Please do not cross over another court while play is in process. This applies if you are moving on or trying to retrieve your stray ball. Let the players on their court return your Pickles. Sneaking behind them distracts the players facing you. Thanks.
Aiken Pickleball News
I wish to say “thank you” to all who donated canned food items and or toys for the two charities
(Toys for Tots) and (Golden Harvest) during our pickleball event held on Saturday, (12/13) at
Odell Weeks. The items donated for the food drive totaled over 225 items, and almost 3 Toys
For Tots boxes were filled with toys as a result of donations from Gregg Park and this event.
Your generous donations will help feed families in need and the toys donated will bring joy and
happiness to many children during this Christmas season. We had a gorgeous and beautiful day
for pickleball and each of you being a part of our pickleball community only made the day better
with your outpouring of love and generosity by showing such support for these two worthy
charities.
I wish to acknowledge the support staff who made this event successful:
Aiken Pickleball and George Carr (Scheduling Event)
Debra Folk (Created our fantastic flyers)
Brian Eberhard (Collector of Toys at Gregg Park)
Tracey Howell (Ticket handling, set up and loading of items collected)
Mo and Marian Garcia (Set up, providing food and refreshments)
Gregg Sparks (Loading of collected items)
Sincerely,
Mike Howard
Once again it seems necessary to remind everyone that pickleball is just a game. It is supposed to be fun - for everyone. Throwing paddles is unacceptable. Swearing is unacceptable. Telling beginners they are not good enough to play indoors is unacceptable. Arguing over line calls is unacceptable. We are all Ambassadors for the game of pickleball - act like it.
As for line calls -
Question 15 from the Aiken Pickleball Rules Quiz is one of the most missed questions.
15. If you and your partner are unsure whether the ball is in or out, what is the call?
a. The player nearest the ball makes the call.
b. The ball is called in.
c. The ball is called out
d. The point is replayed.
Select Read more below for the correct answer.
b. The ball is called in
Be advised that Mastercraft will be performing maintenance on the gym amenities (including bleachers, basketball goals, and related equipment) on Wednesday, January 28. As a result, both gyms at Odell Weeks will be closed for the day to allow the work to be completed safely and efficiently. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The next New Players Clinic at Odell will be on Wednesday, January 14th. The clinic will be held in Gym 2 on court 4. The clinic is for people new to the game of pickleball. Schedule as follows:
845-9am - Check-in
9 - 10 am - Instruction
10 - 11am - Practice Play
The clinic will include proper court position, how to keep score, how to make the transition from tennis and other racquet sports to pickleball and much more. Maximum 5 players - minimum 3 - balls and paddles provided. Players should wear tennis shoes and bring something to drink.
Cost is $15 per person which includes the daily access fee. The clinic also includes a free two hour practice play session the following Wednesday. Sign up and pay at the Odell Weeks front desks to reserve your slot in advance. Bring your receipt to the clinic.
On 12/13/25, Aiken Pickleball dedicated a bench in memory of , surrounded by her loved ones and friends. Mike Howard spoke a heartfelt tribute to her.
“Christy and I became pickleball partners four months after my wife Kathy and I moved to Aiken
six and a half years ago and we remained partners till her passing. We always traveled to local
tournaments together, took lessons, practiced against other teams, and she was my assistant
for the past 5 years at the charity event held today. Per our time together it soon became
apparent that Christy had two primary loves in her life; first and foremost was the love for her
family. She was a loving, devoted and a caring spouse to Pat that included providing twenty
four/7 hr. Hospice type care when required, putting off a needed operation for herself to provide
the care he needed before his passing. She was a loving, devoted and caring mother to her
grown children, and always spoke of them in an affectionate and mom loving manner. She was
a loving, devoted and caring Grandmother. Christy’s life revolved around her grandchildren. She
spoke constantly about them, showed me pictures with them, and the love and adoration she
felt was evident in the interaction she had with them, and the love and adoration she received
from them fulfilled her life every day.
The second primary love was pickleball. She loved the game, love playing, drilling, taking
lessons, teaching it to others, watching videos to not only enhance her game but to better
introduce and instruct others regardless of age involving the sport. She brought joy and
happiness to all when she played, but also was always polite, courteous, and professional in
playing the game she so loved.
Christy was multi-talented. She was a natural athlete, I was told a very good tennis player,
played in a league and did well until a severe leg injury caused her to give up the sport, which
led to pickleball. We once were discussing downtown Aiken, when I mentioned that I was
surprised it didn’t have a bowling alley and asked if she ever bowled. She said she did, had
participated in a league and once had her picture and an article appear in the Aiken Standard. I
asked her average and was told it was in the high 200”s. She enhanced her and my pickleball
skills that allowed us to compete in the 3.5 and 4.0 brackets in tournaments including being able
to win a bronze medal in the 4.0 bracket in one tournament.
She was artistically talented. She started collecting discarded pickleballs and made fantastic
Christmas tree ornaments that she gave to friends and to charities for their silent auction events.
She and Beth Eberhard made an American Flag that is about 3’ x 4’
, out of discarded pickleballs
and is displayed every year by SPA when they hold an annual pickleball event to celebrate the
4th. She was always willing to make some type of artifact that would sell at various charities to
support their donation drives.
Christy was an absolute extrovert. She loved meeting, being with, socializing and
communicating with people. We would be talking in a group, she would leave and go over to
another group possibly not knowing who she was, put out her hand and say “Hi, I’m Christy”
.
