Category Archives: News

Pickleball Bandera Bash, February 24

Hello fellow picklers…it’s been a while since we have gotten together socially. Thursday, February 24 is Mexico’s Día de la Bandera — a national holiday dedicated to the flag of Mexico. In honor of this celebration, you are all invited to our “Pickleball Bandera Bash!” It will be a Mexican-themed party. Colorful. Festive. Joyful. Fun.

This event will be held at the beautiful San Carlos Yacht Club, with spectacular views of the marina and Tetakawi. We’ll keep the sliding glass doors open to the outside so there will be plenty of airflow, and tables will be spread out. Feel free to wear your favorite green, white, or red outfit to match the theme of the Bandera Bash (remember to bring a sweater for the cooler evening).

The food will be a delicious Mexican buffet including dessert, served to you by Yacht Club personnel. There will be a cash bar with sodas, beer, wine, and mixed drinks.

The cost is 250 pesos per person. You’ll pay at the door on the day of the event – please bring exact change. The doors open at 5:30pm, and dinner will be served at 6:30pm.

After dinner, the Board will make a short presentation to give you an update on progress on the new courts. We’ll also have some raffle items to give away and our club merchandise will be available to buy/order. Then we’ll turn down the lights, turn up the music, and get on the dance floor to work off some of those extra enchilada calories!

We need a head count for the Yacht Club, so please RSVP by email to Sue at suefehrle@gmail.com by Sunday, February 20. Feel free to invite any visiting friends or family members. Also, if you would like to donate something for the raffle, please let Sue know in your email.

This event benefits our Pickleball Club as the Yacht Club is donating back 10% of the proceeds from the evening.

It’s Fiesta Time! Don’t miss this fun Bandera Bash!

President’s Message

2022 has started out with a whirlwind of activity with our Club and new court construction. Though the vacant land looks much the same, lots has been going on behind the scenes. Our bank account is finally approved and open. This will allow us to set up direct deposits and expand the way we can accept payment for memberships. We have initiated the 501(c)(3) designation for a US non-profit. This means any donations to the club can now be written off on your US taxes. We had a small but very fun and successful tournament. Congratulations to all that participated. We have selected a local architect/contractor to begin the permitting process and land preparation.

Carlos and Fabian from Sanchez Architectura will be our General Contractor for the development process. This week, they are meeting with CEA, CFE, and the government to obtain permits and get the required documentation and specifications for service hook ups. While that “paperwork” was being completed, they had a topographical survey done. You may have noticed the red pins that are now marked on the lot. The topographical survey will be used to determine the high point of the land so we know how much fill to bring in and can have a proper plan for diverting water around the property. The Sanchez brothers will be starting to “clean” the land next week as we can do that without the permits having been issued.

We also hosted two sport court contractors from out of town. FODEREC and Proyectos Deportivos are two highly respected sport court builders in Mexico. This week, the Board will select one of these companies to do the construction of the courts themselves. While the Sanchez’ are working on the perimeter wall and supporting structures, the selected sport court builder will bring in their own crew to lay the asphalt surface and acrylic cushion playing field. They will also be doing all of the internal fencing and lighting.

You should start to see some physical progress very quickly as the Sanchez’ will be starting very soon on connecting services and building the 2.5 meter perimeter wall. The goal is to have that work completed by March 31st. Our court builders will come in and start laying the courts on April 1st and be completed May 31st. Supporting structures, landscaping, and all the final touches will be done throughout the summer and we will be ready for our Grand Opening week beginning November 1st. Mark your calendars and make sure you are back in town.

We will be holding our first major tournament in the new facility November 4 – 6. The tournament will be a Super Regional Tournament leading up to the Mexican Nationals in Mexico City 2 weeks later.

In addition to all of the fun and court building things going on, we also had our first General Board Meeting as an official non-profit and voted in our board members for the year:

James Main: President
Karen Stewart: Vice President
Theresa Melius: Treasurer
Deb Forrester
Norbert Gelowitz
Carlos Dessens
Leon Tissot
Ryan Kuiken
Christa Thomas

Now that construction is starting to take off, we are going to turn our focus a bit towards getting more funding. Corporate sponsorships and donations will be necessary for getting us the additional buildings, structures, landscaping, lighting, and frills that will make our facility the best around. If you’ve done the math, you know that our membership dollars don’t even cover the cost of operation, let alone the massive construction bill and payment for purchase of the land. So any help, suggestions or contacts you might have that can help us out, please let us know.

We will be having a social function on Thursday, February 24 at the Yacht Club where more information will be provided but mostly we want to get together and have a good time. Next week we’ll send more details about the Mexican Fiesta! Hope to see you all there and on the courts.

Thanks, James

Beginner Round Robin Pickleball Tournament, February 25

Come join us for a Fun Round Robin Tournament on Friday, February 25 at Mirador Courts.

This will be for beginning to low intermediate skill level players (2.5 – 3.4 skill level). Don’t worry if you’ve never played in a tournament before – this will be a great way to learn how fun they are.

Take this opportunity to enjoy friends, fun and a bit of competition. You do not need a partner to play in this round robin.

Play will be in the morning. T will email players with their exact start time.

If you would like to play, please email T at theresamelius23@gmail.com. Deadline for sign up is February 22, 2022. If you have questions please email T.

Hope you all take advantage of a fun day of pickleball. See you on the courts.

Winter San Carlos Pickleball League

Men’s and Women’s Competitive Doubles Leagues

The league begins Wednesday, February 16, and ends Wednesday, March 16 (five weeks of League play).

The league is open to ALL skill levels and will be broken down by skill level and age (3.0 / 3.5 / 4.0 / 4.5+):
Age group 50+: 12:30pm – 2:45pm
Age group 19 – 49: 3:30pm – 5:45pm.
(for now, Men vs Men & Women vs Women leagues only, no mixed doubles)

* Eight players maximum per skill level. So sign up now to reserve your spot.*

● Please indicate what skill level you want to compete in. Your age will determine what session.
● Players wanting to play at higher skill levels may do so, only, if the player can do so without
compromising the integrity of the existing higher skilled players divisions. League Coordinator
will work with you on getting each of you into the best division possible.
● Round Robin Format: Play with a new partner every week: Six games per session will be played.
● League Coordinator will randomly assign each player a partner each week’s play.
● Games to 11 win by 2; Subject to change depending on total number of players registered.
● Franklin X-40 balls will be used.
● Wins will be recorded for each session. Top two players with the most wins get awards.

COST: Mirador Court Members $400 pesos. NON Members: $800 pesos.

Register Now by emailing Orlie at Orlie.carpio@gmail.com. Send him your name, phone number, skill level and age.
The deadline for league registration is February 13. Payment is due before the league starts. Orlie will arrange payment with you.
Any questions, please email Orlie or call 970-631-6998.

**SUBS Welcome: Please let Orlie know if you can’t make a commitment to all the games, but would
like to be a substitute player as needed. Daily fee is $100 pesos to play as a sub.**

Let’s play some pickleball and have a competitive, fun league!

Let’s Play Pickleball!

Unless there’s a tournament or special clinic, weekly play is as follows:

Open Play

Open Play is every morning except Sunday from 8:00am to 10:00am.

Players under skill level 3.5 play on Courts 4 – 6: the 3 courts on the left.
Players skill level 3.5 and above play on Courts 1 – 3: the 3 courts on the right.

