 dates TBD
• National Pickleball Tournament, Buckeye, AZ Nov 2-8, 2009
• Florida Senior Games State Championships, Ft Lauderdale, Fl Dec. 5-6, 2009

...............News from Local Ambassadors and from around our Region....

Liz Velazquez, Rocky Mountains, and NC - “Here in The Smoky Mountains we had a wonderful time teaching the members of the Civitan Club in Murphy, NC how to play pickleball. The Civitan Club is a national organization that does community service and in particular they help children with disabilities. They invited us to do a demonstration and so we set up in the health and wellness center tennis courts and simply began to play. Kids and adults came over and quickly got in the swing of things. We were so happy to see the kids really enjoying and listening to our instructions. One child was so determined to learn that she did not want to stop even for the great food that was served. One young man sat on the sidelines and repeatedly said no to playing, however, after watching for a while he too joined in and learned very quickly. He also did not want to get off the court. Several parents ask us how they could purchase equipment to play and we gave them the website and invited them to come to our campground facility.

I also spoke to the people at the community center and asked them if they would be interested in offering classes and they said they would like that. Hopefully, we will be doing that in the near future.

Everyone that comes to Mountain View School Campground and Sanctuary gets introduced to pickleball, from county commissioners to 3 year old future stars. We are having a lot of fun with it!”

Al Rosati, The Villages, Florida – “On Wednesday August 26th, Geezers N Gals will be hosting an intermediate tournament at the Bacall courts, 12 teams only -so gals, grab a geezer and geezers grab a gal. This is a round robin tournament and limited to people who play at Bacall on a regular basis. On Wednesday the 19th, we'll be holding a P/B-pizza party. (Coach) Moe will be on hand to instruct those of us that keep failing his class.”

Also at The Villages this month PAC and the Recreation Department will be conducting an advanced player tournament at the Truman Rec Center, August 17th, 18th and 19, and a first time ever beginners tournament later in the month at the Colony Recreation courts.

Mike and Mary Selby - Asheville, NC - They have checked in with the Leila Patterson Center in Fletcher where pickleball is played indoors every week day. This location has a good group and they may try to set up a tournament with the Kenmure Group. Anyone interested in playing at this location can contact Jim Engle 828-891-8535 or jimengle@bellsouth.net They have team play and open play. There is a charge for playing if you are not a member of the Center. They are looking for new players.

Mary also presented USAPA membership information to her home group at the Kenmure Country Club last Saturday, promoting and encouraging USAPA membership. The group is also planning another social event, tournament and luncheon on Sept 19, so we will be looking for them to share pictures of their event. And we hope that the Kenmure players will support USAPA and their local Ambassadors.

“Not much more here now....we are adding a Wednesday evening play time in addition to our regular Saturday morning time. Our players have improved SO much since we left here last November....I am SO proud of all of them. We are still trying to recruit new members.....and having a bit of success”.

Rich and Donna Donald – New Tampa, Fl - This month we want to share an e-mail we recently received from Neal Nightengale. Many of you remember Neal as our former Atlantic South Regional Ambassador, so we thought you would like to hear what he’s up to and what he has to say. And Rich and I thank you Neal for your support and kind words.

“Hi Donna and Richard,
I have read your South Atlantic news reports which come out on the 15th of each month regularly and must say each one has been very outstanding. Our region is very fortunate to have two people like you to be so committed to freely give of your time and talent in order that Pickleball players everywhere can be kept up to date about what’s going on in the Pickleball world. Thanks for all you both do to promote the game. Your efforts have to be appreciated by many.

During recent months my energy level has fallen off more than I like to admit. Practically all of my play now is at a very slow pace, with new players just learning the game. Several days ago I did break down and buy a Pickleball machine like the one Bob Huskey has in Alabama. As I spend practically all of my time at Valencia Lakes assisting those people to get acquainted with the game, that is where the machine will presently be used. However, it will be available upon request, to ALL Pickleball players within reasonable driving distance to use, should there be an interest in seeing what its like. If you know of anyone that has an interest, please let me know.

