As part of our New Players Clinics at Odell and Gregg Park, we have been providing paddles for the newbies to use at the clinics. If anyone has a used paddle you would like to donate to this cause please bring it with you to the social on Friday or leave it at the front desk. Anyone donating a paddle at the social will receive an extra raffle ticket.
Aiken Pickleball News
Make sure you get a raffle ticket when you arrive for the pickleball social this coming Friday. There will be two drawings. First drawing will be for a one hour private lesson with Mo - a $40 value. Second drawing will be for one hour for four players with “Little Mo” - priceless! Drawings will be at 5:50pm. You must be present to win. Tickets are free.
See below for an updated schedule for May and June for the Drills with "Little Mo" at Odell Weeks. No drills on May 26 and June 2, due to court and Little Mo's availability. All of the remaining drills are now available for signup. Revised schedule as follows:
May 5 - OW Court 1
915-1015am - 3rd shot drop
1045-1145am - 3rd shot drop
No evening drills - Odell closes at 1pm - Evening drill moved to May 12, at 6pm
May 12 - OW Court 1
915-1015am - drive topspin volley
1045-1145am - drive topspin volley
6-7pm - 3rd shot drop
7:30-830pm - drive topspin volley
May 19 - OW Court 1
915-1015am - King/Queen of the court
1045-1145am - King/Queen of the court
6-7pm - King/Queen of the court
Note: No drills May 26 or June 2
June 9 - OW Court 1
915-1015am - drop, chip, drive
1045-1145am - drop, chip, drive
6-7pm - drop, chip, drive
June 16 - OW Court 1
915-1015am - Lobs
1045-1145am - Lobs
6-7pm - Lobs
June 23 - OW Court 1
915-1015am - Specially shots
1045-1145am - Specially shots
Evening session cancelled - No pickleball after 5pm at Odell this date.
The Aiken Pickleball Mixed Doubles Ladder came to its final conclusion with a hard fought Round Robin. Christine Chandler and Brian Eberhard won the gold medal, winning all for their matches. Leslie McCowan and George Dazell won silver, and Michele Bullington and Bob Fogel took home the bronze. Well done. Special thanks to Chris Tubbs for organizing the Ladder and running the Round Robin. See photos and detailed results below.
Front Row L-R - Leslie McCowan, Christine Chandler, Michele Bullington
Back Rob L_R - George Dazlell, Brian Eberhard, Bob Fogel
Gold Medal Winners - Christine Chandler and Brian Everhard
Silver Medal Winners - Leslie McCowan and George Dalzell
Bronze Medal Winners - Michele Bullington and Bob Fogel
Gold Medal - Christine Chandler & Brian Eberhard 7-0
Silver Medal - Leslie McCowan & George Dalzell 6-1
Bronze Medal - Michele Bullington & Bob Fogle 4-3 (won head-to-head tie-breaker)
4th Place Marian Garcia & Rob Bromly 4-3
Maria Jones & Mike Wells 3-4
Judy Barniak & Ben Stephens 2-5
Barbara Dellemora & Jim Wheeler 2-5
Mike Dickhart & Jeremy McCoy 0-7
Following is a list of events taking place between now and the end of May.
Leadership Team Meeting at Odell, Monday, May 3, 530pm
Social at Odell Weeks Friday May 7, starts at 5pm
Odell Weeks New Players Clinic Saturday May 8, 915am-1215pm
Skill Rating Session, Smith-Hazel, Wednesday, May 19, 9am-12pm
Gregg Park New Players Clinic, Saturday, May 22, 9-11am
Gregg Park Practice Play, Saturday, May 29, 9-11am
Odell Weeks New Players Practice Play for May, exact date and time TBD
If you see anything that needs to be corrected, have something to add, or would like more information on any of the above, please email info@aikenpickleball.com. Thank you.
Aiken Pickleball has reserved the Whiskey Road shelter at Odell Weeks for a Friday Social on May 7th. Dinner will be at 5pm (Pat's Subs). Pickleball play starts inside at 6pm. Park in the front lot and then walk to the shelter, and then back to play inside. Please do not park right next to the shelter.
The menu is your choice of one of the boxed meals below.....
an 8" ham and turkey and cheese sub with lettuce, tomato, oil & vinegar. There will be packets of mayo and mustard, a side of either potato salad or coleslaw, bag of chips, and a cookie, celery and carrot sticks and a dill pickle OR a boxed meal of chicken salad sandwich on wheat with mayo, mustard, lettuce and tomato, also your choice of a side of either potato salad or coleslaw, bag of chips, a cookie, carrot and celery sticks and a dill pickle.
