Pickleball Jingle

A Sport Named Pickleball

As John Cougar Meloncamp once sang,"Here is a little diddy about" pickleball.

(Click on the word pickleball above to hear the tune.)

Robson Communities Pickleball League

Proposed Winter Robson Communities Pickleball League

Over the past 3 months there has been discussion among the Arizona Robson Pickleball Communities concerning the formation of a winter pickleball league.

The proposal is as follows:

1.  The name of the league will be the "Robson Pickleball League".  The participating 5 communities will be Pebble Creek (Goodyear), Saddlebrooke, Sun Lakes, Saddlebrooke Ranch, and Robson Ranch. Interest is lacking from the Quail Creek Pickleball Club.

2.  There would be one competition per month on Saturday afternoons beginning in November. Each community would play the other 4 communities on a predetermined rotation basis. The last competition would occur in March. (Sun Lakes needs to travel each month because of the small number of courts in their community.) Based on the proposed schedule, all Robson Ranch competition would in Eloy, except the December 10th competition when our team would travel to Pebble Creek in Goodyear.  Each pickleball club will play 4 times with one BYE month over the 5 month season. Our BYE month looks to be in March.

3. Saturday was set as the day to play the matches with the afternoon being the preferred time (e.g. 2 pm).  The two participating clubs could mutually decide to change the date and/or time if they wish, as long as it is played within 2 weeks of the scheduled date.

4. Each club will have 60 players for each match (30 men and 30 women)-  Two men's teams (4 players), two women's teams (4 players), and two mixed teams (4 players) at each of the 5 skill levels (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5+) 12 x 5= 60.  (Players may have to play UP a skill level and/or play in two events (e.g. Men's and Mixed) in order to get enough teams at some skill levels.)  Each player may only play in a maximum of two events

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5. The goal will be to maximize participation from each club, meaning that from month to month we would like to see as any different players competing as possible.  It is not to put your very best players on the court again and again to score as many points as possible. We are awarding points for winning games, but we want it to be a fun, social time more than anything else.

6.  Each two player team at a given skill level will play two games to 15 (win by 1) with each of the 2 teams from the other club.  Thus, each two player team is playing a total of 4 games to 15 for the day.  Each game won scores 1 point for the club. Cumulative points will be kept during the course of the season.

7.  Awards clarification:  There will be one travelling trophy presented to the overall champion club for the season.  There will be 15 awards (small plaques) presented to the CLUB that got the most points for the season at each of the skill level events (2.5 Men's, women's, Mixed; etc.)  The individual skill level awards do NOT go to individual players, but rather to the collective group of players who played at that skill level over the course of the season.

8. An end of the season Awards Banquet would be held on March 22nd here at Robson Ranch. A maximum number of tickets per community would need to be established.

It is our hope that you will find this league something a little different and fun.

At this time we would like to have some idea about what our participation numbers might be. We ask that you reply to this email by answering the following questions:

1.  Are you interested in playing in the league?   Yes or No

     If No, you can skip questions 2-4 .

2.  Would you be willing to travel (via car pool) to our one AWAY meet at Pebble Creek on Dec 10th?   Yes or No

3.  Are there any months between November and February when you would not be available to participate?  Yes or No  

   If Yes, what month(s)__________

4.  What is your skill level rating?   If you do not have one yet, state that.

Pickleball Paddle Recall

Paddle Recall

If any of you purchased a Black Tempest Paddletek Paddle please see the recall notice by clicking on the following..

Tempest Recall

If you have one of these and do not play in tournaments, then you do not need to be concerned with said recall.  However, if you do play in sanctioned tournaments you should read the story and take appropriate action.  I assume that since Mike Rains is a distributor, he can also provide information  and assistance.

It is so nice to see a vendor stand behind their products.

Play well, have fun, and be safe.

Robson Ranch's 4th Annual Pickleball Tournament

4th Annual Pickleball Tournament
We had another wonderful tournament that was excellently organized and run by Tournament Director extraordinaire, our own AL Hager.  Having recently experienced the work involved in running our much smaller and less complex resident tournament, I have a HUGE appreciation for the time and work Al devotes to this tournament.  Each of you should congratulate Al on another job well done.

