Sunday, May 30, 2010

Tournament Practise 13 Players Sunday Night

13 players showed up Sunday night, many players came to practise for the upcoming tournament. Dave and I played a long close game with Ken and Mandy. Catherine and Edie also played really well.

We welcomed players from South Surrey, Del and his wife Karen and their daughter Nicolette who was playing for the first time. I played with Nicolette and helped her to learn the game, she played very well. Del is an A player, he enjoyed playing many close games with Dave, Ken, Mike, Barry and Ganbat who are all A players. It was exciting to watch Mike and Ganbat winning the last game against Del and Barry.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

20 Players Thursday Afternoon, 20 At Night

About 20 players showed up Thursday afternoon. Rod was giving me lessons to improve my volleys at the net and it helped. Kees injured his arm and Al pulled a muscle on his leg, they both put ice on their injuries. Many players were practising for the upcoming tournament.

At night about 20 players, some regulars Ganbat, Matt, Nathan, Barry and Edie. A lot of new younger players have fun rallying with each other. They usually play a short time to try out this new game.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

International Pickleball Week – June 1-7, 2010

Seattle, WA - The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) is pleased to support International Pickleball Week, June 1-7, 2010. Pickleball is played by all ages. It is a popular sport in schools and senior centers. It has great health and fitness benefits for all.

The USAPA was created in 2005 to promote the sport. It maintains the official rules, sanctions tournaments, provides player rankings and produces the annual National Pickleball Tournament. “We are extremely excited about the first International Pickleball Week,” said Bill Booth, President of the USA Pickleball Association. “The sport of pickleball is really catching on across the world and is particularly popular with seniors. We intend to celebrate the growth of the sport with our fellow players throughout the world, including locations in Canada, Mexico and India.”

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

28 Players Tuesday Afternoon, Coffee & Snacks

Eight courts were full with about 28 regular players Tuesday afternoon. I had fun playing many games with Annette, Rita, Michelle, Catherine, Bill, Al, Jerry and Tom.

Jane baked a delicious blueberry and raspberry cake with refreshing grapes, apples and oranges which we all enjoyed with coffee afterwards. Oranges, bananas and cantaloupe are high in potassium. Athletes need more potassium to replace potassium lost from exercise and the smaller amount lost in sweat. Low potassium can cause muscle cramping.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Tournament Practise for Players Sunday Night

11 players showed up Sunday night. Catherine brought her friend Daniel to play the second time and to learn the game. Ganbat enjoyed playing hard to work up a sweat. Gerhard, Joulene and Nick is an atheletic family like Dave, Mike and me that love tennis and pickleball. Dave and Ken were practising for our upcoming June tournament. Ken and Henry also were practising for the playdown in the B.C. Senior Games.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

30 Players Thursday Afternoon, 22 Players At Night

Eight courts were full with about 30 players Thursday afternoon. Two new players, Kasse and Rick (Janet's husband) joined us today. Dave's golf friend said four players from Ladner Community Centre may come to play in our upcoming tournament.

About 22 younger energetic players played at night. Rod brought Velma's son Bill and his wife Gloria to play for the first time. Garhard and Joulene came with their son Nicholas and their friend Jacques from S. Africa to try out this new game. Jacques played extremely well because he is a tennis and squash player. Grant brought a young man from Colombia to play the second time. I had fun rallying and teaching Jacques and two young men how to play the game.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

ARC Special Recognition Grant Brittain

ARC Seniors Newsletter - Special Recognition Grant Brittain:
Grant has been nominated (Dave and I were glad to sign the nomination form) as an outstanding staff member who has gone above and beyond to provide superb customer service. He has gone the extra mile in making Pickleball a fun and welcoming program for seniors. Grant has been with the city since ARC opened in 2008. In addition to Pickleball, Grant instructs a variety of sports programs for children. Grant has played an instrumental role in developing and running the children's Soccer League at Ex-Park. Grant will be taking on new challenges this summer as the Senior Coordinator for the City of Abbotsford Summer Camps. Congratulations, Grant!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

