Board Meeting Minutes 02/04/2019

Board Meeting Minutes, Thursday, February 4, 2019, Room 4, Odell Weeks at 5:00PM

In attendance were Joyce Noland, Nancy Vermilye, Stephanie Wolfe, Diane Voss, Faith Loeb, Beverly Edwards, Diane Floyd, Linda Blake, Mike Beckner, Vicki Thomas, Grace Vance, Mo Garcia and Nancy Racki

 

Update on Gregg Civic Center         

  • Joyce mentioned that more court time for play may be available at Gregg Park Civic Center.  Tentative days for additional court times are Wednesday evening and Saturday morning. Gregg Park does not open the gym on Fridays but may be open to the possibility in the future.
  • There has been some miscommunication/misunderstanding among the older and established members of Gregg Park with regard to learning how to play pickleball.  Some of the members had thought that Aiken Pickleball players were there to teach them how to play.  This was not the case but our players are encouraged to reach out to these established members and help them learn the basics of pickleball.

 

  • UPDATE as of 2/7/2019

              Many of you are already enjoying the indoor pickleball courts that have been added at Gregg Park Civic Center. We have some good                  news about this venue: Gregg Park will be adding two additional days of play in mid-March! Starting on February 12th, the weekly                        schedule will be as follows:

             Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 – 11:30 AM – Drop-in play, mixed level on 4 courts
             Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM – Drop-in play, court designation 
             Wednesdays 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – Drop-in play, mixed level on 4 courts
             Wednesdays 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM – Drop-in play, court designation  
             Saturdays 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Drop-in play, mixed level on 4 courts
             Saturdays 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Drop-in play, court designation 

             Please see the calendar at aikenpickleball.com for details.

             We hope all of you will consider giving this great new facility a try. It’s located on

             A Avenue in Graniteville, SC.

            Nancy, Ron, and Joyce

 

 

Recap Money from First Presbyterian

  • Monies collected at First Presbyterian for the month of January totaled $375.00 which also included the Round Robin.
  • Two Mondays were cancelled due to lack of players signing up.  It is not in their best interest to keep the gym open if there are no players as they don’t want the additional costs for heating and lighting.  There were enough players signed up for drop-in play Monday and Tuesday evening and Saturday morning.
  • There is the possibility that should attendance drop off significantly, First Presbyterian will only be offered on days when Odell Weeks courts are not available.

 

Clinics and Lessons – additional pro

  • Clinics and lessons are currently scheduled on Mondays and first Wednesdays in Gym 2.  More clinics and lessons may be offered when more time becomes available after March in Gym 2.
  • Mo Garcia stated that he will be seeking a new pro to help with lessons and clinics.  Wojciech Adamek, one of our current pros, will be spending a semester studying abroad until January 2020.

 

Photographer for the Tournament

  • Chuck Buchanan will not be able to be the photographer for this year’s tournament.
  • Mo Garcia is in talks with another photographer.

 

 

Round Robin in March?

  • Nancy Vermilye is checking into dates with Odell Weeks to arrange a spring Round Robin.  This will become definite once there are no conflicts with Odell Weeks programs or with one planned in Augusta.

 

  • UPDATE as of 2/7/2019

           The next Round Robin to be held at Odell Weeks will be on Saturday, April 27.Detailswill follow.

 

Social in March?

  • Our next social will be scheduled in the month of March.  This will be an Eat & Play Social and those planning to attend may also bring a friend.
  • In the past, the leadership team would address questions and/or concerns of our players.  It was suggested that we offer a question and answer session to address any items of interest that players may wish to discuss.

 

  • UPDATE as of 2/7/2019

          The next pickleball social will be held on Tuesday, March 19th, 2019 at 6:00 PM in room 3 at Odell Weeks.  There will be a carry-in                    dinner with play on all six courts in Gym 2 afterward.

 

         In conjunction with the social, we will have a player meeting at 5:30 PM in room 3 that same day.  All players are welcome to attend. 

        The leadership team will be present to address any questions or concerns you may have.

           

Rules Challenge Update

  • There were two winners to the Rules Challenge:  Jim Kabel, Perry Wong. and Jack McElwee.

 

USAPA Membership Update

  • There are five new USAPA members from the Aiken Pickledillys.

 

“Playing with the Pros”

  • Something new is being offered to our players, old and new.  One of our pros will be on Court 1 on Tuesdays from 9AM to 10AM to play with any member who would like to play with them.  The goal is to help players with particular issues, encourage growth and to have fun.

 

E-mail Delivery Issues

  • Joyce stated that some of our players have reported that they have not been receiving email announcements and that they are being rejected by servers as suspicious or spam.  She would like all Player Reps to encourage their players to check our website for updated information.
  • Grace Vance suggested that a “test question” be sent out to the group to verify that our players are receiving emails.
  • Joyce asked if there might be any interest in instructing players on how to use the website.  This may be something to discuss at the group meeting at our social.

 

Etiquette on the Courts – Refresher send to Players

  • Mike Beckner related that a player who hadn’t played for a while but has returned was annoyed by a rough and aggressive player.  He commented that it is our responsibility to be respectful of all players so that we can all enjoy playing.

 

Additional Notes:

Grace Vance presented a brief update on Eustis Park.  She and George Buggs are overseeing a clinic which will be held on Saturday, April 6 from 10:30AM to 12:30PM.  A paddle and ball will be given to the first 20 who sign up for the clinic.  To date, there are 35 interested in taking the clinic. 

Grace stated that they are in need of additional volunteer instructors.  She was able to obtain the needed volunteer instructors by some of those present.

 

AS A SIDENOTE:

This article appeared in the February 3, 2019 edition of the Aiken Standard describing the upcoming clinic:

 “The City of Aiken Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department will be hosting a free pickleball clinic in April to introduce the sport to a greater Aiken audience.

The clinic will be held at Eustis Park, located at 1001 Edgefield Ave. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 6.

The first 20 people to register for the clinic will receive free pickleball supplies, including a paddle and ball.

Pickleball is a sport similar to tennis and involves hitting a ball back and forth over a net with paddles. However, pickleball is held on a much smaller court, and the serve is always underhanded, which places much less stress on a player's shoulder.

“The smaller court makes it much easier for people of all skill and health levels to enjoy the game," said City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department Recreation Program Coordinator Stephanie Safford.

Pickleball is becoming an increasingly popular sport, mostly due to the low level of athletic intensity involved. It is especially appealing to seniors and those who are looking for some light, easy exercise.

“The forward-and-backward movement during the game is less than that involved with tennis, which in turn places less stress on the knees and ankles," Safford said. "The light weight whiffle ball-like ball and paddle not having strings keeps the intensity low and minimal stress on the tendons and muscles of the arms."

Like with any sport, warming up beforehand is still important. Safford also said appropriate footwear, like tennis shoes, should be worn on the court.

To register, or for more information, contact the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department at 803-642-7646 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.

 

Next Meeting

The meeting adjourned at 6:40PM.  The next leadership meeting will be held on Monday, March 4, 2019 at 5:00 in Room 4 at Odell Weeks.