Category Archives: Club Email

Mt View Master Plan Presentation — Club Round Robin

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Good evening Sun City Pickleball Club Members,
       
          You may have received an email from our RCSC that gives you an option to view the preliminary drawings for the Mountain View Master Plan that is to be presented to the RCSC Executive Board this Monday, May 10 at 9 a.m. at the Sundial Dial Auditorium . . .
https://suncityaz.org/recreation/mountain-view-recreation-center    Please check out these drawings that will be presented this next Monday.  Several Members have inquired about what is the status of the proposed additional pickleball courts at Mountain View.  I, too, inquired . . . here is what I learned:
This is a conceptual 30,000 ft drawing.  The idea was to determine how the different elements could be accommodated on the site and whether some elements would need to be eliminated or moved.  Some further decisions would be part of the detailed site plan drawings once they have the green light on the conceptual site plan.  Several of our Club Members are planning on attending the Monday RCSC Executive Board meeting to see the presentation first hand . . . you, too, may wish to attend.

Our first official Pickleball Club activity – a Club round robin – will be beginning on Wednesday, May 26 at 7 a.m. Please put this on your calendar . . . getting back to some kind of “normal”!

For now,
Dave B
 
 

Pickleball Club Reopening

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Good afternoon Sun City Pickleball Club Members!!!!!

YES, indeed, our Pickleball Club will be back “in full swing” starting May 17!! The “green light” to get things going has arrived . , . and, even, earlier than anticipated by many! Great news!!

Admittedly, the Club is entering that part of the year when not too many activities/events take place within Club Time, however, it is great to know we will be “operational” as this 2021 year goes forward starting on May 17! Looks like the Round Up Tournament will take place in October after all! A Christmas Party, Round Robins, Ladders, Clinics, Special Weekly Events, Intro Lessons, Reciprocals, Luncheons, etc, etc, etc!!!! So much to look forward too!!! As I said to Myrna DeBruyne, our Chartered Club Supervisor, this morning . . . Wahoo!!

Plans have already begun to develop as we approach May 17 and the “grand reopening” of our Sun City Pickleball Club presents itself . . . be sure there will be much more information to follow in the near future.

Thank you to all who “weathered” this last year with “patience” and “understanding” . . . what a year! A reminder here would be to make sure you have your Club Membership up to date so your transition back into your favorite Club Activities/Events can take place easily and quickly!

More reminders:
Please pick up the pickleballs and keep them in the coolers as we get more and more into the “heat”!
Paddle Holders will be coming back into “play” soon with information as to which court those paddles/members are “in line” to play on next . . . there will be an additional paddle holder for courts 13 and 14 near the New Gates just for those 2 courts.
Court courtesy is always “in play” – using the paddle holders will help with the flow of which members play on the court next after the current group has finished their game and leaves the court.
Get more involved in our Club . . . are you interested in being on our Club Executive Board or Volunteering in one (or more) of our Club Activities/Events?! Please read the last Club email . . . speak to someone mentioned in that email about how to get more involved . . . BRAVO to all those who do . . . and . . .THANK YOU!!

For now,
Dave B

Nominating Committee — Guests — April Notes

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Welcome to April Sun City Pickleball Club Members,

So it is that we have arrived in April, 2021 . . . and, we hope, with better times ahead!! Still plenty of great weather for playing pickleball as this “winter” season departs . . . sure, there is some wind and some heat . . . tough to beat, though, this time in Arizona!! Play on!

One of the agenda items that we would be discussing this time of year (in “normal” times” at a Club Membership meeting) would be in looking forward to putting together another successful Club Executive Board for 2022. Maybe some of you have been thinking, or, perhaps, maybe, you have already decided, about getting more involved and putting your expertise “in motion” as a Club Board Member. It seems a long way away . . . 2022 . . . however, these months pass by fast when so many members depart for other locations or venture around during the summer time . . . and then it will be October!! No, I hope not to rush time (no way) but, rather, just to get some progress made toward keeping our Club strong, again, for 2022! Let me introduce our Nominating Committee Members – Sue Bryant, Coleen Hoeschen and Kevin Pates. Please let any of them know of your interest in serving on our 2022 Club Executive Board. They can be found most days around the pickleball courts or their contact information can be found in our Club Roster . . . suncitypickleballclub.org. If you ask any of current Board Members (RED tag wearers), I am sure they will help point them out. For those new Members, our current Board consists of Dan Haberman – Member At Large, Lynda Skaggs – Publicity, Evelyn Larsen – Membership, Ann Clark – Secretary, Jan Booth – Treasurer, Tom Jeffers – Vice President, Dave Breault – President. Thank you for getting more involved – keep Sun City Pickleball going forward!! Bravo!!