30 Players Tuesday Afternoon, Coffee & Snacks

Eight courts were filled with about 30 players on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Ken and Dave played some games together as they plan to play as partners in our upcoming tournament. Ken and Henry plan to play in the B.C. Senior Games in Sept. I played really well today and won six games: my partners were Grant, Martin, Rob, Henry, Annette and Richard. Everyone had a lot of fun !!!
Mandy baked some delicious chocolate chip and molasses spice cookies with some refeshing oranges for our snack time after playing two hours of pickleball.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Apike Paddle Not Meeting USAPA Specifications

The Apike paddle fails the deflection test and it does not meet USAPA specifications because it is made with a rubber & foam material that creates a trampoline effect which bounces off 13 times more than the other paddles. Paddles that produce a trampoline effect or an effect similar to a stringed racquet are specifically disallowed. That is why the game is not played with a stringed racquet. Players have been injured by Apike paddles. It does not conform to Paddle Material Specification August 9, 2009 and it does not comply with USAPA Official Tournament Rules. http://www.usapa.org/officialrules/Paddle_Material_Specifications.pdf
Deflection Test Results, May 2009
Pickle-Ball Swinger Wood Paddle 2 5
Pickle-Ball Diller Wood Paddle 4 6
Pickle-Ball Master Wood Paddle 2 3
Pickle-Ball Pro-II Wood Paddle 2 4
Pickle-Ball Elite Model Regular Size Graphite Paddle 1 2
Pickle-Ball Champion Graphite Paddle 1 3
Apike Paddle Does not comply with the specification. 26 37
Pro-Lite Classic Composite Paddle 1 2
Pro-Lite Composite Aero-D Paddle 1 3

List of Commercial Paddles Not Meeting USAPA Specifications
Paddle Name:
Apike - Fails the deflection test. See Paddle Material Specifications.

Apike is not a Canadian paddle, the importer Frank Wu said it is manufactured somewhere 'offshore' (made in China I think, not specified). Pickle-Ball, Pro-Lite and S-Type paddles are marked 'made in U.S.A'.

APIKE PADDLE CAUSING CONTROVERSY http://meadowpointepickleball.blogspot.com/2009/04/more-on-apike-paddle.html

Apparently the Apike paddle is constructed quite differently from others paddles on the market using foam in its core rather than the now typical composite materials. The new paddle is reported to help players apply a great amount of spin to the ball giving an unfair advantage to the users. It has also been reported that the ball comes off the paddle at a very high velocity such that it is very difficult for even elite players to return the ball successfully. It is this speed which has caused many players to appeal to the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) to ban the new paddle from senior games and official tournaments. Some injuries have been attributed to the use of the APIKE Paddle and fear is being expressed about injuries to the head and eyes when players are hit by a pickleball traveling at such high speeds.

The following is taken from the Atlantic South Regions Blog:
All Pickleball players in the Atlantic South Region should be aware that there are safety concerns with the new Apike paddle. There have been reports of injuries as a result of the use of this paddle. The USAPA has been contacted by several players as a result.

The International Tennis Federation (the ITF) placed size and shape restrictions on rackets in tournament play after space-age materials made rackets bigger, lighter and stiffer. The ITF also placed restrictions on stringing patterns that could generate nearly twice the spin of conventionally strung rackets. Major league baseball prohibits aluminum bats. The U.S. Golf Association prohibits certain performance enhancing drivers in tournament play.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

20 Players Thursday Afternoon, 18 At Night

About 20 players filled up four courts on a warm sunny Thursday afternoon. Ken's daughter Holly from Calgary tried it for the first time and she said pickleball is easier than playing tennis. I won two games with Richard and also won two games with Bill which was fun (I only remember the games I won!!).
At night about 18 players showed up, some are regulars Ganbat, Barry, Edie, Mike and Matt. A new player Doug is an advanced player from Kelowna, I won one game with him and lost a close game with him against Mike and Ken who are also advanced players.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

30 Players Tuesday Afternoon, Coffee & Snacks

Eight courts were filled with about 30 players on a beautiful warm sunny day. Al is back from his trip to Hawaii, the big waves were so powerful in Maui that they knocked over a whole group of people, but they are good for surfers. He said a girl lost her arm to a shark when she ventured outside the reef.
Dave and I enjoyed playing two close games with Allen and Julie. Fresh strawberries, mangoes, apples, cookies and coffee was a refreshing snack afterwards.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Kelowna Round Robin Tournament June 19, 2010