During Open Play, use the paddle rotation systems to determine who is up next.

Sunday Round Robin

All Mirador Court pass holders and seasonal members are invited to join us on Sundays at 8:00am for Round Robin play. We play for 15 minutes and then rotate players and courts. It’s a great way to meet and play with new people, without worrying about your scores. It’s important that you are there on time, by 8:00am the latest, because everyone is assigned a number and we play according to these numbers for the whole morning.

Tuesday Women’s Round Robin

Calling all women picklers! Every Tuesday, Anne runs a women’s Round Robin at 11:00am at Mirador Courts. It is open to all women Mirador Court members — all skill levels. No need to RSVP, but be there at 11:00am so we can start right away.

Skills & Drills, Thursdays

Thursday at 10:30am, join Theresa Melius for Beginner skills & drills.

They’re free and open to anyone who has a valid pass or membership.

If you’d like to join the Beginner’s clinic, please email T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

San Carlos Pickleball Merchandise

Want to look great while supporting the club?

We have long and short quick dry shirts in black or white (300 pesos), black sweatshirts (400 pesos), and stickers (20 pesos) for sale.

Hats and visors have already sold out and some shirt sizes, but we’ll be ordering more soon.

If you’d like to purchase any of these, please text or WhatsApp Michelle at (970) 846-1086.

Videos of Matches

PPA Tour: Carvana Desert Ridge Open – Men’s & Women’s Doubles

PPA Tour: Carvana Desert Ridge Open – Mixed Doubles

Tournaments

Winter Double Header, January 2022

Sign up NOW if you’d like to play.

In January, we are having two tournaments. Until our new courts are built, we are working with limited space so in order to best accommodate all players at all levels and ages, we will be running back-to-back tournament weekends.

• If you’re 4.0+ and under 50 years old, enter the January 15 & 16 tournament. Sign up here.
• If you’re 4.0+ and 50 years or older, enter the January 21 – 23 tournament. Sign up by emailing T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.
• If you’re 3.0 or 3.5 of any age, enter the January 21 – 23 tournament. Sign up by emailing T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

January 15 & 16, Open Level – Open Division 4.0+

January 15 & 16 will be an open level, no division round robin tournament. Sign up with any partner and play against all the teams in your pool. Results from pool play will carry over to Sunday for creating an Open, A, and B level double elimination bracket. 24 teams maximum.

Sign up for the January 15 & 16 tournament here.

The cost to play is:
$25 USD per person Member Price
$50 USD per person Non-Member Price
Pay in cash (preferably pesos) at the courts on the first day of the tournament.

January 21 – 23, Multiple Skill Level brackets

January 21 – 23 will have multiple skill level brackets with 4.0+ skill level being over age 50. Sign up with your partner and battle it out through the double elimination bracket.

Friday: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Women’s 3.0 – 3.5
Women’s 3.5 – 4.0
Women’s 4.0+ age 50+

Saturday: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Men’s 3.0 – 3.5
Men’s 3.5 – 4.0
Men’s 4.0+ age 50+

Sunday: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Mixed 3.0 – 3.5
Mixed 3.5 – 4.0
Mixed 4.0+ age 50+

Sign up for the January 21 – 23 tournament by emailing T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

The cost to play is:
$25 USD per person Member Price
$50 USD per person Non-Member Price
Pay in cash (preferably pesos) at the courts on the first day of the tournament.

New Courts Update

Update from the Construction Committee

Work continues daily on finalizing details and drawings and obtaining prices for our new courts. If everything goes as planned we hope to pick a contractor and start construction on Phase 1 in January/February.

We understand how important it is to start building as soon as possible, however our focus has been on taking the required time to properly plan, organize and choose the best contractor to deliver the best facility for the membership. We remain confident that new courts will be available for play by no later than November 1st, 2022.

Phase 1 will include all the essentials required for play. This includes bringing services to the property, an exterior wall, secure entrance, flooring, paint, post/nets and washrooms. Not until these essentials are in place and budget allows, will we proceed to add things such as buildings, signage, landscaping, etc.

Thanks to a loan from 4 generous San Carlos Pickleball Association members, and with membership fees and donations, we have the funds necessary to complete Phase 1 of the project.

It is important for everyone to understand that fundraising is still required to complete these courts and payback the loan.

We remain very optimistic that by this time next year we will be enjoying a new facility that will meet our pickleball needs for many years to come.

Thank you, James, Leon, Ramon, Darren, Norbert and with the help of Carlos

501(c)(3)

We are in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) status in the US. We have filed the necessary forms with the IRS to obtain tax-exempt status.

All donations to the club will then be tax deductible in the US.

A generous San Carlos Pickleball Association member is covering the cost for this application.

If you’d like to donate and help the club build the courts, please email T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

Let’s Play Pickleball!

Unless there’s a tournament or special clinic, weekly play is as follows:

Open Play

Open Play is every morning except Sunday from 8:00am to 10:00am.

Players under skill level 3.5 play on Courts 4 – 6: the 3 courts on the left.
Players skill level 3.5 and above play on Courts 1 – 3: the 3 courts on the right.

During Open Play, use the paddle rotation systems to determine who is up next.

Sunday Round Robin

All Mirador Court pass holders and seasonal members are invited to join us on Sundays at 8:00am for Round Robin play. We play for 15 minutes and then rotate players and courts. It’s a great way to meet and play with new people, without worrying about your scores. It’s important that you are there on time, by 8:00am the latest, because everyone is assigned a number and we play according to these numbers for the whole morning.

Tuesday Women’s Round Robin

Calling all women picklers! Every Tuesday, Anne runs a women’s Round Robin at 11:00am at Mirador Courts. It is open to all women Mirador Court members — all skill levels. No need to RSVP, but be there at 11:00am so we can start right away.

Skills & Drills, Thursdays

Thursday at 10:30am, join Theresa Melius for Beginner skills & drills or Debbie Forrester for Intermediate skills & drills.

These will be offered January 13, January 20 and February 3.

They’re free and open to anyone who has a valid pass or membership.

If you’d like to join the Beginner’s clinic, please email T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

President’s Message

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, San Carlos Pickleballers. And what a year it is going to be. Lots of exciting challenges ahead, continued great Pickleball, and many more memories to create with family and friends.

As most of you know, we have started the construction of our new facility with an anticipated Grand Opening of November 1, 2022. This new facility is going to allow us to do much more than we currently have been able to do. More courts, lighting, parking, central location, less wind and other factors will all help to grow and create more opportunities for all levels of player throughout the community.

Though we still have some time before the new courts open, we would like to start offering some of the classes, workshops, tournaments, etc. that we will be able to have on a regular basis with the new facility. This will give us a chance to test out some of the new ideas and you a chance to get a taste of all that we will be able to offer.

Starting in January, we will be starting a FREE Intro to Pickleball 101 class on Tuesdays from 4:00pm – 5:30pm. This is the chance for new players to the sport who want to try it out before buying a pass. Come learn the game and see if you will become an addict like the rest of us. On Thursdays from 10:00am – 11:00am, we will have Skills and Drills for intermediate and advanced players. Theresa will be teaching Intermediate Pickleball on several courts while Deb will be doing Advanced Pickleball on the others. Bert will continue to offer lessons (for a small donation) on Tuesdays & Fridays at 10:00am to benefit Agua y Mas. These skills classes are a great way to improve your technique and take your game to the next level.