Now, in the near future, I would like to get a picture taken of the machine, preferably at Valencia Lakes, along with some players there, plus perhaps a small write-up of their progress.--for your South Atlantic newsletter.

As I have told others, my tournament days are over, except for an occasional county tournament. It’s been great fun. Take care.”

Neal Nightingale


Want to feature your Club, League or Pickleball Group? I continue to hear from so many of you across our entire region who are working hard to get pickleball established in your communities. I can’t wait to share your success stories. Those of you have already gone through these growing pains, I encourage you to tell your story for others to enjoy and benefit from. – Donna-

If you have ANY news/information from your area that you want included in our monthly newsletter, please send it to Donna Donald at rddonald2@gmail.com

ASR AMBASSADOR'S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
July 15, 2009

The Atlantic South Region (ASR) E-Newsletter is distributed on the 15th of each month to all ASR Ambassadors. This newsletter is intended to keep all of you apprised of what is happening in your region and to consolidate our news into a once/monthly communication. Please forward this information to all USAPA members, all pickleball players/clubs in your regions and post to your local pickleball Blogs or Websites.


……..Atlantic South Region welcomes new Ambassadors….

Please welcome Colleen Blakley, our newest Ambassador to the Conch Republic, located in the Florida Keys. “It is very exciting what is happening to the world of Pickleball and I am very excited about starting up in Key West and the Florida Keys !! Nancy [Meyer] and Cindy [Eddleman] were wonderful to travel down here and present a clinic and I hope to have them back again soon. In the meantime, we have a consistent group of people coming every Sunday morning to play. Eventually we hope to have a tournament, possibly this year, to continue our introduction of Pickleball to the Conch Republic .”

Watch our website for Colleen’s Bio and more news about pickleball in the Florida Keys .


……….Highland Lakes Pickleball Introduces “Beginner Competition and Welcomes Inter-Community Play…..

In 1993, pickleball was introduced to this active adult community located in Central Florida just south of Leesburg. The original two outdoor courts have since been replaced with a beautiful four court indoor “arena”. Highland Lakes Pickleball is a Community Activity Club with a Chair Person(s) elected yearly who is responsible for managing the club’s social as well as pickleball events and for representing the club to their Homeowners Association. Manny and Marie Cardoza currently hold that position.

The highlight of the year is the Annual Senior Olympics, open to residents only. What is unique about this event is that in addition to the usual doubles and mixed doubles play a Beginners competition was recently added. According to Marie, "This has worked out very well and it gives the beginners recognition for their hard work ". I love it! What a great idea! Immediately following the event the players celebrate with a medal ceremony and their annual pickleball barbeque outing.

Like most pickleball communities in Florida , “Snowbirds” account for a large percentage of regular players , so as they head north, finding summer players in small communities can sometimes create a challenge. Highland Lakes participates in “Inter-Community” play, an idea recently proposed by Joe Fuller from Pennbrook Fairways in Leesburg. With players from three other nearby communities a schedule was set up to rotate weekly play at each of their locations. Marie tells us “It is working out very well. Last Monday night June 8th we hosted ' Inter-Community play and had 12 players from Legacy, 4 players from Hawthorne, 8 players from Highland Lakes, a total of 24 players for that evening."
Another great idea!!

"We encourage anyone who is interested in playing including children and guests to the community………..Don Gullakson, is our best teacher and enjoys giving instructions to the new players. All of our players help with teaching also……….. Our first and major rule is that this is for fun and we all enjoy playing no matter who we play with and whether we win or lose"

Highland Lakes is featured on our Website this month. Click this link http://south.usapa.org/2009/07/highland-lakes-pickleball.html and read more about Highland Lakes pickleball, to meet Manny and Marie and their fellow players and to view some terrific pictures of their arena, their Olympics and their social events.

