For news from the Mid-Atlantic Pickleball Region, visit the website at http://midatlanticpb.com/. The link may also be accessed from this website by going to Information/Links.
Aiken Pickleball News
We are pleased to announce that the USAPA has recently approved Chuck Buchanan as the new USAPA Pickleball Ambassador for Aiken, replacing Mike Beckner.
Chuck has been an active player for over six years with the Aiken Pickledillys. He recently retired from full time employment and now plans to devote some of his time fostering and nurturing pickleball in Aiken. With the sport pretty well entrenched in Aiken, Chuck hopes to focus on introducing the sport to local high school phys ed programs and to growing the sport in the Aiken County Parks and Recreation system.
Please welcome Chuck as your new ambassador and support him in his efforts to grow pickleball in the CSRA!
Hello Everyone,
The City of Aiken Parks and Recreation Department has increased fees for multiple activities that will go into effect July 1, 2018. Please view the current fees versus new fees listed below.
|
Type |
Current Fee |
New Fee |
Effective |
|
Daily Pickleball (Residents and Non-resident members) |
$1.00 |
$2.00 |
July 1, 2018 |
|
Daily Pickleball (Non-residents) |
$2.00 |
$3.00 |
July 1, 2018 |
|
Annual Pickleball Membership (must have a non-resident membership before purchasing) |
$45.00 |
$75.00 |
July 1, 2018 |
Thanks,
Rasheka Gaines
Recreation Program Supervisor
City of Aiken Parks and Recreation
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.