Also starting in the new year, a small group of Raters led by myself will begin the process of giving club members a rating. You’ll be given the rating of either 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0+. This very simple and general rating will be helpful for you to find other players of similar skill level to practice and play with; it will provide you with a guideline when registering for tournaments; and it will give you something to shoot for as you build your skills to reach your next goal. We will be holding a general Ratings Day where we will observe players during play in order to determine your rating. At any time, if you feel you have developed beyond your initial rating, you can come to the next rating day or ask for a private session with one of our raters. Later, we hope to further refine and break down the skill levels, but for now, let’s start slow! 🙂

We will be holding more tournaments and club events starting with our Winter Double Header. Two weekends of play back to back. Lots happening in San Carlos. We are excited to get our new facility up and running and hope that some of these offerings starting this New Year will get you even more excited about what’s to come.

James
Corazon de Dragon

Tournaments

December Round Robin, December 12

The Sunday, December 12 Round Robin tournament is now full.

All participants should have received an email from Theresa, the Tournament Director. If you did not, or if you have a question, please email T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

Please bring your own snacks and water / drinks.

All 6 courts are reserved for the Tournament this Sunday from 8:00am until around 1:00pm.

Winter Double Header, January 2022

In January, we are having two tournaments. Until our new courts are built, we are working with limited resources so in order to best accommodate all players at all levels and ages, we will be running back-to-back tournament weekends.

January 15 & 16, Open Level – Open Division 4.0+

January 15 & 16 will be an open level, no division round robin tournament. Sign up with any partner and play against all the teams in your pool. Results from pool play will carry over to Sunday for creating an Open, A, and B level double elimination bracket. 24 teams maximum.

Sign up for the January 15 & 16 tournament here.

January 21 – 23, Multiple Skill Level brackets

January 21 – 23 will have multiple skill level brackets with 4.0+ skill level being over age 50. Sign up with your partner and battle it out through the double elimination bracket.

Friday:  9:00am – 3:00pm
Women’s 3.0 – 3.5
Women’s 3.5 – 4.0
Women’s 4.0+ age 50+

Saturday:   9:00am – 3:00pm
Men’s 3.0 – 3.5
Men’s 3.5 – 4.0
Men’s 4.0+ age 50+

Sunday:  9:00am – 3:00pm
Mixed 3.0 – 3.5
Mixed 3.5 – 4.0
Mixed 4.0+ age 50+

Sign up for the January 21 – 23 tournament by emailing T at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

The cost to play in either tournament is:
$25 USD per person Member Price
$50 USD per person Non-Member Price
Instructions for how to pay for the tournament will be provided soon.

Let’s Play Pickleball

Scheduled Play

Unless there’s a tournament or special clinic, weekly play is as follows:

Open Play

Open Play is every morning except Sunday from 8:00am to 10:00am.

Players under skill level 3.5 play on Courts 4 – 6: the 3 courts on the left.
Players skill level 3.5 and above play on Courts 1 – 3: the 3 courts on the right.

During Open Play, use the paddle rotation systems to determine who is up next.

Sunday Round Robin

All Mirador Court pass holders and seasonal members are invited to join us on Sundays at 8:00am for Round Robin play. We play for 15 minutes and then rotate players and courts. It’s a great way to meet and play with new people, without worrying about your scores. It’s important that you are there on time, by 8:00am the latest, because everyone is assigned a number and we play according to these numbers for the whole morning.

Tuesday Women’s Round Robin

Calling all women picklers! Starting this Tuesday, December 14, Anne will be running a women’s Round Robin at 11:00am at Mirador Courts. It is open to all women Mirador Court members — all skill levels. No need to RSVP, but be there at 11:00am so we can start right away.

Reserve a Pickleball Court at Mirador Courts

If you want to play when there’s no open play, round robin, etc, make sure that you book a court first.
Please visit Hold My Court to book playing times.
For instructions on booking a court, click here.

Using the Paddle Rotation System

Please do not re-arrange players’ paddles once they are in the holder. Only move your own paddle.

3.5 and above use the paddle holder on the pool side. 3.0 level use the holders on the wind-sock side.

Place your paddles in the saddle above the “Next” sign (if there’s availability), or, to the immediate left of the “Next” sign in the next available tube (if there are already 4 paddles above the Next sign).

When four players remove their paddles from the saddle, move the “Next” sign to the left so that the next four players know that they are next.

When the “Next” sign is at the far left position, the sign will need to be moved to the far right (in the first position) and the process repeats.

Clinics and Drills

Third Shot Drop Clinic, December 16

Third Drop Shot Clinic with Debbie Forrester.

A third shot drop clinic will be held on Thursday, December 16 at 10:00am at Mirador Courts. This clinic is free of charge for 1 & 5 year members and is limited to 8 players. This will be a full 2-hour clinic.

After completion, participants should be able to drop a shot from most areas of the court. Participants should be able to incorporate this shot into regular games and recognize when to use it.

Requirements to participate:
3.5 skill level.
Able to feed opposing player with practice balls.
Able to dink in games and practice.
Watch this Pro pickleball match or any other Pro match that you find on YouTube.

Please email d_forrester@yahoo.com to reserve a spot.

Skills & Drills, starting in January

Skills & Drills are starting again in January.

Pickleball 101: Every Tuesday at 4:00pm, learn to play pickleball. If you’ve never played pickleball or you’re just getting started, join Armando and Leon for a free Introduction to Pickleball. You don’t have to be a member to take 2 free lessons (after that, you’ll be hooked).

Pickleball 102: Join Theresa Melius on Thursdays at 10:00am for Beginner skills & drills.

Pickleball 103: Join Debbie Forrester on Thursdays at 10:00am for Intermediate skills & drills.

Pickleball 102 and 103 are free and open to anyone who has a valid pass or membership.

Lessons with Bert to benefit Agua y Mas: Tuesdays & Fridays at 10:00am. These lessons cost 150 pesos / person / hour and all funds will be donated to the orphanage. There’s a 5 hour minimum commitment. Bert’s goal is to raise $1070 USD (the amount needed to feed a child for a year). If you’d like to join, WhatsApp Bert at (541) 666-9153.

Gear for Sale

James has all the new Gearbox paddles in stock. He has $75 USD, $100 USD, $150 USD, and the new $200 USD models.

If you are interested in any of these paddles or other items, please email James at destinationpickleball@yahoo.com.

Videos of Matches

The 2021 USA Pickleball National Championships are on this weekend. Watch them live on their YouTube channel.

Also this weekend are the APP World Pickleball Open. Here’s a video from that tournament:

December Tournament – sign up now

December Tournament, December 12

Join us on Sunday, December 12 for a competitive round robin tournament.

Sign up with a partner. Choose 1 event only (mixed or men’s or women’s doubles). If you are a female/female partnership, you will be placed in a pool with other female/female partners. Likewise for men and the same for mixed partnerships, unless you specify otherwise.

Teams will be put into pools of similar level. You will play several timed games against all of the other teams within your pool.

Please bring your own snacks and water/drinks.

The Tournament will run from 8am – noon.

Click here to reserve your spot. Only 1 person in the partnership needs to signup – you’ll be asked for your partner’s name.

The December tourney is available to all Mirador Court members, and there is no cost to play.

Sponsor a Brick

We’ve raised over $65,000 USD and are ready to start building. Help keep the momentum going and support this great community project.

