Aiken Pickleball News

Thank you to the tournament volunteers

From Lisa Miner

I would like to thank every one of you personally for all the hard work you put in over the tournament weekend.

The tournament was a huge success and that was thanks, in no small part, to each and every one of you. From the check in and event desks to the lunch room and the court monitors, all the comments that I heard were entirely positive. Congratulations!

The post tournament survey results are in and I thought you might like to hear some of the feedback that we got. The players were asked to rate their enjoyment of tournament on a scale of 1 to 10 and the average score was 9.17. That’s incredible. 88.1% liked the swag bag contents, there were some who were not keen on the shirt color but when you pick something that bright you know some will object. The lunch scored 4.2 out of 5 and having lunch provided was considered a big bonus. When asked whether they would return next year 78.82% said yes and 17.65% were undecided — again great numbers.

Finally here are a few of the comments from the survey:

"All the volunteers were fantastic."

“Thank you for a great weekend. The organizers and volunteer staff tried very hard to make it enjoyable. Give them all a big hug."

"I had a wonderful time, good organization with helpful and courteous volunteers. Kudos to all of you."

"Loved loved loved the staff of volunteers - made it all worth while."

"Best run tournament that I have attended EVER"

"Had a Blast one of best Tournaments I’ve played. ??"

"The staff working the tournament are extremely friendly.”

So thank you once again. When I see you I will try and remember to give you the Big Hug!

Lisa

 

 

2018 Palmetto Doubles Tournament

The 2018 Palmetto Doubles Tournament was a huge success!  Thank you to tournament director Lisa Miner, computer specialist Nelson Spitnale, and all of the other volunteers who made this outstanding event possible.

Chuck Buchanan has placed photos he took of the event under "Information/Photos" - or you can just click here. Thanks, Chuck, for taking these great pictures!

And congratulations to all the medal winners from the Aiken area.  Aiken again showed what  great pickleball program we have!

 

Lost and Found

Please drop off any items found in the gym to the front desk. Jeana is very adept at tracking down the owners!

 

Mo Garcia Named District Ambassador

USAPA has approved Mo Garcia as the District Ambassador for the Midlands District in South Carolina.  He is replacing Loretta Beckner.  He currently has 10 local ambassadors in the Midlands District reporting to him.  Mo will be working directly with the Regional Director, Joe Borrelli, who heads the newly aligned Mid-Atlantic Region.  

Mo will be a wonderful asset to USAPA in promoting pickleball in the Midlands.  Please give him your support whenever possible, as he takes on yet another pickleball responsibility!  Congratulations, Mo, and thank you!

 

Mid-Atlantic Region Website

For news from the Mid-Atlantic Pickleball Region, visit the website at http://midatlanticpb.com/.  The link may also be accessed from  this website by going to Information/Links.

 

Chuck Buchanan New USAPA Ambassador

We are pleased to announce that the USAPA has recently approved Chuck Buchanan as the new USAPA Pickleball Ambassador for Aiken, replacing Mike Beckner.

Chuck has been an active player for over six​ years with the Aiken Pickledillys. He recently retired from full time employment and now plans to devote some of his time fostering and nurturing pickleball in Aiken. With the sport pretty well entrenched in Aiken, Chuck hopes to focus on introducing the sport to local high school phys ed programs and to growing the sport in the Aiken County Parks and Recreation system.

Please welcome Chuck as your new ambassador and support him in his efforts to grow pickleball in the CSRA!

 

Pickleball fees at Odell Weeks

Hello Everyone,

The City of Aiken Parks and Recreation Department has increased fees for multiple activities that will go into effect July 1, 2018. Please view the current fees versus new fees listed below.

Type

Current Fee

New Fee

Effective

Daily Pickleball           

(Residents and Non-resident members)

$1.00

$2.00

July 1, 2018

Daily Pickleball (Non-residents)

$2.00

$3.00

July 1, 2018

Annual Pickleball Membership (must have a non-resident membership before purchasing)

$45.00

$75.00

July 1, 2018

Thanks,

Rasheka Gaines

Recreation Program Supervisor

City of Aiken Parks and Recreation

 

Thank you, Mike and Loretta!

Sunday June 3 was a special day for the Aiken Pickledillys.  Loretta and Mike Beckner recently retired in their District and Local Ambassador roles and we celebrated their contributions to the development and growth of pickleball in Aiken and beyond.

Loretta and Mike introduced pickleball to Aiken in 2010. From its earliest days when people were confused by its name and often didn't show up in enough numbers to fill one court, pickleball has grown to an extended community of 500 individuals with enough regular players that the 9 city-provided indoor courts, and often the outdoor courts, are full to capacity.  We are bursting at the seams thanks to Loretta and Mike's outreach. 

The event at Trio's in the Alley was attended by over 80 guests.  Speeches touched on all aspects of the contributions by the Beckners, with representatives from the city, the Ambassador community and the Pickledillys, providing perspective.  Loretta and Mike concluded the evening with emotional remarks capturing the history, humor and excitement of pickleball in Aiken.   

Thank you Loretta and Mike for all you have done to give us a new passion, improve our health, create new friendships and celebrate time together. 

Click here see a collection of photos from the evening.  

 

Pickleball Net Care 101

Hi all,

We regularly encounter nets that are damaged where the wooden or plastic post holding the center of the net meets the plastic strap along the top of the net. We have recently had to repair numerous nets, but these repairs are temporary. Some of you may even be a member of one of our unofficial duct tape crews (thank you!). We have asked the City if they can purchase new nets but their budget is extremely limited. 

There are a couple of things we can do to minimize damage to the nets.

1. Keep your paddle off the net: We have seen players at particularly discouraging moments in a match slam their paddles on top of the center post.  Not good for paddles or nets.  This stresses the net strap where it rests on the post and the wear and tear weakens the net at that point. 

2. Do not attach the center post Velcro through the net:  The center post of the net should be positioned between the net and the steel post insert at the base. (See photo.)  If the net is installed properly it will preserve the net and avoid undue wear and tear caused by the small Velcro strip.  Additionally, all Velcro tension straps at the far ends of the net should be loosened before inserting and removing the two side steel posts which support the net.  

(Article continued after photo.)

3. Don't lose or remove the plastic tip at the top of the center post: Most center posts have a small hard plastic tip.  It provides a cushion at the top of the post and helps prevent cutting into the net strapping at the top.  Please be aware of this and make an effort to ensure it is always attached to the center post. 

Thanks for adhering to these first aid measures for our nets. 

 

 

Pickledillys on Local TV

Thanks go to Jim Kabel for coordinating a visit by Jessica Eley, Sports Anchor for local News 12 (CBS) and NBC 26, to Odell Weeks and the Aiken Pickledillys this week.  A portion of what she taped was broadcast on News 12 (CBS) at 6:00 and 11:00, and NBC 26 at 7:00.  If you didn't get a chance to watch it, here's a link to the story on the WRDW website:
 
 

 

Pages

Read more news