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Some of our news is on the Home page. Scroll down on that page to see several key articles.

The newsletters below contain the rest of our news.  Click a newsletter subject to open up that newsletter.

Our club also uses Facebook for unofficial and social inter-member communications. Sometimes, sudden play or clinic changes are also announced on Facebook. Only SAPC members are granted access to our closed group on Facebook.  Follow us on Facebook.

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  • 2024-09-14 13:45 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     Indoor Calendars    Reserved Play at Red Willow
     One Possession Academy  Indoor Play - Things to Know 

    Dear SAPC Members, please note that it is that time of year where we transition to indoor play.  Such play takes place at various St. Albert Schools, Red Willow Church and the One Possession facility.

    As such, it is important to reiterate some recent messaging in order to refresh your memory and to avoid the questions that inevitably arise at this time of year.

    Indoor Calendars

    Did you know that there are Calendars which show all play sessions that pertain to each level of play?  You will find all of our Calendars on the SAPC website.  For example if you are at the 3.5 level, just click on that Calendar (Rated 3.5 Calendar under the heading "Calendar by Rating and Training"), and you will only see the sessions that you are eligible to play in.  For new members especially, please note that the school venues are drop in sessions requiring 1 sticker and the Red Willow sessions are for pre-registered play requiring 2 stickers.  If you don't have stickers, they can be ordered from the online "Store" on the website by clicking on this link after signing in.  

    Please note that these Calendars do change from time to time, so it is best practice to verify the date, time and venue of your session before attending by quickly going to the appropriate website Calendar (click here).

    As an example, we do not get every Monday if play is scheduled at a school so you should check and not assume!

    Reserved Play at Red Willow

    Red Willow events/play sessions will open for registration the Friday before at 12:00:01 am (in case you're wondering, this is just after midnight at the end of Thursday).  You can only register for 1 session.   This is to allow everyone a chance to play at least 1 session at Red Willow.  However after 36 hours (noon Saturday) you can register for as many sessions as you want.  Important : if you register for more than 1 session you will be asked to cancel one.  Also, if you register for extra sessions BEFORE noon Saturday you will have to cancel.  In respect of other members trying to register, please ensure you wait until NOON on Saturday before registering for additional Red Willow sessions.  As you can appreciate, once one person registers early, it then it encourages others to want to follow suit; this is frustrating for those who are patiently waiting and, potentially, see that the last spot available is taken prematurely.  So, to be fair, anyone registering early will have to cancel.

    Please note that registration play and attendance is capped at 12 members - 11 members who register and 1 spot for the session captain.  Registered play at Red Willow costs 2 stickers.  Members should not hesitate to go on the waitlist if the session is full; there are often cancellations.  If there is a cancellation, the first person on the waiting list will receive an email - please cancel/advise quickly if you are no longer interested or available so that the open position can be filled.

    Please attend the session you have registered for!  If you arrive at Red Willow to attend a session for which you have not registered, you will not be allowed to attend.

    Please help out the captains who are starting the first and last sessions of the day.  Kindly, assist in the set up and taking down the nets, putting away the chairs, etc.

    You may now enter the Red Willow foyer early and wait for your session to begin.  We highly recommend everyone be there 10 minutes early.   This will give you time to get ready and to be signed in and paid as the captain may bring the sign in sheet outside the gym!   Please stay to the side in the foyer allowing the group that is leaving space to collect their coats/shoes and to easily leave the venue.  The captain will invite players into the gym a couple minutes before the hour so they may be ready to play.   Members should not leave any valuables in the foyer as the Church and Club will not be responsible for loss nor theft.

    No one is permitted to enter Red Willow for the first session until 8:45am - this is a strict start time.  As such, we ask that if you are registered for the first session of the day that you please be on time in order to help get the session started on time.  We will plan on each session having cleared the gym a few minutes before the end time of the session; that will allow the gym to be cleared of players before the next group goes in.

    One Possession

    One Possession Academy is now an indoor venue for pre-registered 6 week session play.   Check the Calendar by clicking here.   Play at this facility is scheduled to begin on September 30th. 