A $1,000 USD Gold Level donation will get you an engraved brick that will be prominently displayed within the facility.

If you’d like to buy a brick, please contact Theresa (“T”) at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

New Courts Update

At the November 13 pickleball party, San Carlos Pickleball Association President, James Main, gave us an update on the status of the new courts. Here’s a brief summary and the architect’s renderings (click on the images to enlarge):

November 13 – sign up now

Welcome Back Tournament, November 13

Join us on Saturday, November 13 for a friendly round robin Welcome Back Pickleball Tournament.

You don’t need a partner for this tournament. Sign up as an individual for a fun round robin, where you will play with and against other players who are similar in skill set.

Please bring your own snacks and water/drinks (some breakfast bars will be provided throughout the day).

Based on the number of participants, we will likely split the Tournament into two time-slots; the first from 8am – 10am, and the next from 10:30am – 12:30pm. You will receive an email confirming your start time one day before the tournament.

The last day to sign up for the tournament is on Wednesday, November 10.

Email Theresa at theresamelius23@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

The Welcome Back tourney is available to all Mirador Court members, and there is no cost to play. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Land Blessing Ceremony, November 13

The Board will be hosting a Land Blessing Ceremony at the property of the new facility on Saturday, November 13 at 3:00pm.

The land has now been cleared.

Be sure to stop by and help us kick our construction off.

Here is the link to the coordinates in Google Earth.

Dinner & Entertainment, November 13

The Board will have a dinner on Saturday, November 13 at Seaside Resort (located along the main street Beltrones — near Piccolo restaurant You can park along the street.)

The event will start between 5:30pm – 6:00pm. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm.

Dinner will be catered by pickleballer extraordinaire, Omar Inzunza, owner of San Carlos Grill Express. Click here for the menu so you have an idea of what will be served. There will also be horchata, jamaica and piña water available with your meals.

There’ll be live music from our very own The Mike and Heidi Duo.

Everyone is invited, so bring your spouses, partners, friends, etc.

The cost is 400 pesos (or $20 USD) per person and includes dinner and TWO drink tickets. Please bring exact change to the event and pay at the door. You can purchase additional drinks for 50 pesos each.

This is a fundraiser and all proceeds from the event will go towards the building of the new courts.

The Board will give information about the new pickleball courts and take any question you may have. This will be followed by an unveiling of the architect renderings of the new court facility and new logo merchandise.

Please RSVP Hillary at dixiemtn@sbcglobal.net by Wednesday, November 10 to reserve your spot. IMPORTANT: Let her know if you want beer, red wine, white wine, Coke, or Diet Coke as your drink preference. This will help her know what to buy for the event. If you have previously RSVP’d to Theresa, please email Hillary now with your drink choice.

You can also ask her for directions to the party, if needed. We hope to see you there!

Halloween Otoño Tournament

20 teams participated in this season’s first pickleball tournament, the Otoño Open, at Mirador Courts. Players from Rocky Point, Hermosillo, and Obregon made their way to San Carlos to enjoy 2 days of competition. You can watch some of the games here.

Let’s Play Pickleball!

Membership, due October 1

It’s time to renew your membership or purchase a pass. The new season started on October 1.

You can purchase your new membership passes at Seaside Realty in Plaza Arrecifes (behind the ARCO gas station) now. See below for how to purchase online or using PayPal or Zelle.

Please drape or attach your pass to your backpack so it can easily be seen when you enter the courts.

This year, we will have several options. You can purchase a 1 year or a 5 year Pickleball Seasonal Membership or a monthly or weekly pass. Only full members (1 or 5 year) will benefit from tournament and clinic discounts and some tournaments and other events will be Seasonal Members only.

The costs are:

• 5 year Seasonal Membership: $750 USD / 15,000 pesos (only available until December 31, 2021)
• 1 year Seasonal Membership: $150 USD / 3,000 pesos
• 1 month pass: $30 USD / 600 pesos
• 1 week pass: $15 USD / 300 pesos

With our new facility’s Grand Opening expected to be October 1, 2022, this will be our last year at Mirador Courts and prices for membership will increase. You can lock in your rate today, and help the club by purchasing a 5 year Seasonal Membership now.

Donate and / or Pay Your Dues Now, using:

• In person at Seaside Realty in San Carlos (located in Plaza Arrecifes behind the ARCO gas station).

• Zelle: 719-201-1228 is the phone number associated with the account. Zelle works with most all major US banks is an easy way to wire money between different banks.

• PayPal (choose “friends and family” when prompted): scpbtournament@gmail.com is the email associated with the account. PayPal is an independent company that you will have to create an account with. PayPal charges a fee, so if you have a choice, please pay in person or use Zelle.

Scheduled Play

Open Play

Open Play is every morning except Sunday from 8:00am to 10:00am. In order to accommodate all the skill levels, we are scheduling the Open Play as follows:

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays:
Players under skill level 3.5 will play on four courts — Courts 3 – 6.
Players skill level 3.5 and above will play on two courts – Courts 1 and 2.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays:
Players skill level 3.5 and above will play on four courts — Courts 1, 2, 3 and 6.
Players under skill level 3.5 will play on two courts – Courts 4 and 5.

During Open Play, use the paddle rotation systems to determine who is up next.

Sunday Round Robin

All Mirador Court pass holders and seasonal members are invited to join us on Sundays at 8:00am for Round Robin play. We play for 15 minutes and then rotate players and courts. It’s a great way to meet and play with new people, without worrying about your scores.

Kings & Queens of the Court – Advanced Play

Do you want to work on your competitive Pickleball skills? Kings and Queens of the Court is competitive play that will be held on Mondays starting at 4:00pm for advanced players (4.0 and above). Click here for a simple description of how the game works.

Advanced Round Robin

All 4.0 skill level and above Mirador Court pass holders and seasonal members are invited to join us on Wednesdays at 4:00pm for Round Robin play. We play for 15 minutes and then rotate players and courts.

Reserve a Pickleball Court at Mirador Courts

If you want to play when there’s no open play, round robin, etc, make sure that you book a court first.
Please visit Hold My Court to book playing times.
For instructions on booking a court, click here.

Using the Paddle Rotation System

Please do not re-arrange players’ paddles once they are in the holder. Only move your own paddle.

3.5 and above use the paddle holder on the pool side. 3.0 level use the holders on the wind-sock side.

Place your paddles in the saddle above the “Next” sign (if there’s availability), or, to the immediate left of the “Next” sign in the next available tube (if there are already 4 paddles above the Next sign).

When four players remove their paddles from the saddle, move the “Next” sign to the left so that the next four players know that they are next.

When the “Next” sign is at the far left position, the sign will need to be moved to the far right (in the first position) and the process repeats.

Entering Mirador Housing Development

There is now often a gate guard when you drive into the Mirador housing development. He is pulling everyone over and having them fill out paperwork in order to enter.

The Board is currently working with the home owners to resolve this and work out a better system.
Until then, simply state and write that you are with pickleball and please be patient.

Pickleball Clinics and Drills

Helle Sparre Clinic, November 15/16 or 18/19

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity. The one and only Helle Sparre is coming back to San Carlos.

She is widely recognized for her 6 hour Dynamite Doubles training program which she will be conducting in November in San Carlos.

The cost is $100 USD for members (1 or 5 year Seasonal Members) and $150 for non-members.

