West Regional Features Special Congressional Recognition Certificate
Perfect, mid-September weather in Southern California set the stage for the 2019 West Regional tournament at the Mile Square Regional Park in the beautiful community of Fountain Valley.
On Sept 18th, over 1,000 players competed on 36 courts during five days of competition for prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals and a coveted spot in the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships in Indian Wells, California.
Led by Co-Tournament Directors Steve Sidwell & Mark Peifer, hundreds of dedicated volunteers, along with excited sponsors & vendors combined to host the fourth largest pickleball tournament in the world to date!
Opening ceremonies included a representative from 48th District Congressman Harley Rouda’s office who presented
a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to the event organizers. This, in addition to a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Fountain Valley Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Brothers and Councilman Michael Vo made for a memorable opening ceremony.
Over the course of the tournament, medals were awarded to players in over 1,500 matches in Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles events. Spurred on by exceptional weather conditions, match play moved along very quickly under the tutelage of Melissa McCurley at the Operations Desk & Terry & Sandy Brown overseeing Referee Operations. In fact, most matches were played ahead of schedule with play ending prior to 6PM each day.
This year’s Western Regional featured two Championship Courts that had been resurfaced to recognize the event’s title sponsor — Electrum Pickleball. Additional event sponsors included Franklin, Selkirk and many others who provided generous contributions, all culminating in a memorable experience for everyone.
Closing Ceremonies included a raffle prize which included a $2,000 special weekend at the Temecula Hilltop Villa, equipped with its own private pickleball court! Simply put, a perfect conclusion to a near-perfect event!
“This year’s event was a testimony to the power of vision, teamwork & commitment, and this team had it all. A big Shout-Out and Thank You for allowing Mark Peifer to retain his Co-Tournament Director position for the Western Regional after being named the new USAPA Director of Officiating. He did an incredible job of balancing these two responsibilities and this event would not have been nearly as successful without Mark’s dedication, perseverance & leadership,” said Steve Sidwell.
“Mostly, we are looking to always improve the tournament as well as setting the foundation for 2020 & beyond. 
Given the feedback we continue to receive, we believe expectations were met and, in some cases, even exceeded. Many thanks to the event’s organizing committee, volunteers, referees, City of Fountain Valley, Fountain Valley Pickleball Club and the Fountain Valley Tennis Center. Teamwork beautifully in action, all the while, looking ahead to the 2020 West Regional Tournament.”
