ATLANTIC SOUTH PICKLEBALL
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
September 15, 2011
This 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 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 New Ambassadors:
Howard and Carolyn Alred - If you've been out to the USAPA local ambassador list recently then you had to notice that we no longer have just one lone ambassador for the state of Georgia!!! Please extend a hearty welcome to Ambassadors, Howard and Carolyn Alred of Lake Park, GA. Carolyn wanted very much to start a pickleball program and recently received the approval to do so from the Health Department in Hamilton County. She's now in the process of ordering the necessary equipment to get it up and running. In addition to the Valdosta, GA area, George and Carolyn will be working to introduce pickleball across the state line, in North Florida.
And in South Carolina, where pickleball is growing by leaps and bounds, we add our 14th Ambassador, John Eichelberger, from Ninety Six, SC, who will be representing Greenwood County in Upstate South Carolina. John loves sports and loves staying active. He still enjoys being a semi-retired physician and playing tennis a couple of times a week. He has his own permanent pickleball court, complete with lights at his home where he plays with family and friends and now wants to encourage pickleball beyond his home town. We look for him to search out public facilities, publicize and introduce pickleball to new players.
A warm welcome to our ASR.
Recently in the Atlantic South News:
Pickleball Expands to Hilton Head Island
Until just a few years ago, Hilton Head Island was home to the
"Family Circle Cup" tennis tournament. And today bus loads of college students still converge each Spring on the island's tennis courts. With a population of 30-40 thousand and two million visitors a year this seemed like the perfect place to introduce pickleball. It was just nine months ago that Donald Wheeler joined our ASR family as the Ambassador in Hilton Head Island.
Don has introduced pickleball to players from all over Hilton Head and now maintains a “pickleball roster” consisting of 60 players . This picture is a great example of "mixed-generation" play (78 yr old and a 19 yr old young lady!) He schedules weekly play times at the nearby county courts. The players from Hilton Head Plantation, a private community where Don resides have even started their own “resident only” pickleball club. Because the tennis courts at the plantation are clay, this club also has to make use of the nearby county courts where he has to lay the tape whenever they play. Visitors to the island are also welcome to play............. Just before releasing this newsletter I got the following "good news" from Don:
LATE BREAKING NEWS!!
"We have permission from Beaufort County to PAINT lines on two tennis courts and one basketball court with knowledge that future court room may be needed. They are cognizant that pickleball is a growing sport and open to future discussions regarding pickleball needs... CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE........
According to Smoke.... "31 players participated in an open Pickleball Tournament at Lake Lure, North Carolina. as part of the Hickory Nut Olympiad games. Participants came from the Upstate Pickleball Group in Greenville, SC; Fletcher-Arden, NC; Keowee Keys ,SC; Brevard, NC as well as Lake Lure, NC. Competition was keen and all had a great time playing, participating, talking and sweating."
The Upstate Pickleball Group fared well in the medal category and had this to say about the event: "Congratulations to all the players from Hendersonville, Lake Keowee, Lake Lure and our group who toughed it out in the blazing heat, and against some hard-core competitors."
And Dick Stone from Keowee Key sent us a fabulous video of the event that's a Must See..... CLICK HERE for winners, VIDEO and link to the photo gallery...
Pickleball Skills Clinics - The Villages. Fl
The Pickleball Community Volunteer Group (PCVG) works hand in hand with The Villages Recreation Department to offer the very best in training,fun and great pickleball competition for players of all skill levels.
For example, Richard Movsessian, aka Coach Mo offers "free" pickleball skills clinics every Monday. Ambassador, Rich Donald worked with Coach Mo as one of his "assistant coaches" during a recent visit to The Villages, and George and Anita Rimler , Ambassador from Daytona Beach Shores took advantage of some "one on one" instruction. Fun competition is scheduled frequently for he Villages residents; both open tournaments and skill level competitions. CLICK HERE to read more.....
Upcoming Tournaments/Events:
Visit our ASR website for links to additional/registration information.
- Pickleball Clinics, Crabtree Gym-Myrtle Beach, SC. Sept. 12, 19 and 26, 2011
- Kissimmee/St Cloud Senior Games, Solivita (Poinciana, Fl) September 12, 13, 2011.
- Pickleball Demo/Training, Conway Recreation Center, Conway, SC, September 19, 2011
- Open Pickleball Tournament Sept. 19-22, 2011, Mulberry Grove Rec Center, The Villages, Fl (resident only)
- Pensacola Senior Games, September 24, 2011, Pensacola, Fl.
- National Senior Games Championship (NSGA) Winter Games, Sept, 28 - Oct 2, 2011, Rochester, NY.
- Pre Huntsman - Party 4 Life Pickleball Tournament, Sun City Mesquite, UT, Oct. 4-5, 2011. (USAPA Sanctioned Tier 4).
- Tampa Bay Senior Games, Oct. 5, 2011 Sun City Center, Fl.
- Forever Fit and Beyond, Senior Games, Jacksonville, Fl October 8, 2011.
- Huntsman World Senior Games, St. George, UT., Oct. 10-14, 2011. (USAPA Sanctioned Tier 2)
- Halloween Pickleball Tournament, October 29-30, 2011, North Georgia Pickleball Club, Canton, GA.
- Beaufort-Jasper Active Adult Challenge (BJAAC), October 31, 2011, Sun City Hilton Head - Bluffton, SC
- USAPA National Tournament, November 6-14, 2011,Sun City Festival, Buckeye, AZ.(Sanctioned Tier 1).