Helle has very generously volunteered to donate all proceeds to our new court construction.

Helle and her Assistant Instructor John Allevi will be teaching the following clinics:

• Clinic 1: November 15, 9am – 12pm and November 16, 1pm – 4pm
• Clinic 2: November 15, 1pm – 4pm, November 16, 9am – 12pm
• Clinic 3: November 18, 9am – 12pm and November 19, 1pm – 4pm
• Clinic 4: November 18, 1pm – 4pm, and November 19, 9am – 12pm
• Beginner Clinic for 3 hours on Wednesday, November 17 from 3pm – 6pm for $50 USD for Members and $75 USD for non-members

There are a few spots left – only 12 people max per clinic. Please email James at destinationpickleball@yahoo.com to reserve a spot or if you have any questions

Skills & Drills

Skills & Drills are starting again in November (exact dates TBA).

Join Deb Forrester on Tuesdays at 10:00am for Advanced Skills & Drills.

Join Theresa Melius on Thursdays at 10:00am for Beginner Skills & Drills.

Skills and drills are open to anyone who has a valid pass or membership.

Tournaments & Socials

Halloween Otoño Tournament, October 30 & 31

The Halloween Otoño Tournament is open to all levels.

Play with one partner on both days (m/m, w/w, m/w — it doesn’t matter).

On Saturday, you’ll play Round Robin Pool Play with your partner and on Sunday there will be a Tournament Bracket seeded by the results from the previous day.

The cost is $25 USD for members (1 or 5 year Seasonal Members) and $50 USD per person for non-members, including players with a monthly or weekly pass.

All participants will receive a shirt and division winners will get a medal.

Participation is limited to 24 teams so sign up today. If you need more information, email James at destinationpickleball@yahoo.com.

You are sure to have a ghoulishly good time!

Check in on both days at 8:30am. Play starts at 9:00am.

Sign up here.

The games on October 31 will be streamed live on our Facebook page.

Welcome Back Tournament, November 13

Join us on Saturday, November 13 at 8:00am for a friendly round robin Welcome Back pickleball tournament.

Sign up as an individual for fun round robin play, food and drink, entertainment, and exciting news about our new facility.

Email Theresa at theresamelius23@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

Members only (1 or 5 year Seasonal Members). No cost to members.

Dinner Social, November 13

The Board will have a dinner on Saturday, November 13 at Seaside Resort.

Dinner, catered by Grill Express, will start at 5:30pm with live music from our very own Mike and Heidi.

The cost will be $20 USD and includes dinner and two drink tickets.

The Board will have a Q and A on the new courts then an unveiling of the architect renderings of the new court facility and new logo merchandise.

Future Tournaments

We’ll soon have more information about these tournaments:

• Christmas Tournament: Sunday, December 12, 9am – 12pm. All levels, round robin. You will not need a partner for this tournament. This will be a Members only tournament (1 or 5 year Seasonal Members). No cost to members.

• January Tournament: Friday – Sunday, January 21 – 23, 9am – 5pm. Skill / Age tournament. Play in Men’s or Women’s and Mixed with your partner(s). This tournament is open to everyone who pays the entrance fee. There will be a discount for 1 or 5 year Seasonal Members.

New Court Construction

Land Blessing & Earth Breaking Ceremony, November 13

The Board will be hosting a land blessing and earth breaking ceremony at the property of the new facility on Saturday, November 13 (time TBD). Be sure to stop by and help us kick our construction off.

New Courts Construction Update

The Board members (and others) have been busy this summer working on the new courts construction project. We are ready to break ground and have a 6 month construction timeline for the project.

The facility will be done in the following phases:
Phase 1: Courts and Support Facility (bathrooms, shade structure)
Phase 2: Lights, parking lot, landscape
Phase 3: Complete Support Facility

The bulk of the cost comes in Phase 1, so we need everyone’s help to raise enough funds to get our courts up and running. A donation will get you an engraved brick that will be prominently displayed within the facility.
$1000 USD gold level
$500 USD silver level
$250 USD bronze level
You can get your brick reserved up until December 31 of this year. Please consider supporting this great project.

We are planning our grand unveiling of construction renderings, pictures, and videos on November 13. We will also be able to answer questions and take your donations then. Stay tuned for further details.

The property is outlined in red below. Here is the link to the coordinates in Google Earth as well.

Membership, due October 1

It’s time to renew your membership or purchase a pass. The new season started on October 1.

You can purchase your new membership passes at Seaside Realty in Plaza Arrecifes (behind the ARCO gas station) now. See below for how to purchase online or using PayPal or Zelle.

Please drape or attach your pass to your backpack so it can easily be seen when you enter the courts.

This year, we will have several options. You can purchase a 1 year or a 5 year Pickleball Seasonal Membership or a monthly or weekly pass. Only full members (1 or 5 year) will benefit from tournament and clinic discounts and some tournaments and other events will be members only.

The costs are:

• 5 year Seasonal Membership: $750 USD / 15,000 pesos (only available until December 31, 2021)
• 1 year Seasonal Membership: $150 USD / 3,000 pesos
• 1 month pass: $30 USD / 600 pesos
• 1 week pass: $15 USD / 300 pesos

With our new facility’s Grand Opening expected to be October 1, 2022, this will be our last year at Mirador Courts and prices for membership will increase. You can lock in your rate today, and help the club, by purchasing a 5 year Seasonal Membership now.

New Courts Construction Update

The Board members (and others) have been busy this summer working on the new courts construction project. We are ready to break ground and have a 6 month construction timeline for the project.

The facility will be done in the following phases:
Phase 1: Courts and Support Facility (bathrooms, shade structure)
Phase 2: Lights, parking lot, landscape
Phase 3: Complete Support Facility

The bulk of the cost comes in Phase 1, so we need everyone’s help to raise enough funds to get our courts up and running. A donation will get you an engraved brick that will be prominently displayed within the facility.
$1000 USD gold level
$500 USD silver level
$250 USD bronze level
You can get your brick reserved up until December 31 of this year. Please consider supporting this great project.

We are planning our grand unveiling of construction renderings, pictures, and videos on November 13. We will also be able to answer questions and take your donations then. Stay tuned for further details.

The property is outlined in red below. Here is the link to the coordinates in Google Earth as well.

Donate and / or Pay Your Dues Now, using:

• In person at Seaside Realty in San Carlos (located in Plaza Arrecifes behind the ARCO gas station).

• The official Fundraising page

• Zelle: 719-201-1228 is the phone number associated with the account. Zelle works with most all major US banks is an easy way to wire money between different banks.

• PayPal (choose “friends and family” when prompted): scpbtournament@gmail.com is the email associated with the account. PayPal is an independent company that you will have to create an account with. PayPal charges a fee, so if you have a choice, please pay in person or use Zelle.

Halloween Otoño Tournament, October 30 & 31

The Halloween Otoño Tournament is open to all levels.

Play with one partner on both days (m/m, w/w, m/w — it doesn’t matter).

On Saturday, you’ll play Round Robin Pool Play with your partner and on Sunday there will be a Tournament Bracket seeded by the results from the previous day.

The cost is $25 USD for members (1 or 5 year Seasonal Members) and $50 USD per person for non-members, including players with a monthly or weekly pass.

All participants will receive a shirt and division winners will get a medal.

Participation is limited to 24 teams so sign up today. If you need more information, email James at destinationpickleball@yahoo.com.

