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?
Aiken Pickleball News
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!
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.
Another great Groovy Tuesday = We saved the best for last! What was most impressive is how much the participants have improved over the past couple of weeks. Thanks to everyone for making this happen, especially those of you that contributed to Golden Harvest. Over 450 food items were donated. You guys are the best!
Check out our Facebook Page Aiken Pickleball for photos.
Reference Drop-in play at Odell. This is a comment from one of the regulars. QUOTE - I think the all the lessons and clinics you are doing is raising the level of drop-in play. Three of the games I played this morning were long and fierce-fun! UNQUOTE
Over forty people showed for the second groovy Tuesday, to take part in a free clinic, pizza, cookies and drinks. There were four courts in play for the clinic.. Two teenagers won the free lessons with Mo, Beverly Shaver won the paddle and Harve won the the T-Shirt. Thanks to all that help make the evening a success.
The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting held on April 1st have been posted.
Topics discussed were - April being National Pickleball Month and our celebration with Groovy Tuesdays - with free clinics and drawings for door prizes; Court Time Allocation - results being everyone wanted something different and the majority saying leave it as us; Unused Courts - players not showing up and not canceling their court reservation; Invalid Court Reservations - people still having trouble entering the first initial and last name of two players; October 12 - date of proposed outdoor tournament for juniors; and much more. Click here to read the full report.
Over fifty players came out for the first Groovy Tuesday to celebrate National Pickleball Month. Thirty-five players took over three courts for a free clinic by Mo from 5-6pm. This was followed by free pizza, brownies and drinks - followed by more pickleball! The donation box for Golden Harvest was also overflowing. Thanks to everyone for making the evening a success.
Check out our Facebook page for additional photos.
Aiken Pickleball Inc is hosting a New Player Clinic indoors at the Gregg Park Civic Center on Saturday, April 20TH. . Cost is $10. Sign up and register at the Gregg Park front desk. Schedule as follows:
830 - 9am - Check-in at front desk
9 - 10am - New Players Clinic Instruction
10 - 11am - Practice Play
In this sixty minute clinic you will learn everything you need to get started playing the sport of pickleball. Please wear tennis shoes and bring something to drink. Balls and paddles provided. Class limited to eight. Need minimum of three. Sign up at the Gregg Park front desk. Cost is $10 per person payable at the Gregg Park front desk. Non-members are welcome to attend but must also pay a $10 daily admittance fee.
A lot of fun today and some great pickleball at Gregg Park. Special thanks to all that helped make this a success. Check out our Facebook page and below for photos. The medal winners were -
Mixed Doubles 4.0
Gold (Center)
Cheryl Breidenbach & Harve Mobley
Silver (on right)
Amy Buck & Jeff Simizon
Bronze (on left)
Lisa Barrett-Johnson & Doug Weiss
Mixed Doubles 3.5 under 50
Gold (center)
Sarah Porter & Justin Jones
Silver (on left)
Julie Felder & Jamie Felder
Bronze (on right)
Mary Ellen Olson & Abel Dela Cruz
Mixed Doubles 3.5 - 50 And Above
Gold (center)
Christy Pritchard & Lee Fox
Silver (on left)
Miriam James & Dwight Jones
Bronze (on right)
Heidi Abele & Rob Harrington
Women’s Doubles 3.0 - 50 And Above
Gold (center)
Julie Felder & Rene Kein
Silver
Shana Sutphin & Nancy Woolwine
Bronze
Marie Klofenstine & Marcy Badertscher
Women’s Doubles Scramble 2.5 Age: (Any)
Gold
Sara Gates (center)
Silver
Ally Hough (on left)
Bronze
Rochelle Bergren (on right)