Again this year, Al was assisted by the tournament registrar Sandi Feller who also oversaw the check in and event desk. She ensured that the brackets were established for the start of the tournament and kept the matches moving along. Sandi had an excellent support team assisting her during the play.

Of course the tournament could not be a success without the assistance of a number of persons who stepped up to serve as department heads of various operational support areas  These persons and their areas of responsibility were:
Bracket Posting on the Board.            Sylvia and Norm Schupbach
Referee Desk Coordinator                  Steve Arthur
Tournament Announcing                      Richard Shine
Traffic Control and Parking                  Jerry Steger
Shuttle Coordinator                              Dave Lawell
Medical Team Coordinator                  Mary Burton
Raffle and 50/50 Drawing                    Bonnie and Don Pixley
Roaming 50/50 Raffle Ticket Sales       Brenda and Dave Amans
Refreshment Table                               Edie Preis
Tournament Photography                     Marv Enerson
USAPA Membership Desk                 Paula Steger
Balls/Net Monitor                               Steve Falek
Banners/Court Taping                          Al Hager
Line Judge Team Management             Dave Amans

These coordinators were assisted by a number of persons whose names I do not have. This group included persons who were playing in the tournament, non-tournament participating club members, as well as some persons who don't play pickleball,  This level of support reflects well on our club and the pride we all have in the community in which we live and the events we host. Obviously, you all are a critical cog in ensuring the tournament wheel runs smoothly.

Finally, the tournament could not be held without the participation and support of the players.  We want to acknowledge and give a big THANK YOU to all these persons who helped with the tournament's successful operations as well as competing in the tournament.

There were approximately 450 players registered for our tournament.  68 of these players were from the ranch, 58 from Palm Creek.and 15 from Mission Royale.  There were some very close matches and great play demonstrated at all levels.  Competition categories were Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles with competition levels being 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0.  Click on the words Marv's Pictures to be taken to the pictures Marv Enerson took during the tournament, including all the medal winners.  I am sure you will recognize a number of faces during the slideshow.  Click on the Pickleball Photos tab under Menu on the right sidebar to see other pictures from Palm Creek as well as Robson's tournament.

Congratulations to Jan Ballman and Mike Campbell who won a bronze medal in the Mixed Doubles 4.0 skill level.

Mixed Doubles 4.0 Bronze Medal Winners
Congratulations

4th Annual Tournament Flyer and Information

4th Annual Tournament Flyer and Information
The 4th Annual Robson Ranch Pickleball Tournament will be  held March 18 - 21 of this year.  Club member assistance is needed to ensure the tournament is effectively managed.  Listed below are the functions needing your assistance, the leader of the function and their contact information.  Robson Ranch has a strong reputation with respect to our tournament but we can not maintain that reputation without your support.  Please contact one of the following and volunteer some of your time to supporting your tournament.

2016 TOURNAMENT DEPARTMENT HEADS
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR:	Al Hager	(419)-619-1122	hager1371@aol.com
CHECK-IN & EVENT DESK:	Sandi Feller	(520)-876-4554	luckylindy45@yahoo.com
MANUAL POSTING OF BRACKETS:	Sylvia/Norm Schupbach	(541)-788-5827	nschu@bendbroadband.com
REFEREE DESK COORDINATOR:	Steve Arthur	(540)-355-8065	gitpicker42@aol.com
TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCING:	Richard Shine	(720)-371-8173	richardkristyshine@q.com
TRAFFIC & PARKING:	Jerry Steger	(817)-721-8618	jandpsteger@gmail.com
SHUTTLE COORDINATOR:	Dave Lawell	(520)-836-8769	dllawell@gmail.com
MEDICAL TEAM COORDINATOR       :	Mary Burton	(520)-856-5817	marydion424@yahoo.com
RAFFLE & 50/50 DRAWING:	Bonnie/Don Pixley	(520)-836-9639	green4eyes@q.com
ROAMING 50/50 RAFFLE SALES:	Brenda/Dave Amans	(815)-988-3992	brendaamans@gmail.com
REFREASHMENT TABLE:	Edie Preis	(904)-207-0110	edie.preis@gmail.com
TOURNAMENT PHOTOGRAPHY      :	Marv Enerson	(520)-840-5035	roadrunnr@me.com
USAPA MEMBERSHIP DESK:	Paula Steger	(817)-368-8618	jandpsteger@gmail.com
BALLS/NETS MONITOR:	Steve Falek	(520)-705-1872	tupop1948@gmail.com
BANNERS/COURT TAPING:	Al Hager	(419)-619-1122	hager1371@aol.com
***PLEASE CONTACT DEPARTMENT HEADS TO VOLUNTEER***

