What a tournament! I heard so many positive remarks about how smoothly things ran and how organized we were. Thanks to all of you for your time and energy in making this tournament a great success. Robert Fogle, Tournament Director
Click here for an article in the Aiken Standard
Ben is a professional coach certified by the Professional Pickleball Registry and is currently in training to become a USAP Certified Referee. Starting after the Palmetto Tournament, Ben will be giving lessons at Smith-Hazel Recreation Center on most Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am - 12pm. You can reach him at benlacy1962@gmail.com to schedule a session. See photo and complete bio below.
Ben Lacy was born in Naples, Italy in 1962 to a US Air Force father and stay-at-home mom. Military life took him around most of the United States early in life, but he lived mostly in the southeast (Georgia and Alabama).
After a 10-year stint in the US Navy as a nuclear plant operator, Ben settled in Aiken, SC, where he now resides with his loving wife, Jillian Ashworth and their numerous canine companions. After earning a BS in Nuclear Engineering, Ben spent 25 years as a contractor to the Department of Energy, working most of that time as a nuclear engineer.
Jill and Ben have three children (Alden Nead, Brent Lacy, and Nolan Lacy).
Since retiring from engineering, Ben spends much of his time either playing, coaching or refereeing pickleball, performing live music, and traveling around North America with Jill and the pups in their Airstream. Ben also enjoys writing and has published one novel (Shattered Diary) and one collection of short stories (Tales Best Consumed In The Light) both on Amazon.
The next New Players Clinic at Odell Weeks will be held on Saturday, Ocrober 2nd. Sign up and pay at the front desk.
0900-0915 - Check-in at front desk
0915-0930 - Orientation & court setup
0930-1030 - New Players Clinic
1045-1200 - Practice Play
The September Skill Rating Session will be held on Monday, Septebmer 20th, at Smith-Hazel Recreation Center. Click here to sign up.
The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting that was held Wednesday, August 18th, 2021, at 4pm at Gregg Park, have been posted. Topics included what is happening at Odell and Gregg Park, an update on the tournament in September; our next Social scheduled for Friday, October 15th, and much more. Go to Forums or click here to see the full report.
If today’s Men’s Twelve Teams Open Round Robin is any indication, there is going to be some exciting play at the Palmetto Doubles Tournament coming in September. As with the Women’s RR earlier this month, this event was meant as a tune-up for the main tournament just weeks away and it did not disappoint. Three teams finished at 7-1 in this eight game, play to 11, win by 2 RR. Everyone was a winner with Greg Sparks and Fawzi Naji having a slight edge over Chris Tubbs/Brandon Hoffman and Brian Eberhard/Doug Boessneck in the point differential tiebreaker. Well done everyone, and thanks for participating. .
See below for pictures.
Wow, what an exciting finish to a great RR. After six rounds of play, the twelve women's teams were divided into two groups and seeded based on their win/loss records for a two-game playoff. Surprisingly the number-three seeds in both groups won back-to-back matches over the top two seeds Barbara Dellamora and Christy Prichard won Group B, and Leslie McCowan and Michelle Bullington won Group A. Leslie and Michele also won an earlier head-to-head match over Christy and Barbara. Way to go, players!. See below for pictures from the event.
Approximately thirty people attended the farewell for Jeana held outside at one of the Odell Weeks picnic shelters on a beautiful evening in Aiken. No wind, no rain - no mosquitoes - could not have been a better evening.
Thanks to all of you that contributed, we were able to get Jeana some nice departing gifts to include a five page scroll with over sixty-five signatures thanking her for everything she had done for Aiken Pickleball these past years. The gifts were much appreciated.
There will be a men’s open round robin on Saturday. August 21st in gym 2 at Odell Weeks. You must have a partner to sign up for this event and only one of you should do the signing. Check-in 1215 pm - court setup 12:30pm. Play/warm-up will start at 12:45pm. Fixed partners - twelve teams - eight games - play to 11 win by 2. Three-minute breaks between rounds. No frills, no charge, no medals - just fun - everyone's a winner. Each team please bring one Onix Fuse orange ball. All slots full. Click here to sign up for the wait list even if a single.