    Indoor Play - Things to Note/Remember  

    Membership Cards

    A reminder to everyone to bring their SAPC membership card to all our sessions and events.  The card can be printed or displayed on a member's smartphone and will indicate the member's date of membership and current rating level.  This is particularly important for new members and members who have recently achieved a new SAPC rating level.  This becomes important for all members come January or February at which time everyone needs to provide proof of their 2025 membership renewal.  As noted in previous Newsletters, don't forget to bring your stickers (see more about stickers below).  You will also need a pair of clean, indoor athletic shoes for your indoor play.  Finally, keep yourself refreshed by bringing a water bottle or two (no other beverages are permitted at our indoor venues).   We encourage safety glasses as well.

    Arrive on Time

    It is important for members to be at the school venues on time as we are not to disturb the school caretakers by ringing the school bell.  Instead, the captain will assign someone to "man the door" at the start of the session.  No one will be allowed to enter the school once ten minutes has passed beyond the scheduled start time for each session.  Doors cannot be propped open at any time.  Play  is considered “drop in” only because you do not have to register - you must be on time!

    Play Type

    Depending on the numbers of members playing at the school venues, the play type may be paddle play or round robin as determined by the play session captain.

    School Venues

    Entry to the schools is by the main door.  Members will place outdoor shoes just inside the foyer.  All other belongings are to be brought inside the gym.  There is no leaving the school gyms to wander through the schools at any time.  Washrooms are accessible within all of the gyms except for Holy Family - their washrooms are just outside of the gym.

    Visitors

    There will be no visitors accepted for indoor play as space is limited and with over 1035 members we need the space for the members.

    Nets at Indoor Venues 

    Please ensure you know how to put up and take down nets when offering to help captains as doing it incorrectly causes problems. 

    Click on the following link for a video by Sean McCartan (thanks Sean!) on putting up and taking down a pickleball net.

    PORTABLE PICKLEBALL NET ASSEMBLY

    DUPR Rating Clinics

    DUPR rating clinics will be held throughout the winter months.  Watch the calendar but also note that those eligible will receive an email invitation.

    Until next time keep your paddle up!   

  • 2024-09-05 09:59 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     Volunteers - Student Training    Alpine Signage - Volunteer  Opportunity
     August Outdoor Play Statistics  Play at One Possession Facility
     Membership Breakdown by  Rating
     

    Volunteers Needed for Student Training

    We have some student training coming up pretty quickly for September and we need 12 volunteers for each session. 

    We need to know as soon as possible (before September 7th) who can help as  the schedule needs to be in place .  

    All sessions take place at the Larose courts.  The dates and times we need volunteers for are as follows: 

    1) Friday, September 13th  1:30 - 2:45 (25 students, grade 7 and 8) 

    2) Tuesday, September 17th 10:30 am - 12:15 pm (25 students, grade 6)

    3) Wednesday Sept 18: 10:30 am - 12:15 pm (35 students, grades 4 & 5) 

    4) Wednesday Sept 25: 10:30 am - 12:15 pm (35 students, grades 4 & 5) 

    5) Thursday Sept 26:  10:30 am - 12:15 pm (25 students, grade 6)

    Please respond with the dates that you can volunteer, as soon as possible - by no later than September 7th.

    If you have trained before that is well and good, but there will be some training plans for student groups which will be sent  out later.

    This student training means a lot to our club, to the schools, and to the City of St. Albert, and your help is very much appreciated. 

    E-mail Nancy Abrahamson by click here if you can help out.

    Scheduling updates will be sent out once all information is sorted.

    Volunteer Opportunity - Alpine Court Signage

    Pauline McCormick, one of our Club members, has recommended that the Club put up signage at the Alpine outdoor pickleball courts.  Furthermore, Pauline has agreed to lead the process of designing this sign for which the Club has received detailed specs related to same.   Thanks Pauline!!

    If you or someone you know has graphic design experience, Pauline could use your help.  Just send Pauline an e-mail briefly describing your interest in helping out with this effort and some details regarding your associated skill set.

