Aiken Pickleball News

Thank you, Mike and Loretta!

Sunday June 3 was a special day for the Aiken Pickledillys. Loretta and Mike Beckner recently retired in their District and Local Ambassador roles and we celebrated their contributions to the development and growth of pickleball in Aiken and beyond.

Loretta and Mike introduced pickleball to Aiken in 2010. From its earliest days when people were confused by its name and often didn't show up in enough numbers to fill one court, pickleball has grown to an extended community of 500 individuals with enough regular players that the 9 city-provided indoor courts, and often the outdoor courts, are full to capacity. We are bursting at the seams thanks to Loretta and Mike's outreach.

The event at Trio's in the Alley was attended by over 80 guests. Speeches touched on all aspects of the contributions by the Beckners, with representatives from the city, the Ambassador community and the Pickledillys, providing perspective. Loretta and Mike concluded the evening with emotional remarks capturing the history, humor and excitement of pickleball in Aiken.

Thank you Loretta and Mike for all you have done to give us a new passion, improve our health, create new friendships and celebrate time together.

Click here see a collection of photos from the evening.

Pickleball Net Care 101

Hi all,

We regularly encounter nets that are damaged where the wooden or plastic post holding the center of the net meets the plastic strap along the top of the net. We have recently had to repair numerous nets, but these repairs are temporary. Some of you may even be a member of one of our unofficial duct tape crews (thank you!). We have asked the City if they can purchase new nets but their budget is extremely limited.

There are a couple of things we can do to minimize damage to the nets.

1. Keep your paddle off the net: We have seen players at particularly discouraging moments in a match slam their paddles on top of the center post. Not good for paddles or nets. This stresses the net strap where it rests on the post and the wear and tear weakens the net at that point.

2. Do not attach the center post Velcro through the net: The center post of the net should be positioned between the net and the steel post insert at the base. (See photo.) If the net is installed properly it will preserve the net and avoid undue wear and tear caused by the small Velcro strip. Additionally, all Velcro tension straps at the far ends of the net should be loosened before inserting and removing the two side steel posts which support the net.

(Article continued after photo.)

3. Don't lose or remove the plastic tip at the top of the center post: Most center posts have a small hard plastic tip. It provides a cushion at the top of the post and helps prevent cutting into the net strapping at the top. Please be aware of this and make an effort to ensure it is always attached to the center post.

Thanks for adhering to these first aid measures for our nets.

Pickledillys on Local TV

Thanks go to Jim Kabel for coordinating a visit by Jessica Eley, Sports Anchor for local News 12 (CBS) and NBC 26, to Odell Weeks and the Aiken Pickledillys this week. A portion of what she taped was broadcast on News 12 (CBS) at 6:00 and 11:00, and NBC 26 at 7:00. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, here's a link to the story on the WRDW website:

http://www.wrdw.com/content/sports/Pickleball-gives-people-a-new-sport-t...

Website Forums

Just a reminder to check the forums on this website for posts. When someone posts in a forum, a link to it is added to the "Recent Changes" section in the left-hand bar of the site. You may also access the information by clicking on the "Forums" link in the main menu.

All users may see the posts in the forum. Registered users (when signed in) may post forum entries or add comments to someone else's entries.

Gil Mullins

We are sorry to hear of the passing of one of our players, Charles "Gil" Mullins. An obituary can be found in the April 15 edition of the Aiken Standard. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Tournaments Page

Just a reminder that we list upcoming tournaments on the "Tournaments" page of this site, which is accessible via the main menu. If you know of an upcoming tournament, let us know and we will be glad to list it.

Winter Visitors

We welcome all winter visitors. If you have been rated in another state or locale, and you plan to be in Aiken for only a few months, please contact one of the player representatives for that level. (Contact information for the representatives cn be found on the "Contacft us" page of this website.) A representative will play a few games with you to determine if your rating is in line with our local levels.

Pickleball Players Keep Going Strong

Congratulations to Bill, Al, Bobbi, Dick, and Ray, our honored guests at Friday night's social. These five players are all 80+ years old. We are so proud of them and hope that we are all playing pickleball at 80. We wish you many more happy, healthy years.

Taking Down Nets

We have been told by the city that some nets are not getting taken down after last play each day. It is imperative that ALL nets be taken down each day.

Please check the calendar to see if you are the last session for that day and if there is anyone playing on the court after you. If you are the last one in the gym and a net is still up that you did not use you MUST take it down. In addition, we have been advised that there have been days when we did not stop playing at the end of our provided time. We must stop on schedule and take nets down promptly.

Thanks to everyone for doing their part so we all can enjoy the gym.

Rasheka Gaines - Recreation Program Supervisor

Rasheka Gaines was recently named as the Recreation Program Supervisor at Odell Weeks, replacing Chrissey Miller. Rasheka has been employed at Odell Weeks by the City of Aiken Parks & Recreation for many years, so her face is familiar to many of us! Our pickleball players and our program will surely benefit under Rasheka's supervision. Congratulations, Rasheka!