Aiken Pickleball News

Update - Clinics with Megan

Cancelled.

Megan Hollenbeck, our new instructor, will be conducting clinics for beginners, intermediate (3.0+), and advaned (3.5+) players to include competitive games for all levels - with separate "Ladies only" - "Men only" clinics. Clinics are 1½ hours long and will be held on Court #1 at Odell Weeks. The cost is $15 per person. Maximum of six players per clinic. Sign up and pay at front dest. Select Read more below to see the entire schedule for March.

Monday 16th @ 3pm - Intermediate (3.0+) - Competitive Dinking

@ 4:30pm - Beginner - Competitive Dinking

Tuesday 17th @ 3pm - Intermediate (3.0+) - 3rd Shot Transition

@ 4:30pm - Beginner - 3rd Shot Transition

Monday 23rd - @ 3pm - Beginner - Serving with intention

@ 4:30pm - Intermediate (3.0+) - Serving with intention

Tuesday 24th @ 3pm - Intermediate (3.0+) - Baseline footwork and groundstrokes

@ 4:30pm - Beginner - Baseline footwork and groundstrokes

Wednesday 25th @ 3pm - Beginner - Ladies only - Competitive games

@ 4:30pm - Intermediate (3.0+) - Ladies only - Competitive games

Monday March 30th @ 3pm - Beginner - Men only - Competitive games

@ 4:30pm - Intermediate (3.0+) - Men only - Competitive games

Tuesday March 31st @ 3pm - Advance (3.5+) - Ladies only - Competitive games

@ 4:30pm - Advance (3.5+) - Men only - Competitive games

Skill Rating Session for March

Cancelled.

The next skill rating session will be held on Thursday, March 26th, from 1 - 4 pm on Court 4 at Odell Weeks. A minimum of four players is needed to conduct the session.

Please contact Nancy Rogers at pball29803@gmail.com to schedule a time or Ron Nelson at ron@gforcecable.com if you have any questions.

There is no charge to be rated.

Good News!

The City of Aiken Recreation Department has just purchased 100 orange pickleballs. They are available at the front desk at Odell to swap with the green balls and replace any orange balls that might break or are otherwise unplayable.

There are still over 100 green balls available for future use.

Gregg Park Drills with "Little Mo"

Drills with "Little Mo" at Gregg Park got off to a great start Wednesday evening. The sessions for April are now available for sign up, and there are still some slots left for the sessions in March. The drillls are held on Wednesday evenings 5:30-6:30pm, thru April 2020. Complete Drills with "Little Mo" schedule at Gregg Park is as follows:

March 4 - Dinks with a purpose; hitting your target spots (Forehand and Backhands).

March 11 - Half Volley soft drop; Half Volley drives.

March 18 - Overhead smash, Volley snap at the kitchen.

March 25 - 3rd Shot drop (Forehand and Backhand)

April 1 - Drive topspin Volley

April 8 - King/Queen of the court, (Doubles)

April 15 - Drop, Chip, Drive.

April 22 - Lobs

April 29 - Specialty shots (Various Big Mo Shot choices)

Gregg Park Civic Center is located at 119 Trolley Lane Road, Graniteville, SC. The Drills with "Little Mo" are from 5:30-6:30 pm each Wednesday evening - March-April 2020. The fee is $10.00 per person for the one-hour session. Players who are not Gregg Park members will need to pay an additional $10.00 guest fee. The visitor fee will also allow them to participate in open play for the duration of that evening. To sign up go to the Sign-ups tab above and select Little Mo at GPCC. Pay at the front desk and give receipt to the instructor.

New Bulletin Board at Gregg Park Civic Center

Check it out. There is a new Bulletin Board at Gregg Park Civic Center. Click here to see another great job by Bebe Murphy - "Welcome to Gregg Park Pickleball". Thanks Bebe.

Also, check out the photo below the BB. It is possible to keep the balls from going under the bleachers. Just need some more poster boards.