    Call for Captains for Indoor Play 

    Captains  are needed for the following sessions (except where indicated otherwise, we only have one captain for each of these sessions and it is obviously very important to have 2 in order to provide backup and share duties): 

    Bertha Kennedy ALL sessions Monday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

    Red Willow 2.5/unrated Monday 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (no captains)

    Bertha Kennedy 4.0+ sessions Tuesday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

    Red Willow 2.5/unrated sessions Monday 3:00 to 5:00 pm

    Bertha Kennedy 2.5/unrated  sessions Wednesday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm 

    Bertha  Kennedy  ALL sessions Saturday 2:30 pm to 4:45 pm

    JJ nearing 2.5/unrated sessions Thursday 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm

    Red Willow 2.5/unrated sessions Thursday 9:00 am to 11:00 am

    Lois E Hole ALL sessions Friday 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm

    If anyone can help captain at any of these sessions please contact our venue manager at venuemanager@pickleballstalbert.ca.

    Please Note:  Indoor play at our school venues will begin the week of September 30th.

    August Outdoor Play Statistics 

    In case you are interested in numbers, please see the Alpine outdoor play statistics for August below:

    Rating Level              Attendees

             2.5                              223

             3.0                              248

             3.5                              540

             3.5+                            281

             4.0+                            299

             4.5+                              26

             ALL                             230

              70+                              36

        League Play                  180

        Partner Play                 186

          3.0 DUPR                       76

          3.5 DUPR                    115

    Total Attendance      2,440

    By Comparison, July attendance was 2,360; June saw 2,003 participants and May attendance was 1,820.

    Play at the One Possession Facility

    Registration for Play sessions at the One possession venue at 320 Circle drive in St. Albert will open September 8th at midnight.  Play sessions will begin the week of September 30th.  These are six week sessions at a cost of $45.00.  Please read the description on the registration so that you fully understand how a play session works!   You may find these sessions on the One Possession Play Calendar by clicking here.

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    We now have over 1,000 active members!! This sport and our Club are really taking off!  The breakdown of our members at the end of August (with comparative figures for July) are as follows:

                                          July           August  (Current)        Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                   329                          341                              12   

    2.5 Rating                     42                             43                                1

    3.0 Rating                   155                          157                                2

    3.5 Rating                   254                          257                                3        

    4.0 Rating                   181                          183                                2          

    4.5+ Rating                   54                            54                              Nil          

    Total Members      1015                       1035                             20  

    Until next time keep your paddle up!   

  • 2024-08-13 09:50 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     Call for Indoor Captains  Thanks to Volunteers
     Available Volunteer Roles    July Outdoor Play Statistics
     Stickers for Indoor Play   Bag Needed 
     Membership Breakdown by Rating  

    Call for Indoor Captains / Indoor Schedules

    Please be advised that the Club will be holding Indoor Captains meetings at Red Willow Church on September 4th from 9:00 to 10:30 am and later the same day from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.

    You should note that the Indoor Calendars have now been posted to the website (yeahhhhh!).  Indoor play will begin on September 30th (or possibly even later dependent on the weather).

    Please consider stepping forward to become a captain at the schools or at Red Willow Church.

    A team of  two or three members is ideal for each session to share the commitments.

    At the meetings the procedures for being an indoor captain will be explained step by step.  For those who have not done this before - don't fear it's a pretty straightforward and simple process - and you get to meet and interact with a lot of nice people!

    Please respond to the venue manager by clicking here to let Eileen know what session you plan to attend.

    This is a wonderful way to give back to the Club as we cannot have play sessions without our captains. Thank you for considering this opportunity to volunteer.

    Thanks to Our Volunteers

    We had over 50 folks attend the volunteer thank you on August 10th.  It was a great turnout and the weather cooperated.  Art and Jeanine did a great job organizing the event including signage and photo opportunities, a great lunch and a wonderful welcoming sign.  Thank you so much for all of your hard work Art and Jeanine! 