You are sure to have a ghoulishly good time!

Check in on both days at 8:30am. Play starts at 9:00am.

Sign up here.

Welcome Back Tournament, November 13

Join us on Saturday, November 13 at 9:00am for a friendly round robin Welcome Back pickleball tournament. Check in at 8:30am.

Sign up as an individual for fun round robin play, food and drink, entertainment, and exciting news about our new facility.

Email Theresa at theresamelius23@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

Members only (1 or 5 year Seasonal Members). No cost to members.

Helle Sparre Clinic, November 15/16 or 18/19

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity. The one and only Helle Sparre is coming back to San Carlos.

She is widely recognized for her 6 hour Dynamite Doubles training program which she will be conducting in November in San Carlos.

The cost is $100 USD for members (1 or 5 year Seasonal Members) and $150 for non-members.

Helle has very generously volunteered to donate all proceeds to our new court construction.

Helle and her Assistant Instructor John Allevi will be teaching the following clinics:

• Clinic 1: November 15, 9am – 12pm and November 16, 1pm – 4pm
• Clinic 2: November 15, 1pm – 4pm, November 16, 9am – 12pm
• Clinic 3: November 18, 9am – 12pm and November 19, 1pm – 4pm
• Clinic 4: November 18, 1pm – 4pm, and November 19, 9am – 12pm
• Beginner Clinic for 3 hours on Wednesday, November 17 from 3pm – 6pm for $50 USD for Members and $75 USD for non-members

There are a few spots left – only 12 people max per clinic. Please email James at destinationpickleball@yahoo.com to reserve a spot or if you have any questions.

New Logo

We have a new logo!

Be on the lookout for shirts, hats, and other merchandise for purchase to show your San Carlos Pickleball spirit.

The Board is looking for a “Merchandise Committee” — 3 people that would like to take our new logo and run with it.

We need shirts, hats, stickers, key chains — but with court construction and running Mirador, the Board doesn’t have the time to also manage the creation and sales of merchandise. We need someone to build us a merchandise store and be willing to have it available for sale at our events.

If you’re interested, please email Theresa at theresamelius23@gmail.com.

Gear for Sale

James has lots of Gearbox gear for sale, including the new CX11, CX14 and the entire line of GX paddles.

The cost for GX is $150 USD and the CX are $200 USD.

If you are interested in any of these paddles or other items, please email James at destinationpickleball@yahoo.com.

Paddles will be available in San Carlos in mid November.

PPA Texas Open: mixed doubles gold medal match:

PPA Texas Open: mixed doubles gold medal match:
McGuffin/Smith vs Devilliers/Irvine

Exciting News

The time has come… the exciting news everyone has been waiting for… here we go… are you ready for this?… Let’s gooooooooo! {anticipation mounting}

The San Carlos Pickleball Association has entered into an agreement to purchase land for the construction of a new Pickleball facility. With the growth of our sport, the increased demand in our area, and the desire for us to continue our passion without the fear of being shut down, the Board members (and others) have actively been looking to relocate for over a year. It is finally happening.

This email will introduce you to the project, give you the who, what, where, when and how, and get you excited about what is to follow in the upcoming season.

Let’s start with a little recap. If you haven’t been to the six courts at Mirador recently, you will be in shock when you see the construction going on. It is a completely different place. The courts are surrounded by houses and construction, the restaurant has moved out and left a vacant building, and the players, even in a year of COVID, keep coming and filling the courts during all hours of the day. Our future stay at the courts is uncertain, the maintenance costs on our rented courts are growing, and there is no potential to expand courts, programming, or playing times.

What we were looking for:

We wanted to purchase our own land. By being owners, we wouldn’t have the fear of being displaced ever again and we could build as we see fit (fencing and lighting, space for parking, optimal layout, etc.). We wanted flat land off of a major paved road. We wanted at least 5000m2. We wanted to be closer to the middle of town. We wanted no restrictions. We wanted to pay less than market value. We wanted to pay for the land by making payments. And we didn’t want to pay interest. hahahaha. Guess what? We got it all!!!!!!!

Property is outlined in red below. Here is the link to the coordinates in Google Earth as well.

We got a 9000 m2 lot that is flat and perfectly rectangular 50m x 180m. It has water and power to it and is located just off the main road. It is close to town, but just far enough that there are no restrictions. We can have lights and tournaments and parking for all. We will be paying $25 USD/m2 in five equal installments every year, beginning Oct 31st (the going rate seems to be around $35 – $40 USD/m2).

What we plan on doing:

We will be building a facility with 16 pickleball courts. We have room for even more. Depending on how the funds come in, we may have to build eight courts then add eight later. The facility will have several shade palapas, permanent seating, nice landscaping, and extra wide and long courts individually fenced. This facility will be the premier Pickleball destination in all of Latin America!

Check out the renderings below. These were done for us quite a while back when we first started looking. These plans will be updated very soon to include all of our exact specifications now that the property has been locked down. As you can see, this will be a very nice location with courts that are very well thought out and executed.

Timeline:

We need to start raising money ASAP so that we can 1) make our first payment by Oct 31st and 2) start construction. Renderings will be completed this summer and the drawings will be posted for you to see. We are looking into having the land properly excavated and marked out this summer as well.

As Fall comes and everyone starts rolling back into town, the real fun will start. If the funds keep coming in, we hope to start construction during the Fall months. Construction will take about 6 months so we could be done sometime in Spring 2022. Although it would be fantastic to be able to plan and open up the courts at that time, realistically, we have to expect our Grand Opening to be the beginning of the 2022/23 season (Oct 1, 2022).

Next year we will be able to still play at Mirador Courts as far as we know. We will be holding smaller tournaments, workshops, and programs throughout the season as best we can given the current situation at Mirador.

We will also put together a committee that will piece together what our court programming will look like once the new facility is open. With world class courts we will need a world class schedule; a schedule that has something for everyone. We’re envisioning morning open play, evening drop-in play under the lights, courts that are strictly designated for reservations only (in case you have a private group that doesn’t want to be bothered), beginner workshops, skills and drills, leveled play, and visiting pro clinics. We want to put together a schedule that doesn’t leave anyone behind and makes it easy for every player in our community to want to be a part of everything that is happening here in San Carlos.

Included in that schedule will be the regular scheduling of tournaments. We have already been in contact with leaders from the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) and the APP (Association of Pickleball Professionals). They want to come to San Carlos and are waiting for us to give them the go ahead. The 1st Annual Mexican National Tournament being put on by the Liga de Pickleball Mexico will be held this September in Queretaro. For those of you not familiar with the IFP (International Federation of Pickleball), they hold an annual tournament called the Bainbridge Cup. This tournament travels from country to country, similar to the Olympics. Let’s bring the Bainbridge Cup to San Carlos!

Ok, enough with the fun stuff. Let’s get down to business. As stated above, we need to
1) make our first payment of $45,000 USD by October 31 and
2) start constructing at a cost quoted by one architect of about $200,000 USD.

We have plans for several fundraising events for this upcoming season. We are going to have a special dinner and silent auction; we are going to be asking local businesses for corporate sponsorships by “purchasing” a court; and we will be selling merchandise with our new logo (pictured on right). More info on those happenings will come out when everyone is back in town. Currently we’ve already secured a few donations. Gearbox Pickleball has generously agreed to provide the nets and posts for the courts, and we’re getting the state-of-the-art Acrytech Sports Surface the Official PPA Court Surface at cost.