2016 Resident Tournament and Winners

The 3rd annual resident tournament is now history.  There were three categories and four skill levels under each category.  The categories were Women's Doubles, Men's Doubles and Mixed Doubles.  The skill levels were 2.0/2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 3.75 (comprised of a 3.5 player and a 4.0+ player).  We had a great turnout of participants at all skill levels with s significant number of first time participants.  For the two day event we had a total of 186 entries comprised of 97 different club members.  47 people participated this year who did not play last year.  We had over 60 people volunteer with the set up, tear down, and operation of the tournament, including a number of participants.  We had a terrific number of quality matches at all skill levels.  Kudos to each and everyone of you who participated as well as the club members who are providing training to both newcomers and experienced players alike.  Now that you have experienced the competition, I expect to see a number of you playing in area tournaments throughout the year.

Thank you so much to all the volunteers.  The tournament would not experience the level of success without each and every one of you.  A special thank you to the following people who coordinated/oversaw the volunteer activities.  They were Bob Burtch, Mary Burton, and Pam Phillian.  Kudos also to MJ Wong and her team in preparing the food each day.  Finally to Steve Arthur for managing the referees, Jerry Steger for training referees and Paula Steger and Sandi Feller for managing the registration and brackets and keeping the matches moving along.

Congratulations again to all the medal recipients, but in my mind we were all winners.  Tournament and after party pictures are posted under pickleball photos to the right.  Take a look you might see someone you recognize.

MEDAL WINNERS!

WOMEN'S DOUBLES

2.0 / 2.5
Gold - Pam Carlson/Jody Muth
Silver - Jackie Elliott/Johanna Brewer
Bronze - Cindy Johnson/Pam Mumy

3.0
Gold - Gini Cassidy/Jan Kinley
Silver - Pat Pennington/Susan Phillips
Bronze - Judy Gottsch/Brenda Kline

3.5
Gold - Brenda Amans/Sue Sherwood
Silver - Barbara Sewell/Karen Woodcock
Bronze - Caroline Anderson/Tori Chester

3.75 (3.5 / 4.0)
Gold - Jeannine McKinna/Sue Waibel
Silver - Donna Duran/Barbara Hager
Bronze - Jan Ballman/Connie Koser



Men's Doubles

2.0 / 2.5
Gold - Larry Mansfield/Ron Hunt
Silver - Thomas Andrews/Keith Uhlenbrauck
Bronze - Bob Williams/Ron Johnson

3.0
Gold - Don Gibson/Mike Pennington
Silver - Lloyd Muth/Bill Sturgeon
Bronze - Bob Carlson/Kirk Tatom

3.5
Gold - Tom Burnside/Steve Spencer
Silver - Greg Long/Richard Cronk
Bronze - Rick Kline/RC Weidner

3.75 (3.5 / 4.0)
Gold - Bob Buck/Larry Kraus
Silver - Dave Wong/Ron Graf
Bronze - Steve Arthur/Bill Schlaupistz



 Mixed Doubles

2.0 / 2.5
Gold - Jody and Lloyd Muth
Silver - Charlotte and Thomas Andrews
Bronze - Flo Van Vokom and Lee Thompson

3.0
Gold - Lila Nees and Larry Suskovich
Silver - Rick and Brenda Kline
Bronze - Dave Owens and Susan Phillips

3.5
Gold - Ron and Laurell Graf
Silver - Bob Buck and Gini Cassidy
Bronze - Wayne Champaign and Kandis Larkey

3.75 (3.5 & 4.0)
Gold - Brenda Amans and Jeff Hamrlik
Silver - Sue Waibel and Steve Arthur
Bronze - Connie Koser and Dave Wong

Party and General Meeting

PICKLEBALL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Training for pickleball skill sets 3.0 and below

Jerry and Paula Steger, who are 4.0 rated players, are providing pickleball drill sessions for players rated 3.0 and below on Tuesdays at noon.  Just show up at the courts and look for Jerry and Paula.