    On behalf of the Board Eileen thanked all of our amazing volunteers!

    Eileen's Volunteer Thank You:

    V is for very;  we are so very thankful for all of you and your volunteering!

    O is for outstanding; by giving so many hours to the Club and taking care of so many tasks we are considered a wonderful club - thanks to you for being outstanding!

    L is for lucky and loyal; we are lucky that we have you stepping forward and over the years I have seen so many of the same volunteers step forward year after year - for your loyalty, thank you 

    U is for unbeatable and unbelievable; for your hours of commitment especially for the seasoned volunteers; we also welcome the new volunteers for stepping forward.

    N is for nourishing as you take newbies under your wings!  Your kind actions bring more people stepping forward and we do need that with 1015 members.

    T is for terrific and treasured; you are all terrific for all that you do for the Club; you are so treasured for all of your commitment to the Club.

    E is for exceptional; the Club is only as good as its volunteers, thank you for being exceptional!

    E is for engaging and enthusiastic; by being engaged in volunteering and carrying out your volunteering with enthusiasm, everything runs so smoothly.

    R is for remarkable and respect; last but not least, you are all remarkable and we respect you so much for all of your hard work (sometimes daily for many of you).

    So thank you, muchas gratias, danke, gor a maith agat, merci - for all that you do!!!

    Three cheers for our incredible volunteers!!!

    Available Volunteer Roles

    Safety Coordinator:

    What are the tasks associated with this role?

    • Itemize the first aid kits and document their placement

    • Prepare and maintain first aid kits for use in various venues

    • Order restock items when required

    • Monitor the upkeep of the AED Machine (battery life, etc.)

    Training will be provided.

    Time commitment - 5 hours/year.

    If you are interested please respond to:

    venuemanager@pickleballstalbert.ca 

    Rating Coordinators:

    Looking for 2 members to join the rating coordination team to assist with the preparation of rating clinics.

    Preferred Competencies of Rating Coordinators: 

    • Eagerness to learn
    • Organizational and interpersonal skills
    • Basic knowledge of Excel is required
    • Familiar with Pickleball Brackets software
    • Assist the leads with other tasks

    Training will be provided.

    Time commitment - 3 to 5 hours/month.

    If you are interested please respond to:

    rating1@pickleballstalbert.ca

    Facilities Task Team Committee Members:

    We are looking for individuals to join our Facilities Task Team to help promote  and advocate for a new 20+ outdoor court facility in St. Albert.

    The FT Team has 2 main work streams at this time:

    1.  Outdoor Facilities

    a.)   Research possible land available for courts.

    b.)  Apply for grants, seek sponsors to support and sponsor new outdoor courts; work with COSA in the process of getting courts built. 

    This new court initiative will take significant effort over the next 2 years. 

    2.  Indoor Facilities

    • Work with indoor facility operators to secure additional winter/indoor court times

    SAPC members with new ideas and backgrounds suited to either of these mandates would be especially appreciated.   For example, we would love to have folks with the following skills and abilities to volunteer for this role:

    • Insights in facilities operating and capital project costs. 
    • Experience with Strategic Planning and risk assessment in a business setting 
    • Negotiating skills in private and public business setting

    If you are interested, please contact Eileen at:

    president@pickleballstalbert.ca

    July Outdoor Play Statistics 

    In case you are interested in numbers, please see the Alpine outdoor play statistics for July below:

    Rating Level              Attendees

             2.5                              146

             3.0                              113

             3.5                              610

             3.5+                            182

             4.0+                            312

             4.5+                              29

             ALL                             262

              70+                              52

        League Play                  180

        Partner Play                 236

          3.0 DUPR                       92

          3.5 DUPR                    146

    Total Attendance      2,360

    By Comparison, June total attendance was 2,003 and May was 1,820.

    Get your Stickers for Indoor Play

    Remember that you will need to have stickers to pay for indoor play which is starting shortly as noted above.  If you need stickers click here after logging into your SAPC profile.  Under the Members menu you will find the Store allowing you to purchase your sticker sheets from the website.  The current price is $67 including GST for 20 stickers.

