David Zapatka 2020 was a crazy year. Many pickleball tournaments were cancelled. Public pickleball courts were closed and padlocked. That being said, Arizona pickleball players found ways to safely play, and, even through the pandemic, new players found pickleball in record numbers. For 2020, Pickleball Rocks Clothing and Equipment Company recognized a mixed doubles pair…
Tag: Pickleball
July 2021, Sports
Linda Bruder Wins Gold and Bronze at the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Tournament
Nancy Dowell Traveling to Naples, Fla., in April, Linda Bruder was not sure what to expect. She had been invited to enter the 2020 tournament by earning a gold medal in a qualifying tournament previously. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the tournament was postponed to 2021. Attracting thousands of top players, this is a very elite…
July 2021, Clubs & Classes
Pickleball Association Places a Court Plaque in Honor of Jon Bailey
Nancy Dowell In a touching tribute to long-time friend and pickleball enthusiast, Jon Bailey (JB), 26 couples have made donations to the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association Inc. (SPA) to name a court in his honor. Once the new Ridgeview Pickleball Complex is built, the community will find Jon Bailey’s name on one of the pickleball courts. The…
May 2021, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: 12 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them (Mistakes 9 and 10)
David Zapatka This 12 common mistakes column began after playing with some very excited and highly motivated new pickleball players at our community courts recently. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me, “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” We reviewed the first eight mistakes over the past…
April 2021, Sports
BBC Declares “Pickleball Is Experiencing a Pandemic Boom”
Nancy Dowell According to a recent article written by Jane Bryant, a BBC correspondent in New Hampshire, pickleball (a game with Olympic aspirations) has been experiencing a surge in participation. During the past year of pandemic restrictions and health concerns due to COVID-19, pickleball has offered a relatively safe way to maintain fitness and social…
April 2021, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: 12 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them (Mistakes 7 and 8)
David Zapatka This 12-common-mistakes column began after playing with some very excited, highly motivated, new pickleball players at our community courts recently. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me, “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” We reviewed the first six mistakes the past three months. This month…
Sports, March 2021
Relishing Pickleball: 12 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them (Mistakes 5 and 6)
David Zapatka This 12-common-mistakes column began after playing with some very excited, highly-motivated, new pickleball players at our community courts recently. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me: “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” We reviewed the first four mistakes the past two months. This month, we…
Sports, March 2021
How Pickleball Began in SaddleBrooke
Nancy Dowell Pickleball in SaddleBrooke began with 85 enthusiastic SaddleBrooke residents coming to see a demonstration of the game in the MountainView parking lot in 2007. The demonstration was organized by former residents, Dave and Beth Patterson, who were the driving force behind organizing pickleball in SaddleBrooke. Seventy-five of those people attending that day signed…
General, February 2021
SPA Offers Introductory Lesson for Beginners
Shawne Cryderman Any SaddleBrooke resident is welcome to attend this introductory lesson. At the end of the intro lesson, participants will have the knowledge of the basics of the game and be encouraged to join SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) and continue with the Assisted Play program. The only prerequisite or “must have” for the intro…
Sports, January 2021
Pickleball: Pickleball on the LPGA Tour
Nancy Dowell SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association Inc. (SPA) has many golfers among its members. In fact, pickleball and golf may be mutually beneficial. An article was published recently by Steve Eubanks, managing editor for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and New York Times best seller author, about one golfer who is finding different kinds of fun…