REGISTRATION FOR
CO-ED DOUBLES ROUND ROBIN TOURNAMENT
TO REGISTER please provide the following information:
Name:
Home Address:
(Full mailing address)
E-Mail Address:
Preferred Skill Level: Recreational Competitive
Payment by cheque payable to District of West Kelowna
Forward to: District of West Kelowna,
2760 Cameron Road,
West Kelowna, BC, V1Z 2T6
Attn: Recreational and Cultural Dept – Pickleball Tournament
Payment by credit card (preferred). Phone 778-797-8800 or 778-797-8810
Details: The tournament will start at 9:00 am on Saturday, 19 June 2010 at the Mount
Boucherie School Gym, 2751 Cameron Road, West Kelowna. Entry Fee $25.00 includes lunch and beverage. The tournament will be made up in groups of 8 players in a co-ed, doubles,round robin, format of both male and female in the same group.
Gift certificates will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers within each group of eight.
The Jugs (white) ball will be used. Play will be in accordance with USAPA Rules with the exception that the Apike paddle may be used.
A full detail Information Package will be e-mailed to entrants on receipt of registration and payment.
Registrations must be received no later than 15 June 2010.
Further details contact Brian at 250-862-5145 or bands65@gmail.com
==================================================================
Please Note: If you are interested in the Skills Clinic to be held on Sunday, 20 June at Mount Boucherie School Gym you must register by contacting Jim Saunders at
250-707-1689 or e-mail terrysaunders@hotmail.com
The fee is $20.00 payable in advance.
Send to Jim Saunders
106-3890 Brown Road,
West Kelowna, BC, V4T 2J5.

Friday, May 7, 2010

PICKLEBALL -B.C. SENIORS GAMES SEPT. 15-18 2010

PICKLEBALL - B.C. SENIORS GAMES SEPT. 15-18 2010
CAMPBELL RIVER VAN. IS. B.C.
Quinsam Wellness Centre,
2005 Eagle Dr. Campbell River (Gymnasium)

This is for all seniors 55+ pickleball players, (2 Divisions), Competitive Division and Recreational Division.

There are 6 age categories,(55-59),(60-64,(65-69),(70-74),(75-79),(80+)

We are limited to 4 individuals; per age category,per event,per division,per zone.

The events are; (singles men & women in competitive only),(mens doubles),(ladies doubles),(mixed doubles)

If we have too many entries per event,per age category,per division our Zone 3 (FraserValley) will be having a playdown to select our participants.

Playdown is scheduled at this time ; South Surrey Rec. Centre(this could change ) 14601 20th Avenue Surrey, times; June 13 Gym 2 12:30-16:30 or June 16 Gym 3 13:00-15:00. Please act quickly as there is limited time to playdowns

This is the 2nd year we have been in the B.C. Seniors games, last year in Richmond B.C., we were a option/demonstration sport which went very well, so lets Rah,Rah the troops and have great participation.

Contact: Fred Hubbick
Zone 3 Co-ordinator Pickleball
604 536 1261
fhubbick@telus.net
Please contact me so I can get you signed up.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

28 Players Thursday Afternoon, 18 Players At Night

Eight courts were filled with 28 players Thursday afternoon. Three new players, Janet and two young players played very well for the first time because they have lots of energy, strength and stamina. Gerhard and Joulene are two younger players who also played extremely well. They can speak Africana language.

About 18 players at night. A new player John from White Rock is definitely an A player. I enjoyed watching him and Mike winning the last game against Grant and Ganbat. It was exciting to watch four advanced players in a real good match, the final score 12-10.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

32 Players Tues.,Abbypickleball Listed in USAPA 'Communities' Link to Our Site


About 32 pickleball players filled up eight courts on Tuesday afternoon. Four new players joined us today. We all enjoyed coffee and snacks afterwards.

We have listed Abbypickleball blog in USAPA website as one of N.America pickleball communities with a link to our site:
http://www.usapa.org/communitiesclubs/index.php 'PICKLEBALL ZONE', 'Communities and Clubs'-'British Columbia'-'Abby Pickleball, Abbotsford, B.C.'