Little Mo is coming to Gregg Park!

Little Mo drill sessions will be offered at Gregg Park Civic Center starting Wednesday, February 26th, at 5:30 PM. The fee will be $10.00 per person for the one-hour session. Players who are not Gregg Park members will need to pay an additional $10.00 guest fee. However, the visitor fee will also allow them to participate in open play for the duration of that evening. To sign up go to the Sign-ups tab above and select Little Mo at GPCC.

There will be a different drill each week. Click on Read more below to see the schedule through the end of March.

There will also be lesson slots at GPCC on Wednesdays from 6:30 – 7:30 and 7:30 – 8:30. Players will pay for both the drill sessions and the lessons at the Gregg Park front desk. They must present a receipt to the instructor.

February 26th - Return of Serve, down the line (Forehand and Backhands)

March 4th - Dinks with a purpose; hitting your target spots (Forehand and Backhands).

March 11th - Half Volley soft drop; Half Volley drives.

March 18th - Overhead smash, Volley snap at the kitchen.

March 25th - 3rd Shot drop (Forehand and Backhand)

Save the date - Saturday - June 27th

Saturday, June 27th is the date of our next Round Robin to be held at Gregg Park Civic Center. Format will be Mixed Doubles 3.0, 3.5 & 4.0 Teams. So find a partner and mark your calendars.

More information to follow.

Drills with "Little Mo"

The Drills with “Little Mo” at Odell Weeks for the entire month of March are available for sign up. We lost some of our days in Gym 1 for March and had to make some changes. New schedule for March is as follows:

March 2 - Drive topspin Volley - Gym 1

March 11 - King/Queen of the court, (Doubles) - Gym 2 (Originally scheduled for Monday, March 9)

March 16 - Drop, Chip, Drive. - Gym 2

March 23 - Lobs - Gym 1

March 31 - Specialty shots (Various Big Mo Shot choices) - Gym 2 (Originally scheduled for Monday, March 30)

Cost is $10 per session. Pay at the front desk and bring the receipt with you.

Car break-ins at Gregg Park

The management at Gregg Park just advised us they had two cars broken into in their parking lot around 2:45pm on Thursday, February 6th, 2020. The windows of the vehicles were shattered and some personal belongings were taken. Please take all valuables out of your car and lock the doors.

Do not leave anything in your vehicle in plain sight that would be an easy target for theft.

How to Avoid Pickleball Injuries - Article from the MayoClinic.com Feb 2020

Question - A lot of my friends play pickleball, and I am thinking about joining them. Should I be concerned about injuries?

Answer - Joining your friends is a great idea to explore. Physical activity and learning a new sport can help you maintain your memory and remain independent. Plus, pickleball is a great opportunity to exercise and socialize -- it also can be less intense and requires less running than other racquet sports such as tennis. For those reasons and many more, many older adults play pickleball. Still, it is good to be smart and take steps to prevent injuries.

The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) lists strains - including ankle, hamstring and quadriceps strains - as common injuries, as well as heel bruises and wrist fractures from falls. To avoid these injuries, warm up the major muscle groups - a brisk walk to the court is one good way - and then gently stretch before starting to play. Warming up will increase blood flow to the areas that will be used during the sort and potentially prevent common injuries.

Consider using eye protection, and drink plenty of water to keep your body functioning at its best. For sound footing, wear proper shoes and avoid wet courts. The USAPA warns against shuffling backward to return a hit, as falling backward can lead to serious injury. Rather shuffle sideways or turn to face the direction you want to go.

If you have a medical condition or injury, get cleared to play by your healthcare provider. Start slowly as you learn the game, taking breaks when you feel the need. Don’t pick an opponent who will push you to play more intensely than is comfortable.

Most important, if something hurts, stop and take stock of the situation. See a health professional if an injury lingers or gets worse over time, or seek help right away if you are seriously hurt.