Guests situations will be allowed again beginning this Monday, April 5 . . . for complete information on how to sign up guests, go to our Club Website Homepage and read the outline there – dated March 26 – thank you Bill Booth for posting all that information! Although we are still not functioning as a club officially, please keep in mind good court etiquette as always! Steps toward “normal” times, steps toward our Club opening again?! Always hopeful!

There are a few things still “on the books” as our Club Members continue to work on our club Bylaws and possible improvements to the pickleball court areas . . . more info will follow soon.

For now,
Dave B

The Lobster is Back — Covid Updates — Tournament results — March Notes

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Hello Sun City Pickleball Club Members this Sunday Afternoon,

March brings in Daylight Savings Time (but not here), reminds us of those IDES of historical note and, sends us the many, many days of perfect weather for pickleball play . . . it does, too, bring about that time when many of our Club Snowbirds ponder their “leaving” calendars! For us Desert People, it has been great to visit and play again with all those who meander here for “winter” . . . so much can be said for the wonderful friendships and camaraderie experienced during these last few months . . . however, the “rivalry” for the “crown” determined by the Frogs/Birds Tournament must wait a year for the “tie breaker” . . . you know, just saying, bragging rights and all!!! Something to look forward to in 2022! Keep those paddles “well tuned”!

On to the LOBSTER: Yes, the Lobster is back . . . cleaned, repaired and adjusted! Special thanks to Tom Jeffers and Steve McClean (with guidance from Diana Graham, Alice Ritzman and Ros Condrashoff) for all their work and expertise in getting our Lobster in “prime” working condition . . . let’s keep it that way! Please! For those of us who use the Lobster or those who may be new to using it, please take a look at the video put together by Lis Smoot (with help from Nancy Sonnenburg) on how to set up the Lobster and the correct procedure for using it! This video can be found on our Club Website suncitypickleballclub.org under the heading of player development and, then, click the link – Lobster machine – how to! The Machine thanks you!! Continue reading →

Connecting in February — Tournament results — Other Info

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Good Monday Afternoon Sun City Pickleball Club Members:

Yes, indeed, another beautiful day for playing this wonderful sport we so enjoy! Some sun, very little wind, and temps with lows in the 50’s and high in the 70″s . . . how good can it be!!!! All outside courts at Marinette were busy this morning and several inside courts as well! Play at the Mountain View courts also remain busy. This is such a great time of year with so many members coming in for our “winter season”!

Each month that passes in this year of 2021, there seems to be more and more optimism about getting to the other side of this pandemic . . . lots of vaccines are being administered . . . and many people have already (or soon will have) their second shots!

Although there are no SCPB events/activities, there are a few tournaments succeeding during this time – here are some of the results from those tournaments:
Up in Wickenburg – AAU Junior Olympic Games:
Bob Thacker/Bob Keeseker – Silver – Mens Doubles 3.5 70+
Jean Ward/Bob Thacker – Silver – Mixed Doubles 3.5 70+
In Phoenix – Grand Slam Qualifier:
Jan Hodgson – Gold – Mixed Doubles – 4.0 70+
Jan Hodgson/Karen Madison – Gold – Womens Doubles 4.0 70+
Grant Boulay – Gold – Mens Doubles – 4.0 50+
In Tucson – Tucson Winter Games:
Grant Boulay – Gold – Mens Doubles – 4.5 60+
As results come in, I may miss some so please let me know if I do. Congrats to all!!!

The new gates on courts 13 and 14 at Marinette are being used more frequently as we get used to entering from the south patio – it may take some time to coordinate and work out all the advantages of using those gates . . . still working, too, on getting a gate to go out from the pavilion to the north courts ( 1- 4).

A reminder . . . please take care of those pickleballs (still provided by our Club for everyday use) – we still need to remember to pick them up after play and put them in the Club coolers. Thank you . . . I heard a “rumor” – “the better a pickleball is kept, the better your game will be”! Truth!!? Certainly worth a try!!!?

So, for now, stay safe, have fun on the courts, enjoy all the wonderful social aspects of this sport, and all this great weather!