Or visit the Highland Lakes website at: http://www.hl-pickleball.blogspot.com/


………….Atlantic South -offers July Deals and more Deals on Pickleball products

• Nancy Meyer and Cindy Eddleman and the Pickleball Specialties Team, announce their Summer T-shirt Sale, offering 50% off all T-shirts, while supplies last. As always they thank all of you for your patronage and hope you’ll take advantage of their JULY SALE ! Perk up that pickleball wardrobe and advertise our great sport at the same time.
Visit: http://www.pickleballspecialties.com/ today!!!

• Coach Mo , our Atlantic South Pickleball Coach has released his new DVD - Pickleball Clinics. Mo covers the top 21 clinics to help improve your game. Enjoy this new DVD and have your very own clinic right from the comfort of your home. He promises you’ll be using these strategies and techniques the very same day on the Pickleball Court . Be one of the first to get your very own.
DVD’s will be available starting July 13th via PayPal, from his website. Visit http://www.pickleballcoach.com/ today!

• Have You "Been Bitten By The Pickleball Bug"? You can tell everyone with your own Pickelball Bug T-shirt. Additionally, you will find a great selection of pickleball items "Under $10" perfect for your next fun pickleball event.
Visit http://www.thepickleballbug.com/ today!


……………..Regional Tournament News………

The Villages Pickleball Championships
The Second Annual Villages Pickleball Championship, like last year, showcased some very very strong competition, with some close exciting matches. The doubles competition took place on June 11th and 12th with #2 Seed Ken Cornell and Barry Gee capturing the men’s championship title , while #1 Seed Deb Harrison and Kathy Bluemling once again finished on top. Mixed doubles play was June 18th and 19th with the favored #1 Seed of Bill Freeman and Deb Harrison taking home the championship title. Congratulations to all the players!

……..Watch for more news on these Upcoming Tournaments/Events. Registration/ information are available on our Atlantic South site……………

• Free Pickleball Clinics – Mountain View School Campground, NC – July 25, 2009
• Kings Point Labor Day Jamboree – Sun City Center , Fl Sept. 5, 2009
• Pensacola, Fl Senior Games - September 2009
• Jacksonville, Fl Senior Games - October 2009
• National Senior Games Championships, Ft Lauderdale, Fl Oct 1-4, 2009
• Tampa Bay Senior Games, October 2009 dates TBD
• National Pickleball Tournament, Buckeye, AZ Nov 2-8, 2009
• Florida Senior Games State Championships, Ft Lauderdale, Fl Dec. 5-6, 2009

...............News from Local Ambassadors and from around our Region....

Jojo Cariaso, Jacksonville Recreation and Parks Department, Jacksonville , NC reports that funding is being pursued for the construction of outdoor pickleball courts. Indoor courts are currently available. Both Rich Donald ( Florida ) and Bob Huskey (AL) have provided him with information on court construction, and equipment.

Louann Dubendorf, Kings Point Pickleball League, Sun City Center , Fl - Asks that we let everyone know that the annual Labor Day Jamboree has been scheduled for September 5th. As always she welcomes players from across the area and looks forward to seeing many of the Florida wintering RV’ers return. Click this link for more information and then mark you calendar. http://pickleballmisc.blogspot.com/2009/07/kings-point-labor-day-jamboree-kings.html

Liz Velazquez, Ambassador, Rocky Mountains, NC reports the following from her area: “As part of our plan to promote the growth and joy of Pickleball, Mountain View School Campground and Sanctuary is offering a free clinic on July 25, 2009.

Additionally, the Civitan Club of Murphy North Carolina has invited us to do a pickleball demonstration on July 21, 2009. They are very involved with different community projects and organizations and were very excited to hear about Pickleball. Some of the members participated in the senior games in Cherokee County North Carolina and liked the idea of introducing Pickleball to the games”.

