September 2015 Bits & Pieces
A few tidbits from our members who are definitely very active pickleball players.
It is great to see our members sharing pickleball with their friends. Be sure to share these Bits & Pieces with your friends on Facebook!
Riverboat pickleball
38 picklers aboard the riverboat Queen Isabella share the sport they love with the locals.
Thanks to Audrey Phillips for sending this along to us.
With six indoor courts, pickleball is growing at Canton-area church
This update was sent to the USAPA by Leurene Hildenbrand, National, Ohio & Canton Hall
Growing numbers of fitness-minded people in the greater Canton area have been able to learn – or increase – their skills in pickleball, thanks to the generosity and cooperation of First Friends Church in Canton, Ohio.
It had its beginnings on Sept. 8, 2014, when Paul Johnson, one of the pastors at the church, collaborated with Leurene Hildenbrand, a local pickleball and sports enthusiast, to offer pickleball free of charge to parishioners and the general public. First Friends Church has a beautiful back-to-back double gymnasium and multipurpose room that can safely support six playing courts. Once the word got out, participation grew from filling three pickleball courts one day a week to filling six courts three days a week, with 10 people waiting to play. To date, more than 100 people have shown up to play (as shown by our e-mail list) and new people continue to join the effort on a weekly basis.
As well as offering free play, the church has fully-equipped the effort.
“The reason why we think this is important is because of the philosophy of our church, that we are highly involved in Sports Ministry,” explains Mr. Johnson. “We see an opportunity to offer in sports, which are increasing in popularity, the goal of sharing Jesus Christ with local participants. And we believe that we have the responsibility to be active in the community to provide a safe and effective ministry. This is our privilege to offer new and upcoming sports to the community.”
With the combined cooperation and many talents of the church and the players, the operation of play has gone very well. Having the use of six courts enables us to separate the skill levels of the players, providing a more competitive advantage and more enjoyable play for everyone.
USAPA Grant helps players in Watervliet, Mich.
This Grant Update was sent to the USAPA by Jim Hogue, USAPA Ambassador, North Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Mich.
Thanks to the grant from USAPA we have been able to establish a new playing venue of three indoor courts in our area at St. Joseph Catholic School in Watervliet, Michigan. The grant provided taping to mark the courts, balls, and an additional net to go with the two provided by the parish.
Since starting play there on June 23, all three courts have consistently been in use two evenings per week. I have had the joy of introducing the great game to 26 new players, 16 of whom are youth. One of the most avid newcomers is the parish priest, Father John. He has taken the step of acquiring his own paddle, which is the step that indicates we have a player. My next goal is for him to become a USAPA member. I have attached a photo of the courts in use and another of myself with Father John.
Thank you USAPA. I consider this endeavor to be a success.
USAPA Ambassadors in Costa Rica
One of the newest international USA Pickleball Association ambassadors, Tony and Celeste Horpel, have established Pickleball Costa Rica as a pickleball destination country. The newly formed club is open to anyone wishing to visit this beautiful tropical paradise and play pickleball anytime of the year.
Tony and Celeste are full time residents of Costa Rica. The club, located at an elevation of 3,900 ft. near the rural town of San Ramon, is situated in the heart of one of the world’s greatest coffee regions. Temperatures here rarely rise above 80 degrees during the day or drop lower than 65 degrees at night year-round. The current playing facility has three painted indoor courts with excellent ventilation and approximately 20 regular players. Drop-in play is Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 11am.
Beginning November 11, 2015, Tony and Celeste (both experienced photo tour guides) will be launching a series of 14-day Play Pickleball and See Costa Rica tours extending into 2017. These tours are designed for players who want their trip handled for them so that they may relax and enjoy the time spent to the fullest. The tours are small (max. 8 players) and intimate. Picklers will be introduced to the Pickleball Costa Rica players with frequent play combined with daily and overnight excursions to some of the most exotic areas the country has to offer. Players avoid the tourist traps and experience the real Costa Rica with local culture, foods, beaches, volcanoes, monkeys, iguanas, macaws and much more. Check out their Facebook page for more information.
