Aiken Pickleball News

Code of Conduct

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 

 

 

Fall Women's 3.0 and 3.5 league

API would like to invite individuals interested in leading a women's pickleball team for the Fall 2024 season. Teams will consist of 3.0, 19+ and 3.5, 19+ players.

Players have the option to represent their respective Courts/Facilities:

- Virginia Acres Park 

- Eustis Park

- Cedar Creek

- Woodside

- The Reserve at Woodside

- Gem Lakes

- others, please specify.

Matches will consist of best 2 out of 3 games to 11, win by 2.

Each team will provide 4 lines, in ascending order, with a total of 12 players per team.

Match days will be on :Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Teams will be allowed to play lines before the scheduled match date, but not after.

Once the number of teams has been determined, a captains' meeting will be announce. 

Season is expected to run from 10/1/2024 - 12/10/204

Please contact Mo Garcia, league director (mog01@aol.com), or Jordyn Balba, assistant league director, with any questions.

 

Minutes for August Leadership Team Meeting

Minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting held on August 12th, have been posted.  Faith Loeb announced that she is retiring from Aiken Pickleball after eight years.  Faith initiated the New Players Practice that followed each New Players Clinic,  giving players new to the game of pickleball more structured playing time.  Linda Blake is now providing New Players Practices after the New Players Clinics at both Odell Weeks and Gregg Park.  We received great feedback on the Palmetto tournament with suggestions for improving.  There was a well deserved  round of applause for Jay Wilson the tournament director and all the other hard working volunteers that made the tournament so successful.   Click here to read the full report as a lot more items were discussed including - Feedback from Player Rep's - proposed Social in September - Update on Pacer Life - Junior tournament in October - Mo’s Youth program - Wrecking Crew - Need for Volunteers - and much much more.

 

 

Palmetto Invitational Pickleball Doubles Tournament - July 31st - August 4th

Last week saw the completion of our 10th Annual Palmetto Invitational Pickleball Doubles Tournament in honor of Loretta and Mike Beckner, the founders of Aiken Pickleball.  Thanks to  all the hard working volunteers that made this year's event a huge success.  We exceeded last year's participation by over 35% - well done everyone!

 

 

Palmetto Indoor Pickleball Doubles Tournament

Photos from each day can be viewed by clicking here.  Thank you, Lavonda Geier, for doing the photography and making these available!!

See below for results.

Sunday Results -

Mixed Doubles Skill: (3.0) Age: (12 To 49)

Emily Jones
Joshua Pifer 
Valeriya Zotova
Jaceson hardin
 Joy Ellenberger
Doug Ellenberger

Mixed Doubles Skill: (3.0) Age: (50 And Above)

Vicci White
Scott Johnson 
Pamela King
Adolphus King
 lynn Dominguez
FELIX LATORRE

Mixed Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (12 To 49)  

Elliana Fahrbach
Drew Fahrbach 

Tracey Howell
Augusto Donatelli 

Tammy Pruitt
Dennis Vermilye

Mixed Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (50 And Above)

Tammy Pruitt
Jerry Mershon 
Sharon Barnes
Abel Dela Cruz
 Denise Hough
Jeremy Crow

 Mixed Doubles Skill: (4.0) Age: (12 To 49)​   

Amy Myers
Davion Bellinger 

Valerie Karrasch
Dylan Fahrbach 

Anna Parviainen
Alec Zhan

Mixed Doubles Skill: (4.0) Age: (50 And Above)

Cheryl Breidenbach
Harve Mobley 
Valerie Karrasch
Mo Garcia 
Tonya Roebuck
Jon Roebuck

 

Saturday Results -

Men's Doubles Skill: (3.0) Age: (12 To 49)

Robbie Tant
Ryan Brantley

 Steven Coppage
Warren Coppage 

Gordon Jones
Jay Fickle

Men's Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (12 To 49)

Badri Narian Prasanna Kumar
Barghav Naraian Prasanna Kumar 

Jeff Price
Shane Yeager 

Brian Hansen
Josh Gagner

Men's Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (50 And Above)

Mark Giddings
Scott Talbott 

Jeremy Crow
Paco Bogue 

Tom Domke
Stacey Bridges

Men's Doubles Skill: (4.0) Age: (12 To 49)  

Drew Fahrbach
Dylan Fahrbach 

Jon Roebuck
Marwan Ben-Jebara 

Dylan Davidson
Kason Davidson

Men's Doubles Skill: (4.0) Age: (50 And Above)   

Mark Carter
Jeff Simizon 

Harve Mobley
Doug Weiss

 Mo Garcia
Patrick Hare

Women's Doubles Skill: (3.0) Age: (12 To 49)

Kendra Simpson
Jordan Atherton 

Amanda Dowdle
Becky Fortman

Tara Brown
Chelsey Stein

Women's Doubles Skill: (3.0) Age: (50 And Above)

Nancy Woolwine
Shana Sutphin

 Kim Pope
Anissa Colton

Marie Klofenstine
Lesia Price

Women's Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (12 To 49) 

Ashton Hall
Taylar Stewart 

Tammy Pruitt
Amy Myers

 Allycia Brown
Zanthia Hastings

Women's Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (50 And Above)

