David Zapatka Is pickleball a good bet? The Pickleball Players Association (PPA) and Genius Sports, a publicly traded sports data and tech company, recently announced a long-term deal that sets the stage for sports betting in pickleball. Can you imagine walking into one of our local casinos, hearing raucous cheers, and seeing a pickleball match…
Tag: Pickleball
August 2021, Sports
Relishing Pickleball
David Zapatka Reader Liz Houser writes, “I just moved to SaddleBrooke in April and learned to play pickleball in early May thanks to my enthusiastic neighbor Shawne. I just read your article about Common mistakes numbers 11 and 12, I found them to be very helpful. Would you be so kind as to send me…
August 2021, Front Page
SPA Members at Age 80 and Older Play On
Raymond H. Goettsch The SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) has a large roster of members who are 80 years of age or older. For the record, those members include Phil Barney, Jeb Benter, Don Burkhead, Ellen and George Citron, Silvio D’Arco, Patrick Donlan, Mel Durchslag, Rich Flynn, Rich Hagerty, Bill Keese, Tom Kornmesser, Anita Lohman, Tom…
July 2021, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: 2020 Pickleball Rocks Players of the Year
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…
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…
Clubs & Classes, July 2021
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…
Sports, April 2021
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…
Sports, April 2021
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…
March 2021, Sports
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…