Leadership Team Meeting – Monday, November 29, 2021, at 5:30pm – Odell Weeks

The meeting was held indoors at Odell Weeks.  In attendance were members of the Leadership Team, Joyce Noland, George Carr, and Harve Mobley; also in attendance was Nelson Swartzentruber, Ben Stephens, Pat Smith, Cheryl Breidenbach, Mo Garcia, Marian Garcia, Judy Degregorio, Froggie Rappoport, Bob Fogle, Ron Nelson, Stephanie Wolfe, Bebe Murphy, Ben Lacy, Tonya Hoffman, and Faith Loeb.  Harve took the minutes.   Joyce called the meeting to order.  For the meeting the items discussed were:  

Leadership Team

• No additional nominations were received for the leadership team since the last meeting, so Ben Stephens has accepted the open position starting in January 2022. 

• Ben Lacy was introduced as the new Aiken County Pickleball Ambassador.

• Bob Fogle brought proceeds ($610) from surplus T-shirt sales and raffle money from the Aiken Tournament.  He asked the committee for ideas on how to use the money.  One suggestion was for assisting new pickleball courts at Hillview Baptist Church which hopes to lay out three indoor courts in their gymnasium.  Another suggestion was to assist the Scofield School which intends to introduce pickleball to schools in January.  Please bring other suggestions on how to use the proceeds from the Aiken Tournament.  Send an email to Bob Fogle with new suggestions.

• Regarding supplying equipment, a question was brought up about refurbishing the old nets at Odell and, with permission from Odell, giving the nets to start up indoor pickleball courts. 

• It was also suggested that the committee consider selecting one or more charities for future donations that may be generated from special events/socials.

Odell Weeks

• A question came up about how court 1 should be used recently during play at Odell.  New signs have been posted that indicate that for the first hour (9-10AM) court 1 is part of open play.  At 10 AM, when the courts switch to court designation, court 1 should be available for beginners.  Please be courteous in making the court available for new players at 10 AM until noon.

• Outdoor courts will be closed Saturday and Sunday December 4 and 5 for a tennis tournament.

Gregg Park

• At meeting time we still did not have the December playing schedule, which will depend on how many people signed up for Basketball at Gregg Park.

• The Round-Robin on Saturday, November 6th ran very well.  Thanks to those who volunteered to help out.

• The new curtains have been installed, and though slightly “short” of expectations, we continue to work with and appreciate the Gregg Park staff.  Some additional barricade methods will be implemented to cover the gap currently remaining.

• A discussion was had about having a skill combo round robin at Gregg Park.  A vote was held after the discussion and the consensus was that we will not have a skill combo round robin at this time.

 

Smith-Hazel

• Five players were rated this month.

• We still have Monday and Wednesday mornings available for play at Smith-Hazel.

City Challenge

• A new plaque for the City Challenge was presented and a discussion ensued about where the plaque should be displayed.  Since this event is not part of the Aiken Pickleball committee, Joyce will contact the captains of the teams and suggest the plaque stay at Gregg Park for the next year but will be open to other ideas.

Treasurer’s Report

• Ron Nelson reported that the balance last month was $1436 and we spent $910 and collected $984.  The ending balance for the month is $1510.

Socials

• Dink for Tots is scheduled for Monday, December 6th from 5-9PM.  Please bring an unwrapped toy for the event which will include open play, cider, hot cocoa and a variety of baked goods.  Tanya is coordinating the supplies for the event.  Mo will supply a generator and talk to the city about borrowing some tables to set up between the two sets of pickleball courts. Players and spectators from Augusta and Lexington will be invited too.

• A suggestion was made to contact Michelle Bullington to see if she has any ideas to promote the event.

•  Pat Smith is working on a chili cookoff social for sometime in January.  There will likely be a signup for those who want to enter the cookoff and for those who can bring potluck side dishes, as well as those who want to attend.  Weather permitting, we can have some outdoor play as well as indoor socializing during the event.

Player Reps Reports

• Faith asked if gym 1 may be available for new player clinics or practice.  Unfortunately, that gym will be used for basketball for the next few months.  Mo has agreed he may be able to conduct a new players clinic on a Wednesday morning but we do not have a schedule yet.

• Tanya suggested we consider something like a 6 week instructional class for school kids to introduce them to the game (possibly middle school or high school age).  This is a great idea but needs some consideration and coordination with all the issues (like special needs and liabilities).  Ben S mentioned a similar program in Utah he is aware of if we want a template to start from.

• Ben S is working on a live stream at the City Championship.  This may lead to a more regular streaming of live events.

• Hopelands Gardens:  There is still time to volunteer for Hopelands Gardens.  The contact name is posted on the Aiken Pickleball Website. 

• Judy G mentioned the issue of nets not being put away after use.  The rule of thumb is if there is not a team waiting to take the court when you are done, then put the net away.  Better to take it down than to leave it up.

• A special THANK YOU to Joyce for her commitment to the leadership team for so long.  Her tireless efforts are a big part of the success of this program.  She will continue to help with Aiken Pickleball and we are all thankful for that too.

Next Meeting

•  The next meeting target date is Monday January 3rd, 2022.