Anna Adkins
Lisa Arnel

 Cindy Bogue
Denise Hough

 Alisa Dearden
Jessica Yang

Women's Doubles Skill: (4.0) Age: (50 And Above)

Lisa Barrett-Johnson
Cheryl Breidenbach 

Leslie McCowan
Amy Buck

 Joanne Cook
Sharon Jackson

 

Wednesday & Thursday Results - Select Read More - 

Mixed Doubles Skill: (3.0) Age: (60 And Above)

Gold Medal

Vanessa Rogers
Graham Deriso

Silver Medal

Bridget Whitehead
Mike Pearce

Bronze Medal

Cory Clark
Mark Clark

 

Mixed Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (60 And Above)

Gold Medal

Diane Miller
Paul Miller

Silver Medal

June Melton
Ronald Nelson

Bronze Medal

Marian Garcia
Patrick Hare

Mixed Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (70 And Above)

Gold Medal

Sally Serago
Douglas Ditter

Silver Medal

Barbara Dellamora
Alain Rossignol

Bronze Medal

Nancy Benson
William Weeks

 

Wednesday Results 

Women's Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (60 And Above)

Gold Medal 

Billi Jager
Diane Miller

Silver Medal

Sharon Barnes
Vanessa Rogers

Bronze Medal

Ratchinee Skinner
Miriam James

Men's Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (60 And Above)

Gold Medal

Ricky Saucier
Jerry Harris

Silver Medal

Michael Howard
Bruce Patton

Bronze Medal

Graham Deriso
Seth Schwartz

Men's Doubles Skill: (3.5) Age: (70 And Above)

Gold Medal

Stan Felkner
Rick Isaac

Silver Medal

Mike Burley
Dave Hyams

Bronze Medal

Kenneth Mason
Michael McCullen

 

 

Minutes from July Leadership Team Meeting

The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting held on July 1st have been posted.  Topics discussed were - Update on preparations for the Palmetto Tournament, Feedback from Player Reps, use of private ball machines - and much more.  Click here to read the full report.

 

 

Minituess for the June Leadership Team Meeting

The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting held on June 3rd have been posted.  Topics discussed were - Need for shade on the outside courts -  The overwhelming success of Groovy Tuesdays - Fabulous Friday  our next free event  to be held on June 28th - a Doubles Strategy clinic for those players preparing for our Palmetto Doubles Tournament - and much more.  Click here to read the full report.

 

Aiken Pickleball Player Completes 50th Mother - Daughter Run

Over the past eight years, Barbara Dellamora and her daughter Elizabeth have enjoyed traveling the country together competing in Mother - Daughter races and checking off their list.  They just finished their 50th race, this one in Hawaii.  The two of them have  now completed a race in each of our fifty states.  Barbara, who is just one month shy of 80,  is also an avid pickleball player who is registered in our annual Palmetto Doubles Tournament which she has supported and previously taken home the gold medal.  Wow, way to go Barb!  What's next?

 

 

Best way to improve

Now that the April clinics on Groovy Tuesday are over, what's the best way to keep improving?  Here are some options you might want to consider.

Lessons with Harve and Mo. Weekday, weekends and evening lessons possible.  Contact Mo mog01@aol.com  and Harve pbharve333@gmail.com  to schedule.

Drills with Little Mo when available.  Sign up at front desk 

Saturday Clinics with Harve  -  Sign up at front desk. 

Find a practice partner.  Go to our website and under signups select BEGINNERS LOOKING FOR GAMES.  There are fifty players listed with their contact information looking for someone to play with. 

Practice against a wall.  There are practice walls outside at Virginia Acres Park, located behind Odell Weeks next to the outdoor pickleball courts. Both Odell Weeks and Gregg Park have racquetball courts that are seldom use.  These are  great places to practice your serve, ground strokes, volleys, lobs and dinks without a partner.

Click here for a video on pickleball Wall Drills.  In fact, check out YouTube for instructional videos on almost  every aspect of the game of pickleball.  Notice that the video was made in a racquetball court.  If you put tape down (masking tape works great) don't forget to remove it when you are finished.

Drop-in Play.  If you can hit the ball over the net at least three times in a row with decent pace, you are ready for drop-in play, daily from  845-11am Monday thru Friday at Odell Weeks.     Also on weekends   No signup required.  But you need to know where to position yourself when your  side is serving or returning serve and  understand the two bounce rule. You also know to how to keep score. 

Finally - Find a partner and sign up for the Palmetto Indoor Pickleball Doubles Invitational Tournament - July 31st - August 4th.  You are ready!

Remember, keep your eye on the ball;  aim down the middle between your two opponents; get to the kitchen and stay there; and most importantly  touch paddles at the end of a game and smile.  This is supposed to be fun!

 

 

Please slow down!

A reminder from Gregg Park that they have a LOT of children around and that everyone needs to SLOW DOWN coming through the gate and in the parking lot.  Their security guys and maintenance director have stopped several people coming in for pickleball lately that have been speeding through the parking lot.  With the playground area and baseball fields there are kids all over the place and it would just take an instant for one to dart out in front of a car.  Thank you.

 

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