Click on this link for more information: http://pickleballmisc.blogspot.com/2009/07/mountain-view-school-campground-and.html


Rich and Donna Donald – New Tampa , Fl – “This has been a very busy month for us. We started out doing a pickleball training clinic for the Kings Point Pickleball League in Sun City Center on June 20th. That was such an exciting group, and ready to devour all the information they could to help improve their game. We’re glad to hear they continue to practice their drills.

We are currently visiting in The Villages for a few months. Rich had the opportunity on July 9th to assist Coach Mo with one of his pickleball training clinics at the Churchill Street Recreation Center and I had a chance to participate in the clinic!! Some of the best players in The Villages dedicate their time on a regular basis to help Coach Mo. In addition to clinics for the Intermediate/Advanced players, Mo also does clinics specifically for the over 70 generation.”


Want to feature your Club, League or Pickleball Group? I continue to hear from so many of you across our entire region who are working hard to get pickleball established in your communities. I can’t wait to share your success stories. Those of you have already gone through these growing pains, I encourage you to tell your story for others to enjoy and benefit from. – Donna-

If you have news/information from your area that you want included in our monthly newsletter, please send it to Donna Donald at rddonald2@verizon.net

ASR AMBASSADOR'S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
June 15, 2009

The Atlantic South Region (ASR) E-Newsletter is distributed on the 15th of each month to all ASR Ambassadors. This newsletter is intended to keep all of you apprised of what is happening in your region and to consolidate our news into a once/monthly communication. Please forward this information to all USAPA members, all pickleball players/clubs in your regions and post to your local pickleball Blogs or Websites.

……..Atlantic South Region welcomes new Ambassadors….
Alabama has two new Ambassadors. Please welcome Tim and Laura Statum, Joint Ambassadors, Jefferson County, Alabama. Tim and Laura were introduced to the game of pickleball in Florida at The Villages, were immediately addicted and decided it was a perfect sport to take home to Graysville, Al. We look forward to hearing more about the growth of pickleball in their area. In the meantime, click here to Meet Tim and Laura


Joe Huber,
USAPA Ambassador, Sun City, Hilton Head, SC,
President, Sun City Hilton Head Pickleball Club
Sun City Hilton Head (SCHH) is a 4,300 acre Del Webb/Pulte Home, active adult Community in Bluffton, SC., with approximately 6,800 homes and 13,000 residents with anticipated growth. The community boasts a 4.5 acre Community Recreation Campus featuring the multi-million dollar Magnolia Hall theater……………, but only 4 pickleball courts.

John Huber is a resident of SCHH and for the past several months he and the SCHH Pickleball Club have been directing efforts to convince the developer and their Community Association Management Board (CAM) to help with land acquisition and court construction costs for four more courts

Finding a place to play the game they love has been a long “court” battle that started early in 2005 when John and Darlene Prest first introduced the game to the community on a makeshift court shared with the basketball players. Membership in the SCHH Pickleball club has grown from 145 members in January of 2006 to a current membership of 865 strong, who until August of 2008 played on cracking, unfenced or makeshift courts, with baseball or basketball players or on old parking lots. Citing the current economic condition of the housing market, neither Pulte Homes nor the CAM will invest in the construction of additional courts. The club has been able to secure the land for the courts and through their own pledge drives and fund raising events have raised $45,000 of the $65,000 necessary to build four courts.

Despite the “court” situation the SCHH Pickleball Club was successful in getting their club chartered. They have progressed from scheduling court time manually to a web based process. They implemented “Meet and Play” for new members and organized the 2008 Fall League Play. Under Joe’s leadership they successfully hosted the inaugural Beaufort County Senior Games in 2007, and then again in 2008.

I read the write up that Joe did on the history of this club, and I hope you will take the time to do the same. This is an amazing group of people; so determined. I know I will never complain again about having to wait a few extra minutes to get on the court to play.

This link will take you to their story on our website: Sun City Hilton Head Pickleball Club


Next month we are featuring the Highland Lakes Pickleball Group from Florida. A very active and creative group. When the snow birds go back north, communities lose a good number of everyday players. Highland Lakes found a way to solve that problem. Next month we’ll introduce you to their unique and recently implemented Round Robin, Inter community play. Stay tuned!