The cost for food is $10.00 per person. We are not asking people to bring a covered dish, as we did in the past. Pat's is supplying all the food. We will provide water, and should you want to bring something else to drink, we will have ice. Utensils, cups and paper products are also provided. We need payment no later than May 5th.
People signing up for meals need to send a check payable to Ron Nelson $10.00/person by the cut-off date for food, which is May 5th. Send checks to Ron at 140 Fox Trace, Aiken, 29803. Payment may also be made using Zelle. Send Zelle payments to aikenpickleballbanking@gmail.com.
Please click here to sign up and indicate whether you want the Ham/Turkey/Cheese Sub or the Chicken Salad Sandwich or "No Food."
Starting this week April 21, all Drills for "Litte Mo" will be held at Odell Weeks. Smith-Hazel will no longer be used. Nothing else has changed.
Revised schedule for Drills with “Little Mo” as follows:
April 21
OW - 915-1015am - Half volley - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - Half volley - Court 1
OW - 6-7pm - Dinks purpose
OW - 730-830pm - Half volley - Court 1
April 28
OW - 915-1015am - Overhead smash - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - Overhead smash - Court 1
OW - 6-7pm - Overhead smash - Court 1
May 5 - Limited hours as Odell - No evening drills
OW - 915-1015am - 3rd shot drop - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - 3rd shot drop - Court 1
May 12
OW - 915-1015am - drive topspin volley - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - drive topspin volley - Court 1
OW - 6-7pm - 3rd shot drop - Court 1
OW - 7:30-830pm - drive topspin volley - Court 1
May 19
OW - 915-1015am - King/Queen of the court - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - King/Queen of the court - Court 1
OW - 6-7pm - King/Queen of the court - Court 1
May 26 drills move to June 9th - No drills on June 2
June 9th
OW - 915-1015am - drop, chip, drive - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - drop, chip, drive - Court 1
OW - 6-7pm - drop, chip, drive - Court 1
June 16 -
OW - 915-1015am - Lobs - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - Lobs - Court 1
OW - 6-7pm - Lobs - Court 1
June 23 -
OW - 915-1015am - Specially shots - Court 1
OW - 1045-1145am - Specially shots - Court 1
OW - 6-7pm - Specially shots - Court 1
Click here to sign up.
Starting Wednesday April 21, open play will expand to all six courts on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. - On Wednesday open mixed play from 9-10am; court designation play from 10am-1230pm. - On Saturdays open mixed play from 915-1015am; court designation play from 1015am-1230pm. Court designation as follows:
With all six courts - Ct1 - 3.0L and below; Ct2 - 3.0-3.0H; Ct3 3.0H-3.5L; Ct4 - 3.5L-3.5; Ct5 - 3.5-3.5H; Ct6 4.0+;
With five courts - Ct2 - 3.0L and below; Ct3 - 3.0-3.0H; Ct4 3.5L-3.5; Ct5 3.5-3.5H; Ct6 4.0+ (Lesson on Court 1);
With just four courts - Ct3 - 3.0L and below; Ct4 - 3.0-3.0H; Ct5 - 3.5L-3.5; Ct6 - 3.5H+ (New Players Clinic on Courts 1 & 2)
If you haven't been rated, now might be a good time. Next skill rating session is Wednesday April 21 at Smith-Hazel. Click here to sign up.
From the 2021 tournament committee:
Please click here to take the survey so the Aiken Pickleball tournament leaders can determine the availability of volunteers from our local pickleball community.
Our volunteers are critical to the success of this event.
Our tournament is tentatively scheduled for Sept 10 -12, indoors at H. Odell Weeks. Because of COVID, the following are the anticipated changes from our tournaments in the past:
Face coverings/masks will be required inside of Weeks, except when on a court performing any of the following functions: Playing a match, court side referee, court side monitor. Vaccination status cannot play into this rule because of current City policy.
The number of participants will be capped at a level less than in past tournaments. This would be managed during the registration process. Limiting the number of participants reduces the number of people in the building thereby reducing match delays and enhancing social distancing.
Lunch will not be served indoors. A food truck and outdoor seating may be considered.
Congregating in the main hallway will be discouraged. Physically-distanced seating may be offered in some of the other rooms in the building or outside.
As usual though, volunteers are needed for:
- Court monitors
- Referees
- Check-In Table
- Set Up/Tear Down
Thank you for your input.
The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting that was held Monday, April 5th, 2021 at 5:30pm via Zoom have been posted. Topics that were discussed included an update on drop-in play at Odell; the New Players Clinics at Odell and Gregg Park; "Little Mo" in the mornings at Smith-Hazel and evening at Odell; the Round Robin for the ladder scheduled for Saturday May 1st; an update on Leagues and the Tournament scheduled for September and much more. Go to Forums or click here to see the full report.