Category Archives: Uncategorized

Finishing January and looking ahead

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Our first meeting of 2020 got us off to a great start and all within an hour . . . well done Sun City Club Pickleball Club Members! Thank you to our Club Board Members for putting together a very successful agenda.
If you were unable to make the meeting or want to revisit the many items covered, please check out the Secretary’s Report through our Website. A special thank you for the many contributors and agenda item speakers – Jan, Ann, Evelyn, Lynda, PK, Dan, Donna, Lis, Rich P, and Richard H. More details can be found in the Meeting Notes. Some fascinating goals and ideas and Club activities were presented and shared. Please take a moment and read all about all of them through the Club Website!

Continue reading →

Dues due date correction

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Dues due date correction . . . please note for those who have not paid yet, your dues are to be paid and the membership form completed by Wednesday, January 15. So, hope to hear those computer programs “ramping up” soon!
Thanks,
Dave B

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Pickleball Style

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

From the Bakersfield Pickleball Club Website
Enjoy this holiday poem by Greg LaVelle

Twas the night before Christmas
And out on the courts
Were all types of people
In tennies and shorts
All of them beaming and shouting with joy
Happy as children with a new Christmas toy
Out of their bags, colorful paddles appeared
To the kitchen they scurried, lined up, and cheered
Let’s dink it and drop it, let’s volley and kill
The balls started bouncing as if without will
The sound from the paddles and balls as they rose
Moved all of the players to the tips of their toes
Cross court and forward, balls started to fly
When appeared an old player with a wink in his eye
Dressed in all red from his head to his toe
A smile on his face and a warm, cheery glow
0 0 2 he shouted as he served me the ball
He moved like the wind, barely saw him at all
Then all of a sudden, it was 11 to 0
As we lightly touched paddles, he said he must go
Before I asked where, he disappeared in a haze,
But I heard his farewell while still in my daze
“Keep playing and laughing and having your fun!
Merry Pickleball to all, my work here is done!”

Kenny Long is the SSIPA Star for December

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Kenny Long

The Pickleball Pastor

I live and play pickleball in Sun City Arizona, but my pickleball journey started in Grand Junction Colorado. After playing racquetball for 20 years I had to give it up after back surgery. While I was recovering, I was invited to play pickleball. After my first trip to the courts in Grand Junction, I was hooked on the game.

I don’t have a long resume of wins at big tournaments, but I love to compete. I have picked up 15 medals in local tournaments in Colorado and Arizona at the 3.5 and 4.0 levels because I have been pretty good at picking partners.  I am also a founding member of SSIPA.

Kenny Long, Pastor

Pickleball has opened up a whole new world for me. It has even brought opportunities for ministry into my life. I have performed 2 weddings for friends that I have made playing pickleball.

I was born and raised in Tennessee and you will often see me on the courts wearing Tennessee Orange and ready to talk about the Tennessee Volunteers. I also love to talk about hunting deer, elk and bear. I served as a guide in Colorado for 13 years, but now at age 67 I would rather talk about climbing the mountains than actually having to climb them again.

As much as I love pickleball and hunting, my first love is preaching the gospel and serving as a pastor of a local church.

I serve as the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Sun City Arizona and pickleball has allowed me to meet a lot of folks and make many new friends and to do ministry as well.  I will often invite folks to come hear me preach so they can say, “I beat that preacher in pickleball”.  Being a pastor has allowed me to make friends all around the world. I have been on mission trips to Mexico, Thailand and Nepal. I have been to Zimbabwe twice and 3 times to China.

If you ever need a “Pickleball Pastor” you can find one at First Baptist Church in Sun City or on the courts at the Marinette Center in Sun City AZ. I won’t be able to help you get over your pickleball addiction, but I will be able to sympathize with you.

See the article with more photos at https://www.ssipa-pb.org/ssipa-star…

Women’s Ladder and Men’s Ladder

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Registration is underway for the WOMEN’S LADDER and MEN’S LADDER, which begin play November 4th and 7th respectively.  Be aware the “A” and “B” designations are skill divisions, not start time preferences. The Ladder Captains will be placing players within the ladders based on prior ladder results, Club or USAPA ratings and self-ratings. As a general guideline only, 2.5 and lower players will be in the “B” section, 3.5 and above in the “A” section and some of the 3.0s may be in either section depending on the split of participants.  The Captains will have some discretion in player placement, but their main interest will be to keep play fun and interesting for all.
Registration is also open for the two Mixed Ladders, starting on the 1st and 5th, and they will be split the same way if there are enough participants.

Fall Round Up Registration Begins July 15

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

A reminder to Sun City Pickleball Club members that our first major event of the 2019-20 season — the Fall Round Up on Oct. 29-31 at the Marinette Recreation Center — opens for registration on July 15.

Tournament fields fill quickly so please keep in mind the July 15 date. Event information is available at pickleballtournaments.com

Tree Planting In Honor of Ann Reich

Sun City Pickleball Club Posted on by

Ann Reich, who was a member of the Sun City Pickleball Club, passed away on February 9, 2019. To honor Ann’s memory, the 2018/2019 Women’s League of the Sun City Pickleball Club, collected donations from league members to honor Ann’s life and friendship with us. It was decided to use the funds and donate to the Sun City PRIDES to plant a tree in Ann’s honor and participate with the PRIDES in their annual Arbor Day Tree Planting Celebration held on March 28th. Ann’s two daughters, Denise and Lisa & a few of their family members, joined us in planting a Red Pistache tree at the PRIDES Celebration at 108th & Peoria Avenue. Both daughters said a few words about their mom and how much Ann loved pickleball and all her friends in Sun City. We very much appreciate the PRIDES in helping us to honor Ann’s memory & her love of Pickleball.