Dave B

Volunteer of the Year Award — Gates for Courts 13 and 14 — Notes

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

A few important announcements:  
      
        The SUN CITY PICKLEBALL CLUB VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR has been awarded to JEFF SKAGGS!   Jeff’s continued contributions toward the success of our Club goes on and on.   A glimpse of his volunteerism – he serves on our Tournament Committee, was a Tournament Director for the Spring Slam, was the coordinator of our reciprocal events with Sun City West and had served on our Club Board as the Member at Large in 2019 . . . Jeff continued his work in 2020 as the one of the lead contacts in the purchase of the bleachers at Marinette that started in 2019 when he was a Member of that Club Board.  If you need the PA system set up – ask Jeff, if you need the computer set up for a Membership meeting – ask Jeff!  Cleaning out/organizing the Club shed or interior storage closet . . . yep, there is Jeff!  And much more!  Thank you, Jeff Skaggs . . . there is so very much appreciation for all you do, and, no doubt, will continue to do!  BRAVO!

        Tomorrow, Thursday, January 7, (beginning 9 – 10 a.m. or so?) 2 gates – one for court 13 and one for court 14 at Marinette will be put in!!  New, additional entrances to those courts will then be available for direct access from the south patio!  They have asked us to vacate those courts on this morning so they can begin construction as soon as they can get started.  Great news!   Of course, in addition to providing easy access to those courts, the use of the south patio will also help us maintain better “social distancing”!  Got to keep our courts areas safe and courts open!!  More thanks to each of you for following the safety guidelines . . . 

        Notes:

        Thank you, too, for all of our Club Members for filling out your membership forms for 2021 . .  a great response!  If, by chance, you are still not up to date in filling out your yearly membership info, please refer to our last Club email for all the instructions on how to do that quickly and successfully!   

 And, more from the “pig chase” in Wickenburg –

Patty Evans, Bronze – mixed 3.5
Donna Holick/Grant Boulay, Bronze – 4.5 mixed
Patty Evans, Gold – 3.5 womens doubles
Karen Madison, Gold – 4.0 womens doubles
Jan Hodgson, Silver – 4.0 womens doubles
Donna Holick, Silver – 4.5 womens doubles

       What beautiful weather for pickleball!!!  Stay safe!!!

For now,
Dave B
 
 

2021 Memberships — Safer Play Reminders/Suggestions during Covid — Notes

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Good afternoon Sun City Pickleball Club Members,

Yes, here it is . . . another beautiful Sunday in AZ! And here comes 2021! Good bye 2020!! While we are still under the restrictions of Phase 2, we are still playing pickleball on the courts and enjoying all the benefits of exercise, camaraderie, and the freshness of the “winter” air of the great southwest! (A little pollution aside!)

2021 Memberships:

Please read this next reminder if you haven’t sent in your 2021 membership application . . . VERY IMPORTANT!

Membership in the Sun City Pickleball Club is waived if you were a member in good standing during 2020. You DO NEED to complete a membership form. It can be done online at https://suncitypickleballclub.org/membership-form or a paper application can be filled out and put in the box on court 6 at the Marinette Center. Paper application forms can be found in the center kiosk area at Marinette. You can also give your completed application to any Board Member (Board Members wear RED name tags . . . . if you haven’t met them yet, just ask “around”, they can be found!) The forms can be mailed directly to our Treasurer, Jan Booth.
A reminder that if this is not done by January 15th, your name will be taken off the roster and you will no longer get any emails from the Club . . . you know, like this one . . . also, once we start Club activities again, you cannot join in those activities until you have renewed your membership. Please check whether you are “up to date” by checking the Club roster at https:suncitypickleballclub.org/roster/club. The Club password can be found by clicking on “request password” under the roster tab.
Basically, even though we are in this Covid situation, we must still register each Club Member with the RCSC as we do each year. The total number of Club Members is an important factor as we show the great interest in Sun City for this fantastic sport and the continued need for court usage, activities, improvements, etc! Take a few minutes and get your application completed . . . THANK YOU!

Safer Play Reminders/Suggestions during Covid:

We are all aware of the current situation with Covid 19 . . . as we know, the numbers of those affected are spiking in the West Valley. We need to continue following the safety guidelines set forth by our RCSC. Courts are still open and every day the courts are busy . . . “makes my day to play”!
Here is a note that was forwarded to me from one of our Club Members that, I think, says it well:

Pickleball Covid
Update . . .
As we all see the numbers rise we need to increase our awareness of social distancing. . . . our set up is sometimes tight. Please take your time and wait for space. Please wear your mask when coming off the courts and sanitize or wash your hands.

Seems direct and clearly, simply stated . . . thank you for keeping our court areas safer for play as you keep all this in mind!

Notes:

Continue reading →

Election Results — Membership Sign ups — Updates

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Good Morning Sun City Pickleball Club Members!