    Bag Needed

    Does anyone have a large rolling hockey bag or rolling duffle bag waiting to be used?   The one we used at Alpine has broken zippers and is getting very worn out.

    Note:  Thank you Nela for donating the bag that is in use at the moment.

    Pease contact venuemanager@pickleballstalbert.ca if you have one you are willing to donate.  Thanks so much in advance! 

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    We now have over 1,000 active members!! This sport and our Club are really taking off!  The breakdown of our members at the end of July (with comparative figures for June) are as follows:

                                        June           July (Current)       Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  317                          329                      12   

    2.5 Rating                    39                            42                         3

    3.0 Rating                  151                          155                        4

    3.5 Rating                  254                          254                        0        

    4.0 Rating                  187                          181                       (6)

    4.5+ Rating                  46                            54                         8          

    Total Members       994                        1015                      21

    Until next time keep your paddle up!   

  • 2024-07-10 19:45 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     Special Meeting re PA  Member Integrity
     Member Handbook    Outdoor Play at Alpine
     Club DUPR Play Changes  Notice to Summer Volunteers
     Incident Report - Injuries  Thanks to the Rotary Club
     Membership Breakdown by Rating  

    Special Meeting re Pickleball Alberta

    There will be a general society meeting of the SAPC  membership to discuss and vote on the matter of the SAPC affiliation with Pickleball Alberta.   Watch for an  email invitation to attend  and register for this general meeting to be held July 30th at Red Willow Church in St. Albert.

    Member Integrity

    Dear members,

    SAPC is particularly protective of the quality of play offered to members -- a quality that depends on the integrity of its rating regime.  We know many members find fair play, with members of similar skills, to be the most enjoyable play around, and we know that protecting that play is vital to the sustainment and growth of our membership levels.  It matters to you, so it matters to your Board and all the volunteers who make our club work.  Recently DUPR has shared with the Board that a case has been found of a DUPR member participating in the use of fake DUPR accounts and the entry or validation of fake games into DUPR.  The fake games elevated this member's DUPR rating. In this regard, the Board wishes to remind our members that, should anyone take such unethical actions, that are counter to SAPC values and damages the Club’s reputation and integrity, they will face severe consequences.

    Your SAPC Board

    Member Handbook

    Special thanks to Dave Klein for updating a document he created for the Club - The Member Handbook.  The updated handbook is on the website and can be viewed by clicking here.

    It is an excellent handbook (one that we have shared with many clubs across Canada).  When other clubs were checking out our website they asked for permission to use this handbook.

    Excerpt from the handbook:

    “Whether you are a new or long-time member of the SAPC, this Handbook is important for you to read. It contains information that you will be expected to know when playing pickleball not just in St. Albert, but at one of the many clubs across Alberta, North America, and the world. The purpose of this document is to teach you how to play pickleball safely, smartly, and respectfully as an SAPC member. Pickleball is a fun sport, but only when everyone on the court understands and follows the basic “rules of the road”, which keep everyone safe and help keep the game running smoothly. Please let this Member Handbook guide your behaviour when playing not just at our Club, but at other clubs as well." 

    Outdoor Play at Alpine

    Round Robin - Please Show up ON TIME!

    Effective July 4, 2024:

    • Players MUST be at the court AND checked in (name printed on sign up sheet) by 5 minutes BEFORE the scheduled play start time.

    Note:  No member may sign another member in expecting them to show up; every member must sign in personally when arriving at the court at least 5 minutes before play is scheduled to begin

    • The captain may immediately post a round robin sheet based on the number of players checked in 5 minutes before the scheduled play start time.
    • Once the Round Robin sheet is posted, the captain WILL NOT change that sheet.  Late comers WILL NOT be accommodated. 

    Note:  This new process responds to complaints regarding the number of late comers and the frequent changes to the round robin play sheet that were previously needed to accommodate such late comers.

