Aiken Pickleball News

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.