Election Results:

Congratulations to Karen McAdam for her election to a three year term on our RCSC Board!! Great work Karen! And thank you to all of our Club Members who helped vote her in! Bravo to everyone of you!

Our Club elections were also successful . . . thank you to all your votes of confidence in reelecting the 2020 Executive Board for the 2021 year! Very much appreciated!! Board Members continuing through 2021: Member at Large – Dan Haberman, Publicity – Lynda Skaggs, Membership – Evelyn Larsen, Secretary – Ann Clark, Treasure – Jan Booth, Vice President – Tom Jeffers, President – Dave Breault. Let’s hope this next year gets us back into the full “Club Mode”! The new vaccine is certainly very promising!

Continue reading →

Referee Training Course

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

In our capacity as regional Referee Training Coordinators we are trying to gauge interest for an online referee training course, primarily to support the Southwest Regional tournament, but also to increase the number of trained refs for all future tournaments.

The interactive course would utilize the USA Pickleball PowerPoint presentation in one or two sessions totaling 3 to 4 hours. We ask that, prior to the course, participants watch the Referee Quick Start video and read through the Rulebook and Referee Handbook, located in the Officiating section of the USA Pickleball website  (https://usapickleball.org/get-involved/pickleball-officiating/). In order to access the Zoom platform all that is required is a computer and Internet connection; the access code will be provided. The training would take place in January to encompass the newly revised rules. It will be free, but we would expect to elicit an agreement from participants that they would begin to practice their skills during recreational play and eventually at local tournaments, since we cannot meet in person for on-court training. We will also work with Certified refs in the region to connect participants with opportunities for supervised practice and skill assessment for a rating.

Could you please utilize your regional Ambassador organization to spread the word? 

Anyone interested in referee training should contact us at laymonwalden@gmail.com.

Once we have an idea of those interested we will set up a time and date.

Thanks,
Stay safe!

Lynn & Linda Laymon
USA Pickleball Southwest Region
Referee Training Coordinators

Vote for RCSC Board Reminders/Notes

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Team Pickleball Opportunity:
Yes, there is a new league forming in Surprise – Arizona Pickleball Players League (APPL). This, certainly, presents a great way to work in some competitive play . . . especially in lieu of the current limitations on tournament play! All the information for what the league is all about and the entry information is “spelled out” on our Club website suncitypickleballclub.org . . . take a look . . . very interesting, indeed! Further questions can be addressed to Lis Smoot at 253-241-7577.

RCSC Board of Directors Elections:
Yes, our voting is not over! Please get your votes in for the 2021 RCSC Board – as stated before, Karen McAdam, one of the outstanding members of our Pickleball Club and our Sun City Community is running for a seat on this Board . . . time to vote her in! Online voting begins next Monday, Nov 9 on the RCSC website portal! Her candidate presentation can be found on the RCSC website . . . there is also, tonight, Nov 5, at the Sun Dial Auditorium from 6 – 8 pm, a chance to meet/greet all the candidates running for a Board position. Please, also, consider Dale Lehrer, she is running for re election – her very positive work on the Mountain View renovations is well noted!

Memberships for 2021:
Membership applications must still be filled out for 2021 even though annual dues for 2021 have been “waived” . . . your information can completed easily by going onto our Club website under “Our Club”, click on the join or renew tab. The annual dues for new Club Members will still be $15. Paper applications are also available in the kiosk at Marinette.

Sun City Executive Board Elections:
Our current Club Board . . . Dan Haberman – Member at Large, Lynda Skaggs – Publicity, Evelyn Larsen – Membership, Ann Clark – Secretary, Jan Booth – Treasurer, Tom Jeffers – Vice President, Dave Breault – President, have all volunteered to continue on for 2021 pending Membership approval. There will be an “on line” procedure for all Club Members to vote YAY or Nay with the current Club Board staying on for 2021 . . . SOON! With NO MEMBERSHIP MEETING and the PANDEMIC, our voting procedure has to change! Any questions/concerns/hat-in-the-ring additions, please see anyone on our 2021 Club Nominating Committee – Carol Arinno, Diana Colonna, Joe Gilfillan.

Welcome back Club “Winter Members”:
A great time of year when so many Club Members return to the “Land of the Sun”! Hopefully, Club play/activities will resume in the near future too!

Thanks everyone for following the Safety Guidelines, Court Etiquette and keeping the pickleballs in the coolers when done play . . . the “winters” here are the BEST! Enjoy!

And, yes, we have a new “wind sock” for the courts at Mountain View!

For now,
Dave B