What can you do NOW:

There are three things that we are going to be asking members to consider this summer before you return to San Carlos, so that we can make that first payment and get a jumpstart on construction.

1) Donate: We are going to build a beautiful donor Wall of Appreciation. This will be a great backdrop that will be used for our medal podium pictures. Right now we’re just getting ideas, but it will involve decorative engraved stones or tiles that are incorporated into the wall. Your donation will get you a tile that you can have engraved with your name. There will be three levels of donors. Your level of donation will be recognized within the wall or engraved into the tiles TBD. You don’t need to know what you want engraved yet. It will be a while before we start building the wall.
*     Gold Medal:       $1000 USD
**    Silver Medal:      $500 USD
***   Bronze Medal:   $250 USD
**** There is a 4th level of donation. That is the Platinum level. If you would like to donate more than the specified donor amounts above, reach out to me or one of the other Board Members and we will be more than happy to facilitate your donation.

2) Pay your Dues: Typically players have waited until they come into town and paid in person for their season pass. That may be too late for us so we are asking for you to pay your upcoming season’s dues this summer. We have a PayPal and Zelle account for you to deposit into that our board Treasurer Theresa Melius is in charge of. Yes, dues will be increasing, and will continue to increase in small increments in years to follow. You can curb inflation though. We are offering the opportunity to pay for up to five years of membership and lock in today’s rate.

$150 USD: For the entire season (Oct 1, 2021 – Sept 30, 2022). That’s $12.50 per month or about 41 cents a day and be honest some of you play every single day.
$120 USD: For a 6 month pass (6 months from 1st visit). That’s $20 a month. Pretty cheap entertainment.
$30 USD: For a month.
$5 USD: Daily drop in rate.

You can buy a seasonal pass or six month pass up to five years in advance and lock in the above rates. For example, I will be purchasing a seasonal pass for the next five years so I will lock in the $150 rate x 5 years. I am going to send $750 to Theresa and be good to go for five years. My wife Kim doesn’t play, but she wants to be a part of the fun so she is going to donate $1000 and get an engraved tile. I’m going to get my own tile so I’ll be pitching in another $1000. So that is $2750 I’ll be sending to T.

3) Court Sponsorship: Any business that would like to permanently put an advertising sign can purchase a court for $5000 USD. VIVE Real Estate has already sponsored a court and we’d like to thank Tammi & Carlos for supporting the pickleball community

4) Loan: If you have $10,000 or more just lying around burning a hole in your pocket and you would like to loan the San Carlos Pickleball Association that money with no interest, again, talk to one of the Board Members and we’ll be happy to take your money and discuss how the Club will pay that loan back.

Donate and / or Pay Your Dues Now, using:

• The official fundraising page
• PayPal (choose “friends and family” when prompted): scpbtournament@gmail.com is the email associated with the account. PayPal is an independent company that you will have to create an account with.
• Zelle: 719-201-1228 is the phone number associated with the account. Zelle works with most all major banks is an easy way to wire money between different banks.

So that’s it, in a very long nutshell. It is going to be a fun ride and we’re looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for the San Carlos Pickleball Association as we grow.

by James Main, President, San Carlos Pickleball Association

Match Video: PPA Indianapolis Pro Men’s and Women’s Doubles: June 4 – 6, 2021

Featured Article

2020 marked the 55th Anniversary of pickleball, as it was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, by three enterprising dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. Their children were bored with their usual summertime activities. It evolved from the original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout North America and is now taking off in other parts of the world.

The origin of the game’s name is very interesting, especially since no pickles are used. Accounts of how the name originated differ. According to Joel Pritchard’s wife (Joan), she started calling the game pickleball because “the combination of different sports reminded me of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats”. However, according to Barney McCallum, the game was officially named after the Pritchards’ dog Pickles who would chase the ball and run off with it. According to McCallum, “The Pritchards had a dog named Pickles, and you’re having fun at a party, right? So anyways, what the hell, let’s just call it pickleball”.

Others claim both accounts may be true. In the early years, no official name was assigned to the game. However, a year or two after the game was invented, the Pritchard’s purchased a cocker spaniel and named it Pickles. As the game progressed, an official name was needed and “pickleball” was it.

In the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) 2019 Pickleball Participant Report, they reported pickleball currently has 3.3 million players in the US. SFIA formed in 1906 and is the premier trade association for top brands, manufacturers, retailers and marketers in the American sporting goods and fitness industry. Here are a few details from the 2019 SFIA Pickleball Participation Report:

• Of the 3.3 million players, 2.0 million were “Casual” participants who play 1-7 times a year.
• 1.3 million were “Core” participants who play 8 or more times a year.
• The Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) for all players from 2015 to 2018 was 9.7%, for a total growth rate of 29.1% over three years.
• 62% of participants are men; the percentage of participants who are women grew from 33% to 38% over three years.
• The average age for all players is 41 years old.
• The average age for Core players is 54 and Casual players 33 years old.
• 64% of Core players are 55 or older.
• 84% of Casual players are 54 or younger
• The percentage of Core players ages 54 and younger grew from 25% to 36%
• The percentage of Casual players ages 54 and younger grew from 78% to 84%
• These increases in the percentages of both Core and Casual less than 55 years of age reflect faster growth among younger players.

The percentages by age of Total, Core, and Casual participants are:

2019 USA Pickleball Facts and Highlights:

• Total Courts: 30,238
• Ambassadors: 1,904
• Sanctioning: USA Pickleball sanctioned a record 192 sanctioned tournaments
• 2019 National Championships: The Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships had over 2,000 registered players and the sports highest ever cash purse of $80,000.
• Certified Referees: USA Pickleball added another 45 certified referees bringing the new, yet growing list to 206 certified referees.
• Hall of Fame: 2019 Inductees were Daniel Gabanek, Jennifer Lucore, Steve Paranto and Enrique Ruiz.

by James Main, President, San Carlos Pickleball Association

Beginner Skills & Drills and Private Lessons

Beginner level Skills & Drills with Theresa Melius:

Tuesday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 23.

From 11:00am – 12:00pm:

Limited to 12 players

Reserve your spot for Skills & Drills 2 days prior to the event by emailing Theresa (T) at: theresamelius23@gmail.com.

Private Lessons are available with James Main during available times. Text or email James directly to set up a time: destinationpickleball@gmail.com

If you’re not already a member, now is a great time to join Mirador Courts.

Women’s Round Robin, Thursdays

Calling all women picklers!

Starting this Thursday, March 4, we are going to have a women’s round robin at 11:00am at Mirador Courts.

It is open to all women Mirador Court members — all skill levels. Please let everyone know (as long as they are club members and, well, female).

We’ll continue these Round Robins every Thursday, so come and join us when you can.

No need to RSVP, but be there at 11:00am so we can start right away.

If you have any questions, contact Anne Morales at: nnmrls160@gmail.com

Open Play, Monday – Saturday

The courts are starting to fill up for daily Open Play so we are back to our regular court rotation schedule.

Open Play is every morning except Sunday from 8:00am to 11:00am. In order to accommodate all the skill levels, we are scheduling the Open Play as follows:

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays:
Players under skill level 3.5 will play on four courts — Courts 4, 5, 6 and 3.
Players skill level 3.5 and above will play on two courts – Courts 1 and 2.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays:
Players skill level 3.5 and above will play on four courts — Courts 1, 2, 3 and 6.
Players under skill level 3.5 will play on two courts – Courts 4 and 5.