……………..Regional Tournament/Event News………

Mountain view School Campground and Sanctuary, and the Light on the Mountain Grand Opening – May 23 and 24, 2009 -
Great Smokey Mountain Ambassador, Liz Velazquez reports that this event was a SMASH!!! Adults and children alike enjoyed the event. Adult visitors were committed to telling their friends and taking the sport back home. Children begged to come back “every weekend!” The word is out; another nearby community wants to jump on board and Liz is looking forward to building her pickleball community and future tournaments. One person from Portland, Oregon, commented, "I can't do tennis but I can definitely do pickleball". One of the band members was from Louisville, Kentucky and he said he had never heard of the sport either and was going back to contact the Louisville group. Great job Liz.

Pickleball Comes to Graysville, Al - May 30, 2009
Jefferson County Ambassadors, Tim and Laura Statum coordinated and hosted this event at the Maurice West Community Center in Graysville, Al. "Obviously we're an older community in Graysville and we wanted to utilize our tennis courts and our friend Tim Statum came up with this idea about pickleball," said Graysville Mayor Doug Brewer. Bob Huskey, Ambassador, Opelika, Al, and Ambassador, Cindy Moore of Pine Mt. GA both made the trip over to help out the Statums and to promote the game. The local CBS television crew showed up for a video shoot and featured the event on the 5:00 news!!

Here’s a link to the story and pictures on our website. Pickleball Comes to Graysville


Rally for a Cure = Flat Rock, NC, May 30, 2009
Mike and Mary Selby, Ambassadors, Flat Rock, NC report that their group “had a grand time playing in their very first Pickleball tournament for Kenmure Country Club, and also for the Rally for the Cure organization." Winners were announced at the Rally Dinner that evening where they were awarded their jar of KOSHER DILL PICKLES! This is a small group that just a short time ago had never even heard of pickleball and now the group worked together to make sure everything was perfect for the tournament. From the ice to the spectator chairs to taping the courts. The group made $275 to add to the Rally total for their community. Great Job!!! I think they’ll do this again next year.

Read more and see pictures of this event: Rally for a Cure



........Watch for more news on these Upcoming Tournaments/Events. .Registration/ information is available on our Atlantic South site.............
• The Villages Pickleball Championships, June 11,12 and June 18,19,2009
• Pickleball Training Clinic – Kings Point, Sun City Center, Fl – June 20, 2009
• Pensacola, Fl Senior Games - September 2009
• Jacksonville, Fl Senior Games - October 2009
• National Senior Games Championships, Ft Lauderdale, Fl Oct 1-4, 2009
• National Pickleball Tournament, Buckeye, AZ Nov 2-8, 2009

...............News from Local Ambassadors and from around our Region....

Bob Huskey – Ambassador, Opelika, Al “I had a great time in Graysville this past weekend. I was lucky that my friend Cindy (Moore, Ambassador, Pine Mt. GA) had just gotten home from Arizona, and she was willing to go with me to help promote pickleball in Graysville. I am also promoting pickleball in the cities of Auburn and Opelika, Alabama. I am trying to get each of the cities to either convert old unused tennis courts or build some new courts. “


Nancy Meyer and Cindy Eddleman, Ambassadors, South Florida, Fl – “We recently were invited to present a program to the Rotary Club in Miami. We gave a PowerPoint presentation to the club. No one had even heard of Pickleball, but by the end of the presentation, they were ready to get out to the courts to try it. The club had a few tennis courts to use, while one member has access to a private court, so he could not wait to tape it off and play.

On May 16 and 17, we were invited to Key West by Colleen Blakely, a new pickleball player who lives in Key West. We had met her in Ft. Myers, and she wanted us to come to Key West and do two days of Pickleball Clinics. We had quite the enthusiastic crowd at the clinics. We were happy to plant the “seed” and we feel sure that Pickleball will grow in Key West.

