There will be a Players Rating Session at Odell Weeks on Saturday March 29th. Sessions are free - sign up required.
Aiken Pickleball News
To help prepare for the Palmetto Doubles Tournament being held at Odell July 31 - August 4, there will be a doubles strategy clinic on Friday evening June 28th from 6 - 7 pm. We are calling it Fabulous Friday as there is no evening play on Tuesdays between now and the tournament. The clinic is free and no sign up is required. The clinic is for 3.0 - 4.0 doubles teams that have registered for the Palmetto and everyone who is thinking about it even if you still need a partner. Schedule for the evening of Friday June 28th as follows.
4-6 pm - Open play for everyone - all six courts
6-7 pm - clinic on doubles strategy
7-830pm - Open play for everyone - Court designation
If you haven't already, find a partner and sign up for the tournament. Discount for early registration has been extended until June 15th. We also need volunteers for the check-in & event desks, raffle & silent auction and lots of court monitors. All of these positions come with an official T-shirt and a free lunch. A volunteer sign up sheet will be available at the clinic.
In the meantime players may now stay together with their partners during drop in play from now until the end of July.
Minutes for the May Leadership Team Meeting held on May 6 have been posted. Marcia Stivanson was introduced as our new secretary. Topics discussed - Court reservations - An upgraded version of the Sign up Genius was tested and it was decided we were better off with the version we a using; Groovy Tuesday - was so successful we decided to have another one on May 28th with a free clinic from 5-6pm on all six courts; Special Clinics for Pacer Life and Special Olympics were held in May; the final approval of our bylaws and much more. Go to the Forums page or click here to read the full report.
We had forty players for drop in play Monday morning. It was four on four off, play to nine and the games were fast and furious. The majority of you seemed to like the new paddle holders. Please give a special thank you to Bob Fogle for putting them together.
One comment several of you made - that with the four on - four off, you end up playing with the same players a lot. There were a couple of ideas but suggest the following as the easiest solution if you consider this a problem. After the game the winners place their paddles in the first available holder. The non-winners place their paddles in the next available holder leaving a gap of at least two paddle positions. This will guarantee a mix of play and the delay of getting to play again would be very small
Another solution was we all chip in and buy the old Bed and Bath building that is sitting vacant and convert it into a pickleball facility. But when a small convenient store in our local area sold for $4M that didn't seem too feasible. Let's enjoy what we have and thank you all for your cooperation. Much appreciated
The Pickleball with a Cop event scheduled for Friday, January 26 will be held RAIN OR SHINE! If the weather is good, the event will be held on the outdoor courts at Odell Weeks. If it's raining, it will move indoors to Gym 1. Let's all support our local public safety officers!
It was previously announced that the outdoor courts at Virginia Acres Park would be closed this weekend. That has changed, however, and the outdoor courts will be open this weekend.
Loretta, together with her husband Mike, were the founders of Pickleball in Aiken in 2010. Loretta was the driving force behind offering free beginner clinics for the community. Loretta passed away on November 16, 2025. There is a bench honoring them both on the outdoor courts at Virginia Acres. Below is the link for Loretta's obituary and details on the planned memorial celebration. https://www.shellhouseriversfuneralhome.com/obituaries/loretta-beckner-nee-miller
The service will take place at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken, SC, on Saturday, December 13 at 2:00. For those who are unable to attend in person, the service will be live streamed at: St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church – St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church. Once the link is opened, click "Watch Online" at the top of the page. Please join us in remembering Loretta and her legacy to Aiken Pickleball.
Aiken Pickleball, Inc. is hosting a New Player Clinic indoors at the Gregg Park Civic Center on Saturday, November 15th. In this 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. Cost is $10 per person. Schedule as follows:
1030 - 11am - Check-in at front desk
11am - 12pm - New Players Clinic Instruction
12pm - 1pm - Practice Play
Players must register and pay in advance which can be done online at GreggParkonline.com. Cost is $10 per person. Non-members are welcome to attend but must also pay an additional $10 daily admittance fee.
Gregg Park ls located at 119 Trolley Lane Road, Graniteville, SC, approximately five miles from downtown Aiken
The next New Players Clinic at Odell will be on Saturday October 4th. The clinic is for people new to the game of pickleball. Schedule as follows:
930am - Check-in
945 - 10 am - Court Set-up
10 - 11 am - Instruction
11am - 12pm - 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 8 players - 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 ninety minute practice play session the following Saturday. Sign up and pay at the Odell Weeks front desks to reserve your slot in advance.. Bring your receipt to the clinic.