Tom and Pam Kruse
John Benter
Shawne Cryderman
Larry Santora
10 Years of leadership
Andrea Molberg
SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) is celebrating 10 years of play in SaddleBrooke and its current 712 members owe a lot to its leaders.
Beth Patterson and her husband Dave spearheaded the effort to start pickleball play in SaddleBrooke. In those early days games were played in the street, later on a parking lot, and then RCI agreed to convert the asphalt pad at the Preserve for pickleball.
SPA was then recognized as an HOA organization and Ed Kula served as SPA’s first president. He took over the task of trying to secure courts for this fast growing sport with Beth serving on the Board and briefly as SPA president.
Built as a tennis and golf community when pickleball was an unknown, SaddleBrooke didn’t have common space set aside for pickleball courts so SPA and many other contributors throughout SaddleBrooke raised over $90,000 to build three multi-purpose courts behind DesertView. The courts were ultimately closed to pickleball so RCI and the HOA2 Board authorized the conversion of one tennis court at The Preserve to three pickleball courts.
John Benter then worked hard to get the club’s license, devise a strategic plan for raising funds, and locate the spot where the six regulation Ridgeview courts now stand.
SPA members funded court construction and the Ridgeview courts were built in 2012 within budget and under the guidance of Larry Santora as SPA president. He also was able to obtain an extension of the Preserve courts and their resurfacing and fencing.
According to Shawne Cryderman, “It was an honor to be elected (twice) to the office of SPA president. I love the game of pickleball and did my best to try and get additional courts built in SaddleBrooke. Both years, I had outstanding members of the board who worked as a team and did their best for the membership.” With the vision of a pickleball facility to host tournaments, something which SaddleBrooke Ranch implemented as the pickleball craze took off, Shawne proposed that Robson reconfigure a portion of the SaddleBrooke recreational vehicle lot to allow for more play at Ridgeview.
Needing more courts for its rapidly growing membership, SPA struck a temporary deal with SaddleBrooke Ranch allowing SPA members to reserve and use the Ranch’s top-notch facilities. Current President Tom Kruse has continued this helpful relationship while hunting for more court options and quiet equipment. He also launched the Adopt a Highway program on Edwin Road and expanded the lesson program for club members. Tom says, “I have hope that much needed pickleball facilities will be expanded in SaddleBrooke. This is extremely important not only for our club but also to help preserve the status of SaddleBrooke as a top rated active adult community. I have trepidation that there may be speed bumps along the road to this goal. The details of the HOA2 transition agreement will give us some of these answers.”
Thank you, leaders, for all your hard work!
In search of the perfect paddle
Andrea Molberg
Committed to keeping noise low, SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) is looking for the best pickleball equipment out there. By looking into something like pickleball paddles amazon, you’ll be able to narrow the search of finding the best equipment for this game. As there’s so much to choose from, this will make it a little easier. Our 712 members want to be good neighbors! On the 2015 Strategic Task Force survey, SaddleBrookers said that Pickleball was what they most wanted to see included or added as an amenity (question 31) and at last year’s Pickleball Town Hall in SaddleBrooke, residents asked us to keep hunting for quiet balls and paddles. We are.
This fall pickleball players started trying the Onix Pure 2, a new ball meeting USAPA standards which is 25% quieter and came out in August 2016. The ball is a hit both at the Ridgeview courts here in SaddleBrooke and the courts at SaddleBrooke Ranch and used for both recreational and tournament play.
SPA and its members also continue searching for the perfect paddle. Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports with an estimated 2.5 million players in 2015 and 8 million expected by the end of 2018. According to the latest issue of Pickleball Magazine, USAPA has 65 manufacturers and over 400 paddles tested and approved for sanctioned play. To simplify selection and protect the integrity of the sport, USAPA is now developing a searchable website with information and photos of approved balls and paddles plus working with manufacturers to develop a seal of approval to be placed on paddles. Why so many different paddles? Players have different preferences. Some paddles improve accuracy or control and some more easily put spin on the ball. Paddle cost, sound, appearance, handle length, shape of the hitting surface, weight and grip vary too. Ask a SPA member about their preference or whether you might try hitting a few shots with theirs for comparison. You’ll probably make a friend in the process.
Pickleball clean-up crew members (left to right): Marty Schneider, Jim Bevan, Charlie Bouffard, Gail Bouffard, Gary Lange, Ann Lange, Karol Jackson, Lois Violanti, Nancy Carlson, Don Burkhead, Brent Carlson, Pam Kruse, Gary Stevens, Joan Van Matre, Raymond Howard and Debbie Westwater.
Cleaning up
As part of the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association’s adoption of a portion of Edwin Road, 16 pickleballers helped do another cleanup on May 9. Eager to contribute, the Pickleball Club began participating in the Pinal County Adopt-a-Highway program last February. Pickleball volunteers pick up trash and debris along a portion of Edwin Road from Columbus (eastern boundary) to Eagle Crest Parkway (western boundary).
The week of July 17, SPA will use club dues to have its six Ridgeview pickleball courts cleaned, re-surfaced and re-painted. Because the courts will be closed for about a week depending on the monsoons, the 712 SPA members are grateful to have the opportunity to temporarily play on SaddleBrooke Ranch courts.
Keeping Arizona beautiful!
Welcome Center
SaddleBrooke players visit US Pickleball Open in Florida
Andrea Molberg
SaddleBrooke Pickleball residents Doug and Nancy Boklund learned from their friends in Florida about the U.S. Pickleball Open held at East Community Park in Naples. They decided to include it in a trip to Florida in April 2017. While the temperatures were in the low 90s and 90% plus humidity, there was plenty of shade to enjoy the games. The event lasted one week and they watched many pros along with different skill levels play the slow dink game. They met DJ Howard, a pro from Michigan, and spent time learning about his strategies. They also learned from one of the organizers that the park is planning on increasing the number of courts from 48 to 68, since during the morning hours throughout the year, they have approximately 250 people playing regularly.
Registration for the second annual U.S. Pickleball Open began on October 1. In just 30 days, registration was maxed out. Close to 1300 players from 42 states and 17 countries ages 12 to 90 participated.
“It’s exploded,” Tournament Director Jim Ludwig said. “The sport is increasing rapidly, exponentially. Last year the tournament went well. Nothing like it had ever been done before in the pickleball world. Everybody talked about it and passed the word around, ‘You’ve got to go to the U.S. Open.’” Ludwig said they could have had 2,000 players this year but didn’t want to grow too big too fast.
The U.S. Open includes a $35,000 purse of prize money for professional players like Yates. New this year is a Triple Crown bonus awarded to a pro player who can win titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.