Use the paddle racks to determine next up. The paddle racks closest to court 1 are for the 3.5+ courts and conversely, the paddle racks closest to court 4 are for the 3.0 and Beginner players

You can also check the calendar or court reservation system for Open Play days and times.

And remember, you can reserve a court anytime around the Open Play times if you want to play with specific people for a few hours or do some drills with a few friends.

Round Robin, Sundays

All Mirador Court members are invited to join us on Sundays at 8:30am for Round Robin play. We play for 15 minutes and then rotate players and courts. It’s a great way to meet and play with new people, without worrying about your scores.

Therefore on Sundays from 8:30am – 11:00am, the courts are reserved for the weekly Round Robin.

Balls, balls and more balls

We have been going through a lot of balls this year at Mirador Courts. As a club, we spent just over $1000 USD in balls thus far and we are running low in order to get us through the summer. Many balls of course break and there seemed to be an inordinate amount of “wobbly” balls in this last batch, but regardless, the ball situation has forced us to take a look at our club policy.

Starting next season (October 2021), the club will not be providing balls for open rec play. No balls will be left at the courts for general use. Each member will be asked to have 3 or 4 Franklin X-40 optic yellow balls of their own in their bag. Mark your balls with your initials or some other symbol of your choosing so you can keep track of them. When playing rec games during open play, have one of your balls available and keep track of it when you move from court to court.

Our instructors will have their own club balls that they will bring to skills and drills and lessons that they will monitor and collect after every session.

Balls will be provided during tournaments but also monitored and collected by court managers or referees after play.

As a club, we will be able to purchase balls at a discounted price and we will pass that discount on to all of our members so you can load up with balls whenever you like.

We will continue to replenish the balls for the rest of this season but want everyone to be aware of the change so you can start getting used to the fact and be ready to play come next season.

International Federation of Pickleball and Liga Profesional de Pickleball Mexico

Mexico has officially become a member of the IFP

The International Federation of Pickleball (IFP), the world governing body of pickleball, was established to perpetuate the development and growth of the sport throughout the world. The IFP’s goal is to introduce pickleball to all nations so that they may embrace the sport as one of their national sports, and ultimately to achieve official recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to establish pickleball as an Olympic sport.

The IFP is a non-profit, volunteer organization committed to promoting international play and competition, maintaining the official rules for pickleball, and providing a worldwide code of conduct for pickleball athletes. The IFP focuses its resources on supporting organizations that foster the sport around the world for all ages and ability levels.

The IFP offers all national and regional pickleball associations and federations who desire to join in membership for the advancement of pickleball an opportunity to participate and contribute to that growth. These purposes are fulfilled through the aims and objectives of the IFP.

Liga Profesional de Pickleball Mexico (LPPM) is the officially recognized National organization here in Mexico. This is a brand new organization that will be working on a National tournament, ambassador program, ratings system, bringing the Bainbridge Cup to Mexico, and everything else that promotes the growth of Pickleball in Mexico. Mexico will have 5 different regions and San Carlos will be the Headquarters for the Northwest region which will extend from the Baja to Chihuahua and down to Mazatlan.

There will be more exciting developments to come as this organization starts to take off!!!

Rumors

Rumor #1
Don’t we all love rumors and dirty court gossip!!! 🙂 Let’s take a look at some myths and facts:

We are not losing Mirador Courts. Well at least not soon… we hope. The myth is we are getting kicked out. Well, that is not true. At present time, we are welcome to play at Mirador Courts for as long as we want under our rules. But, there is no written agreement in place so technically it is possible that we could get kicked out at any time. I don’t think this will happen. At least not for several years, but really it is anybody’s guess which is why……..

Rumor #2
We are looking for a location for new courts. The Board has currently hired a lawyer to officially make us a non-profit organization recognized by the Mexican government. This will allow us to legally conduct business, collect donations, and … wait for it … purchase our own land!

Only by owning our own land will we be able to ensure that our Pickleball courts will be here for many years to come without worry.

This is exciting news, you say?! Give me more details, you want!!! Well, we don’t have them just yet. One step at a time. Right now, we are focusing on the lawyer’s needs while keeping all of our options open. We are talking to people that may have land for sale and looking at several locations that will give us the best possible future.

Fortunately for us, we don’t believe the Mirador Courts are going away anytime soon, so we can take our time and do everything with purpose and due diligence.

When we have a clearer direction and some more concrete news, we will have a general meeting and present options to all the members so we can all be as excited about the future as I am.

Rumor #3
Bert and I do not have a secret tryst. But if we did, Ingi has wholeheartedly given us her blessing.

Rumor #4
Boyes Burgers will be adding the “Santiago” burger to their menu named after me. This is 100% accurate and has been verified and confirmed by the head owner of Boyes himself. OK, this may be less than 100% fact but IT SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by James Main, President, San Carlos Pickleball Association

Playing Pickleball during COVID-19

It’s up to you to assess your own risk and decide whether or not you should play at this time. If you choose to play at Mirador Courts, please engage in everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These include:

• Stay home when you are sick.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. The restrooms are available for our use (keys are hanging on the post at court entrance; please lock the restroom after use).
• Maintain a healthy distance from each other when off the courts.
• Feel free to bring your own chair, or place your Membership Card on your chair from the court to reserve it so that others will not use it during play.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. No hugs, handshakes, high fives or paddle taps.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily. Coronavirus can live on plastic and metal. At the courts, that’s the balls, tables, chairs, locks on the doors, the fence, the paddle holder, the umbrella handle, etc. etc. The Board will not be doing daily disinfecting of the courts, so it is up to anyone who chooses to play to clean and disinfect any surfaces that they will come into contact with.

Gear for sale

James has lots of Gearbox paddles, backpacks, eyewear, grips, edge guard, and yes, even socks for sale. All of the Gearbox GX5 and 6 series paddles are $140 (2800 pesos), CP7 series are $100, backpacks are $90.

If you are interested in any of these paddles or other items, please contact James at: destinationpickleball@yahoo.com.

Discount on Pickleball Gear

Members of the San Carlos Pickleball Association get a 5% discount at PickleballCentral.com.

If you’re looking to buy a paddle, balls or gear, visit pickleballcentral.com.

Click on “My Account” (in red font at the top of the page). If you have an account, sign in. Otherwise, go to New Customers, and click on Continue…and go through the prompts until you have an Account set up.

At Check Out, there is a box where you should put the following Coupon Code: CRSANCARLOS
Then click Apply.

This will give you a 5% discount on your order. You will see San Carlos Pickleball Association with the discounted amount beside it. It will also give our San Carlos Pickleball Association a 5% Club Reward that will accumulate over the year, and next year they will give our club a credit for that amount. It’s a win-win for both you and for our club!

Professional Pickleball Association Grand Slam

8:03 Jessie Irvine/Irina Tereschenko vs Leigh Waters/Anna Leigh Waters
1:16:45 Steve Deakin/Matt Wright vs Dekel Bar/Adam Stone
2:19:05 Catherine Parenteau/Callie Smith vs Simone Jardim/Lucy Kovalova
3:31:51 Jessie Irvine/Irina Tereschenko vs Leigh Waters/Anna Leigh Waters