Training for pickleball skill sets 3.5 and above

Larry Kraus, who is a 4.5 rated player, is providing pickleball drill sessions for players rated 3.5 and above at noon on Tuesdays following the ladder play.  There will be a signup sheet posted at the courts so Larry had an idea of the number of participants.  If you fail to get signed up, you might try to walk up, just find Larry at the courts and ask if you can join.

LADDER PLAY

Ladder play is taking place each Tuesday at 10:00 AM.  A sign-up sheet on the board in the middle of the courts on which to sign up and post standings.  Please sign up no later than noon on the Monday before the Tuesday play, if you are interested in playing.  Play is open to all levels and is open to men and women.  It's a great way to challenge yourself and better assess your skill level when compared to players at a similar rating level.

IT'S PARTY TIME

On January 21, 2016 (Thursday), after the resident tournament, a social function and general meeting will be held.  This social function and meeting will be in the Hermosa Ballroom at the Ranch House beginning at 5:30 PM.  Pizza, salad, cookies and tableware will be provided.  The ballroom bar will be open for beverage purchases.  Members may bring a desert to share should you wish.

At 6:00 PM there will be medal presentations to the top three finishers in  each skill rating and category, i.e.gold, silver, bronze for men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles for 2.0/2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 3.75 skill levels.

All club members and their spouses are welcome and encouraged to attend, regardless of whether you played in the resident tournament.  After the medal presentations there is a full agenda of items to be presented including the introduction of the new board of directors.  So save the date and plan to attend.

National Saturday Night Social and Player Clinic Information

4th Annual Robson Ranch Pickleball Tournament Information

Date:  March 16 thru 19, 2016
Rain Date:  March 20
Open to players age 50 and older (by Dec. 31, 2016)
Registration opens January 1st thru March 1st
Fee is $35.00 per player & $10.00 per event (non-refundable)
Online Registration: http://www.pickleballtournaments.com/ or mail registration to:
Registrar, 4554 W. Aztec Dr., Eloy, AZ 85131
Tournament Director: Al Hagar 419.619.1122
Registration:  Sandi Feller 760.333.5220
Email address:  rrtournament@gmail.com

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3rd Annual Robson Ranch Resident Pickleball Tournament Information

Date:  January 20 and 21, 2016
Rain Date:  January 22, 2016
Open to Residents of Robson Ranch only
Registration closes January 10, 2016
Fee is $10.00 for the first event and $5.00 for the second event
Categories are Women's Doubles, Men's Doubles and Mixed Doubles
1st, 2nd, and third place awards will be presented in each of the above three categories and also for each of four skill levels within each category
Registration forms have been emailed and blank forms are also at the east end of the pickleball courts
Questions may be directed to Chuck Bonesteel, Tournament Director

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Are you ready for some Pickleball?  The Nationals are coming, the nationals are coming. They are only thirteen days away.  There are approximately 780 players signed up so there will be a  lot of action on the courts.  Included in that roster are the following Robson Ranch players, who will be matching their skill set with some of the best players in the country.  Ranch players include David Amans, Mike Campbell, Donna and Jim Duran, Al Hager, Jeff Hamrlik, Mike Rains, and Artie Wachter.  So be sure to come out and support our fellow club members in their endeavor to be a medal winner.

In addition to supporting our members, hopefully you have also offered some of your time volunteering to assist with supporting the tournament.  If you have not done so, I would strongly encourage you to do so.  I think we should show everyone that we strongly support this enjoyable game as well as our community.  With two separate venues for the matches, people will be comparing Robson Ranch and Palm Creek.  Let's ensure that Robson Ranch is the decisive winner in this community competition.