Last month we had lunch with David Jordan, the Sales and Marketing director for the USAPA and his wife Nancy. We had worked very hard in researching four possible sites in Ft. Lauderdale for the Pickleball National Tournament in October, and found two that would accommodate RV’s that could possibly be used for the tournament. When we met for lunch we went over the different sites, number of courts, amenities, and the distance in relation to the Bonaventure Tournament Hotel site. We were happy to help with the “legwork” in researching the sites. C B Smith Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was chosen as the site for the National Pickleball and Euflex Tournament in October. CB Smith Park has ten tennis courts, RV sites many with full hookups, golf range, many picnic and shelter areas, water slides, fishing, boat rentals, and tennis club house amenities.”

Got a birthday coming up for your pickleball friend or partner? Nancy and Cindy have one of the best pickleball websites, right here in our own Atlantic South Region. Please visit their store at http://www.pickleballspecialties.com/ The #1 source for pickleball equipment and accessories. They have some amazing and original gifts for the pickleball fanatic.

John Simpson, Ambassador, NC – Has already made his reservations and wants to pass along the following additional hotel information for those planning on joining him at the National Senior Games in October. John says that this hotel is right on the beach, with rates that are less than the Boneventure and equidistant from the courts. The manager, Tammy Weaver is excellent to deal with and very helpful. She’s even told friends about pickleball!! You can reach Tammy at hollywoodhotels@gmail.com
“We could have a good crowd and car pool to the courts.”

And Rich and Donna Donald have also been told that the Paradise RV Resort in Ft. Lauderdale is offering 50% off their daily rate to any RV’ers coming there to play in the National Senior Games. They are less than a half hour from CB Smith Park. Check them out at www.paradiserv.com

David Jordan - Has asked us to solicit some volunteers to help out at the National Senior Games (NSG) in October. We will need help with the following
• Crew to put down tape on Wednesday, Sept. 30th in the evening
• Refs - as many as we can get - need a head ref to take charge
• Scorers table - 2 at a time in shifts of 2-4 hours.
• Runners - optional - these are people to run score sheets to the scorer’s tables after a match is over. This allows us to turn the courts around much quicker.
• If you are available and willing to help please notify Greenie at rkgreenfield@embarqmail.com
or Donna Donald at rddonald2@verizon.net

Richard “Greenie” Greenfield – Regional Ambassador, Atlantic South. “ Greenie was number one on the agenda of thirteen items to present pickleball to the advisory council of the Lady lake recreation department. “As I mentioned earlier, we painted the tennis courts with pickleball markings and now have a place to play off Villages and also provides us with night court usability as it features night motion lights. This becomes extremely valuable to us as the summer days heat up and the night breezes are so inviting for pickleball.


Rich and Donna Donald – Florida Ambassadors – “We have been very fortunate in getting a lot of media coverage for our home group in Wesley Chapel. We had our very first Round Robin tournament last month. The Wesley Chapel newspaper, The Laker, included a nice article with pictures, our Meadow Pointe Community newsletter included a full page article on our tournament and Mike Camunus, the sports staff writer for the St. Petersburg Times, did a nice write up in that paper. A shorter version with just one photo was posted to Tampa Bay Online. They have generated a few phone calls from people interested in learning the game.

We recently connected with a couple from MN who snowbird in another Wesley Chapel community, Lexington Oaks who want us to help get pickleball started in that community. We’ve invited them to play with our group, and we’ve offered to do a pickleball demo to help them promote the game."

Want to feature your Club, League or Pickleball Group? I continue to hear from so many of you across our entire region who are working hard to get pickleball established in your communities. I can’t wait to share your success stories. Those of you have already gone through these growing pains, I encourage you to tell your story for others to enjoy and benefit from. – Donna-


If you have news/information from your area that you want included in our monthly newsletter, please send it to Donna Donald at rddonald2@verizon.net