The group before she introduced herself may not be smiling or laughing, but I would look over 5
minutes later and see the group smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves. She had that
personality. She had a zest for life, started a website in the past year, with ideas that included
outside insights from others about improving her and possibly her followers daily lives, ideas to
improve family and friend relationships, with a permanent theme being that providing for the
needy when possible, should be a constant staple in our moral makeup.
She had a sparkle in her eye that was present when speaking about family, her interactions with
her grandchildren, introducing and teaching pickleball to anyone, and when giving assistance to
various charities by offering her time, teachings, and artistic contributions.The sparkle was even
present in a picture she showed me when holding her grandchild River on her lap with her arms
wrapped around her, and both smiling so radiantly that no inscription was needed to see the
love and joy that they showed being with each other. I miss that sparkle and look for it in people
every day.
I thought she was a very special person and this was verified when we won a gold medal in
2022 in the Palmetto tournament. She was pleased about how we played and texted me later
and said how excited and happy she was that she was able to tell her family and her
grandchildren that Granny won a gold medal and how much joy she got from her grandchildren
being able to tell their friends what their Grandmother achieved. My feelings about her being a
special person were confirmed as I knew it was the joy and happiness of her family and
grandchildren that was paramount, and not what she had achieved personally.
Today will be a day of mixed emotions for me. I will feel sadness that my pickleball partner and
friend, who has been my assistant at this charity event the past 5 years, will not be present to
hand out the T-shirts that bear the slogan “Pickleball with a Purpose” that she created. I also will
feel joy, as I know a bench with her engraved name is being dedicated in her honor for the
contributions she has given to pickleball, her support of various charities, and for providing only
joy and happiness to so many in the pickleball community.
Kathy and I have a one year old granddaughter named Sydney. She will when the time is right,
hear me say these words,
“Sydney, PaPa wants to tell you a story about a very very special
person”
After the story has been told, I will hear this question,
“PaPa do I have that sparkle”?
My reply will be “No, Not Yet”
But if you love and respect your family like Christy did.
If you treat others like Christy did.
And if you do good things for others in need like Christy did.
You can get that sparkle, You can get that sparkle!”
The Aiken Area Pickleball League held its end-of-season party on 12/13/25 from 11-12. Players arrived with toys and canned goods donations to help kick off the event and support the Golden Harvest toy and food drive, that followed from 12-3. The league honored each division’s overall team winner with a medal and recognized each division’s Most Valuable Player for their outstanding performances.
Team Winners:
- Developmental Division: The Real Dills
- Women’s 3.0: Dinking Divas
- Women’s 3.5: Carolina Strikers
- Mixed 3.5: Palmetto Slice
Most Valuable Player:
- Developmental Division: Sharon Marra & Vahid Majidi
- Women’s 3.0: Jackie Brooks
- Women’s 3.5: Tracey Howell
- Men’s 3.0: Brad Wilson
- Mixed 3.5: Clarke & Larissa Nelson
Two lucky players had their tickets drawn and won a gift basket. Marion Van Eyk Quigley won a holiday-themed snack basket, while Vahid Majidi won a pickleball-themed basket! Congratulations!
The weather was perfect for a December Saturday, and many players hit the courts for some fun games while soaking up the sun with full bellies of pizza, sweets, and drinks.
The Aiken Area Pickleball League wants to express its gratitude to each of you for your participation and support. The Leadership Team is actively planning Spring 2026 season and will announce more details, including dates and important dates, in January! We look forward to seeing you all in Spring 2026 and wish you each a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
On Sunday, December 7, 2025, members of the Aiken Area Pickleball League joined the City of Aiken Parade. The League Leadership Team and other participants created a festive float with a Christmas Pickleball theme, spreading Pickleball cheer to everyone watching. Their involvement was recognized with a thank-you note from the Aiken Downtown Development Association.
Thank You for Being Part of the 2025 Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade!
Good morning,
On behalf of the Aiken Downtown Development Association, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for participating in the 2025 Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and holiday spirit helped make this year’s parade a truly special celebration for our entire community.
We know it takes time and effort to prepare your entry, gather your group, and join us on parade day, and we are so grateful for your commitment. The joy you brought to the streets of Downtown Aiken was felt by everyone who came out to watch.
Thank you again for being part of this cherished Aiken tradition. We hope you had a wonderful experience and that you will join us again next year!
On Monday November 10th, the current API Leadership Team met to vote on the new board governance. The following five members were elected by majority vote to serve on the API Board, starting January 1, 2026, for a period of two years: Jordyn Balba, Rochelle Bergren, Dean Cheatham, Nichol Gregory, and Chrissa Matthews This morning, the elected members for 2026-2028 confirmed their nominations and the Board positions were finalized.
Jordyn Balba – President
Chrissa Matthews – Vice President
Rochelle Bergren – Secretary
Dean Cheatham – Treasurer
Nichol Gregory – Board Advisory Representative
API would like to extend our gratitude to all who applied. The high caliber of talent within the Aiken community is evident. We are hopeful that everyone will collaborate to improve Aiken Pickleball for all members, in alignment with API’s mission statement,
The next New Players Clinic at Odell will be on Wednesday, January 14th. The clinic will be held in Gym 2 on court 4. The clinic is for people new to the game of pickleball. Schedule as follows:
845-9am - Check-in
9 - 10 am - Instruction
10 - 11am - Practice Play
The clinic will include proper court position, how to keep score, how to make the transition from tennis and other racquet sports to pickleball and much more. Maximum 5 players - minimum 3 - balls and paddles provided. Players should wear tennis shoes and bring something to drink.
Cost is $15 per person which includes the daily access fee. The clinic also includes a free two hour practice play session the following Wednesday. Sign up and pay at the Odell Weeks front desks to reserve your slot in advance. Bring your receipt to the clinic.