    Attendance at Alpine

    April attendance 8 days only - one rain day:

    Rating Level            Attendees

              2.5                           44

              3.0                           34

              3.5                           80

              3.5+                         43

              4.0+                         68

               ALL                          24

                70+                           6

         Partner Play                68

    Total attendance  -      367

    May attendance (6 rain days):

     Rating Level            Attendees 

                2.5                         171

                3.0                           86

                3.5                         315

                3.5+                       262

                4.0+                       289

         League Play               260

         Partner Play                 92

              ALL                             95

              70+                             38 

         3.0 DUPR                       51

         3.5 DUPR                     161

    Total Attendance       1,820

    June Attendance:

    Rating Level           Attendees

            2.5                               254

             3.0                              133

             3.5                              377

             3.5+                            199

             4.0+                            228

              ALL                            177

               70+                             37

        League Play                  240

        Partner Play                 160

          3.0 DUPR                       82

          3.5 DUPR                    116

    Total Attendance       2,003

    Port-a-Potty

    If there is a problem with the port-a-potty anyone can call (780) 459-1557 and report the issue.

    Club DUPR Play Changes

    Our Club strives to maximize all the court time available to us - to give our members maximum play opportunities.  This trial change to our DUPR play is intended to do just that.  Specifically, we want to:

    - ensure all spots in our DUPR play are full, and

    - ensure there is a healthy wait list, as we often get a lot of cancellations (sometimes as many as 12!) on game day, for various reasons

    Currently, our 3.5 DUPR play is limited to members with a club rating of 3.5, and our 3.0 DUPR play is limited to those with a 3.0 club rating.  Members of each level get an email invitation when the registration opens up the week before play.

    For future sessions of the Wednesday evening 3.5 DUPR play, if there are any openings not yet filled, or if the wait list has less than 8 members on it, we will issue an email registration invitation (typically on Monday morning) to those with a 4.0 club rating or a 3.0 club rating.  We will alternate this, so that in one week, only the 4.0`s are invited and at the next opportunity, only the 3.0`s are invited. 

    Players are assigned to a court based on their DUPR rating, so you almost always get close games with players of similar skills.  If a player initially has no current DUPR rating, we do our best to place them on a court appropriate to their skill, if we know what that is. 

    Please see our Wednesday evening 3.5 event descriptions in the 3.5 calendar for other registration details, to prepare for this opportunity.

    If this works out for the 3.5 level, the captains of the 3.0 DUPR Play may elect to also try this out at that level as well. Watch for future emails on this opportunity.

    Summer Volunteers

    Notice to ALL Summer Volunteers - Save the date!!

    All summer volunteers, please keep August 10th free as that is when we will be celebrating our thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the Club.

    Stay tuned for more details!

    Incident Report - Player Injuries

    When a person falls or gets injured on the courts in a club play session or event captains must fill out a form.  Regardless of how serious or minor the injury is, it is important to have a record as in some cases the injury at the time seemed minor but problems occurred later.  Having the form filled out is important in case an insurance claim has to be filled in to Pickleball Canada.  We thank all members and captains for following this important policy.

    Rotary Club

    Special thanks to our local Rotary Club for donating a cheque of $740 to pay for the celebration windup for the Special Olympics on July 23rd.

    It was awesome to receive this generous gift - thank you so much St. Albert Rotary Club!!

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    Almost 1,000 members have renewed their memberships for 2024.  The breakdown of those members at the end of June (with comparative figures for May) are as follows:

                                         May              June  (Current)       Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  327                          317                         (10)   

    2.5 Rating                    34                            39                             5

    3.0 Rating                  141                          151                          10

    3.5 Rating                  247                          254                            7        

    4.0 Rating                  184                          187                            3

    4.5+ Rating                  43                            46                            3          

    Total Members       976                         994                         18

    Until next time keep your paddle up!  

  • 2024-06-06 11:03 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     2024 Tournaments  4.0+ League Play - Feedback Received
     Mentoring Sessions   Cancelled Sessions (eg. Weather Related)
     Non-SAPC Tournaments  Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    2024 Tournaments

    We will be hosting three tournaments this year.