Its going to be a great week of Pickleball.For an old man like me it will be fun to watch some of the younger bracket players glide around the court.  Hopefully I will see each and every one of you enjoying the matches as well as assisting with the tournament functions.  And don't forget the social functions that are taking place as well as some of the training activities occurring on Thursday the 12th.  See the schedule below.

2015 Nationals VII Event Schedule

November 7-16, 2015:

______________________________________________________________________________

Sat, Nov 7 – Robson Ranch

Practice Play (Starts at 10AM)
Referee Training (1-2PM)

Optional Player Dinner/Social at Robson Ranch (5PM)

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Sun, Nov 8 – Robson Ranch

Women’s Doubles: Ages 19+, 35+, 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+, & 85+
Men’s Doubles: Ages 70+, 75+, 80+, & 85+

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Mon, Nov 9 – Robson Ranch

Men’s Doubles: Ages 19+, 35+, 50+, 55+, 60+, & 65+

______________________________________________________________________________

Tue, Nov 10 – Robson Ranch

Mixed Doubles: Ages 19+, 35+, 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+, & 85+

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Wed, Nov 11 – Robson Ranch

Men’s & Women’s Singles: Ages 19+, 35+, 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+, & 85+

______________________________________________________________________________

Thu, Nov 12 – Palm Creek

• 9:00am – 11:00am: Beginner to 3.5 Player Clinic (max. 100 players)
• 11:30am – 12:20pm: USAPA Referee Certification Update & Instructor Certification Discussion (max. 50)
• 11:30am – 12:30pm: Open & Sr. Open Referee Refresher Clinic (max. 50 attendees)
• 11:30am – 12:30pm: Ratings Seminar (max. 50 attendees)
• 11:30am – 1:30pm: Sponsor Demos/Open House (open to all)
• 12:30pm – 1:30pm: Rating Seminar (max. 50 attendees)
• 12:40pm – 1:30pm: USAPA Referee Certification Update & Instructor Certification Discussion (max. 50)
• 2:00pm – 4:00pm: 4.0 to 5.0 Player Clinic (max. 100 players)
• 6:00-8:00pm: Ambassador Dinner (RSVP only)

*NOTE: The combined Referee Training/Certification update and Instructor Training/Certification roundtable meetings have been scheduled so attendees can participate in one of these sessions as well as either of the Ratings seminars, which run concurrently.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fri, Nov 13 – Palm Creek

Men’s & Women’s Open Doubles (4.5 & Above) & Men’s

Women’s Senior Open Doubles (4.5 & Above)

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Sat, Nov 14 – Palm Creek

Mixed Open (4.5 & Above) & Mixed Senior Open (4.5 & Above)
Junior Division: Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Singles

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Sun, Nov 15 – Palm Creek

Men’s & Women’s Open Singles (4.5 & Above)

Senior Men’s & Women’s Open Singles (4.5 & Above)

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Mon, Nov 16 – Palm Creek

Rain Date

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*** SATURDAY NIGHT PLAYER SOCIAL ***

On Saturday, November 7th (5:00-7:00pm), players and guests are encouraged to attend the Nationals VII Player Social at Robson Ranch.  The courts will be open for practice that day starting at 10:00am and will continue through the player social time.  Enjoy a picnic-style dinner/beverages and entertainment for $15.00 (players) and $20.00 (non-players). Tickets are available on the Nationals VII registration page at pickleballtournaments.com.

*** NATIONALS VII PICKLEBALL CLINICS ***

USAPA is offering two, 2-hour clinics on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Palm Creek. The first is for beginners to 3.5 rated players at 9:00AM. The second is for players rated 4.0 or higher at 2:00PM. The clinics are open to Nationals VII registrants and non-tournament players. The cost is JUST $5!!! for those registered for the tournament and $20 for those who are not registered for the tournament. Each clinic is limited to 100 people and will be filled on a first come first serve basis with no preference to tournament players.  Both clinics filled last year so register early to reserve your spot!

Instructors for the clinics are Mark Friedenberg, Steve Wong, Mona Burnett, Gigi LeMaster, Prem Carnot and Bob Youngren. Clinic topics will include, serves, return of serve, 3rd shots, practice drills and more! Certainly an informative day on how to improve your game and play safe.