- Florida Senior Games State Championships and International Pickleball Games, December 3-4, 2011, Lakeland, Fl.
- Geezer Meister Games, February 15-19, 2012, Summerfield, Fl ( USAPA Sanction Pending)
- Collier County Senior Games, February 10,11 and 12, 2012, Naples, Fl. (USAPA Sanctioned Tier 4)
- Lee County Senior Games, February 24, 25 and 26, 2012, Ft. Myers, Fl. (USAPA Sanctioned Tier 4)
Do you have a tournament/round robin or fun social event that should be listed here?
Reporting in from the Region:
John Allevi, ASR Ambassador-at-Large: Before John heads to the east coast of Florida this winter, he is spending some time in Utah. ..... "yes I have made great strides here in Kanab,Utah. In just 3 short weeks, I have had at least 14 to 20 people coming out to play. We even put down lines on an old tennis court..... I am going to a Parks and Recreation meeting tonight; bringing a (pickleball)contingent with me." And as he moves on to his next location he has left behind a new place to play and people to contact who will keep the game growing.
Florida
James Barry, Ambassador, Lakeland, Fl-"Good things happening here in Polk County, Central Florida. Here at our home community we will be painting lines on our tennis courts soon. In the city of Lakeland, one recreation center has hosted PB 3 mornings a week and despite the summer exodus of residents play has been quite active. This rec center, Kelly Rec, is planning on marking up a couple of there tennis courts. They have also applied for approval for a sanctioned event next January I believe.
The near-by city of Winter Haven has marked up 2 tennis
courts for PB I am told. I haven't seen them yet. The word
is out, PB is growing nicely."
I received this email from Dick Freshley, our ambassador in Palm Beach County, Florida not long after the article about pickleball at the Palm Beach Kids Festival was released in the news. Dick shared with me - and I want to share with you, a little bit about that paddle that was shown in the article.
"Regarding the Sun-Sentinel story. Great photo of the racquet which is one I made. When I started the game at Boeing in the '60s, there were hardly any commercial paddles available. I took up a collection among interested parties and bought a full 4' by 8' sheet of 3/8" AA mahogany marine plywood. It cost $20, which was a big deal in 1966. I must have made 20 paddles from that sheet............. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE. ......
Paul Meredith, Ambassador, Summerfield, Fl- reports that plans are underway to once again host the Geezer Meister Games at the 12 beautiful courts at Del Webb Spruce Creek in Summerfield, Fl. Summerfield is located just a few miles north of The Villages, and less than an hour from Downtown Disney. Last year this was USAPA Sanctioned for the first time, and a great event that drew players from Florida and states beyond. This will be a USAPA Sanctioned tournament held February 15-19, 2012. Watch the USAPA website for more information.
Scott Nelson - Great News from our Space Coast Ambassador.
- "We have increased our play times at our South Melbourne Beach facility to twice a week and 3 courts.
- Viera recreation center just started their program back up.
- Satellite Beach recreation center is starting their PB program Tuesday night the 6th of September.
- Health First just purchased 2 net systems and will be start there program up in September– I will be doing a few clinics for them. They have locations in Viera, Melbourne and Merritt Island. "
That will be four up and running pickleball locations at the Space Coast by mid September. We look forward to Scott's updates and pictures from these venues.
Georgia
A reminder from Tom and Ann Earley that registration for the Halloween Pickleball tournament in North Georgia is filling up fast. "We are hoping the out-of-town players who plan to compete in the tournament will give us a call to lock in their place in the tournament... all those planning to play should send an e-mail or call us as soon as possible!! Fees include long sleeved t-shirt, lunch, and prizes.Teams accepted for "A" (4.0+ rating) and "B" (3.0-3.5 rating)."
This is a benefit tournament for the Cherokee County Humane Society, and an event that draws players from across and outside the state...........This year Arizona will even be represented. And there's always a really cool T-shirt Click Here for additional/registration information.
North Carolina
Laura Patterson reports in from Winston-Salem. NC. "I introduced pickleball to the members of the Gateway YWCA in
Winston-Salem every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. the whole month of August. I introduced pickleball at the Senior Culter Center in High Point back in November 2010 They now play on every Wednesday and Friday.
On Sept. 2nd Laura stopped by to see the group and brought along a friend from TN who wanted to learn the game...............and while there just happened to hook up with a couple of staff members from the YMCA in Greensboro, NC. So without a doubt she'll have one more place to play soon.
"My plan over the next few weeks is to get a letter out to the high schools and see if I can do a few demonstrations in the high schools. I do plan on going to Nationals in November. Hope to see you there." CLICK HERE for more....
South Carolina
And Richard Skovran, Ambassador for Myrtle Beach tells us that the group at Crabtree Memorial Gym hold fun round robin events several times during the year. These are some of the players that competed on August 12th! Richard also reports that pickleball has resumed at full force at Myrtle Beach's Pepper Geddings Recreation Center. "The kids went back to school so the gym is ours. Are we glad! We already had 4 new players."
Meanwhile fellow Myrtle Beach ambassador, Rena Grant has also been busy training about 15-20 new players at a nearby Senior Community and has been communicating with the head of the Horry County Parks and Recreation in an effort to include pickleball at the two new gyms that are scheduled to open later in the year. She and Richard will be working together on a pickleball demonstration and training session at the Conway Recreation Center on the 19th, and the date is set for Friday the 15th to test their skills against the players from North Myrtle Beach.
If you have any news/information from your area that you want to share with our readers please send it to Donna Donald at: rddonald2@gmail.com