    Our Members Only Summer Kickoff is scheduled for this weekend, June 8th and 9th.  Thanks go out to all those who have volunteered to assist with this tournament and good luck to everyone playing!  

    Food/baking contributions during the tournament should be dropped off at the registration desk anytime.  Thank you in advance!

    Let's hope for good weather.  We hope to only be blown away by the quality of play and fun on the courts - not 60 km gusts!!

    Our Sanctioned Tournament will be held on  August 16th to the 18th.  You may register on Pickleball Brackets by clicking here.

    Finally, we will be hosting a Members Only Tournament on September 21st and 22nd.

    League Play 4.0+ Update

    There has been overwhelming interest in the new League play format this spring. Unfortunately, the creation of this new play format for 4.0+ members has highlighted the fact that we lacked proper processes, documentation and communication for the following:

    • the rules governing this mode of play  
    • job descriptions for the organizers, the league captains and scheduler

    The resulting poor communications, lack of understanding, last minute changes and lack of transparency resulted in a number of concerns and complaints raised by our members. 

    The Board apologizes for not being proactive in organizing League play adequately and the distress and frustration this caused for many of our members. 

    Please be assured that with help from the volunteers involved, the Board is hard at work in addressing this issue.  Very shortly, a detailed report will go out the 4.0+ Club members with specifics about the nature of the complaints and actions that will be taken by the associated volunteers and the Board to address this issue both for the current season and in the future.

    Mentoring Sessions

    We have mentoring sessions scheduled for June and July as noted below.

    Mentoring sessions are at 11 am to 1 pm on Saturdays at the Alpine outdoor courts.  

    In June we will have :

    June 22nd - Level 2.5

    June 24th - Level 3

    In July we have:

    July 13th - Level 2.5

    July 20th - Level 4

    July 27th - Level 3

    July 6th - Level 3.5

    A week before each session members for the specific Club Rating Level that is being mentored, as noted above, will be made aware that registration is opening soon.  Shortly after you will receive an email advising registration is now open. 

    Important Change to Note:

    We want to give as many people as possible the opportunity for mentoring so members should only register for one mentoring session this summer.  Only if there is an opening the day before the session can a member register for another session.  Furthermore, if you participated in one of the last few indoor mentoring sessions, please give others a chance to register first for these outdoor sessions.

    Cancelled Outdoor Play Sessions

    The decision to cancel outdoor play due to wet conditions, air quality or other reasons is made by the captain or captains of each individual play session.  These decisions are guided by published Club policies.

    To learn if a particular play session is cancelled, please join our Club's members-only Facebook Group and/or join one of our WhatsApp groups.  To learn how to join our social media groups click here.

    All cancellations are announced at one or both of these sites.  Announcements are typically made there 1 to 2 hours before the scheduled start of play.  Remember too:

    • If there is no cancellation notice in either Facebook or WhatsApp -- the event is ON (please don't ask if it is still on; if no notice is provided on social media you can safely assume the session is still on)
    • Check the Calendar for Indoor cancellations -  if any session/event is not in the Calendar, it is not happening.  (Note: the Alpine Calendar is not updated for weather cancellations as these usually happen on very short notice and are communicated to members as noted above)

    We are occasionally able to book Red Willow for Play sessions when it looks like the weather won’t cooperate with playing outside, so make sure you have joined the WhatsApp group or Facebook group as that is where notifications will be posted (if you are not part of these groups go to the Social Media heading on the SAPC website and you will find instructions on how to join both groups).

    Non-SAPC Tournaments

    We have been asked to advertise the following tournaments on behalf of other clubs in our province:

    Medicine Hat Pickleball Club

    The Medicine Hat Pickleball Club is extending an invitation to all members to come play in the Medicine Hat Pickleball Open Tournament on Friday, July 5th to Sunday July 7th, 2024.  For more information check the following link:

    Medicine Hat Pickleball Club Open Tournament

    According to MHPC they have a beautiful outdoor 20 court facility with state of the art courts and look forward to welcoming everyone to the Hat in July!!!

    St. Albert Rotary Club

    The Rotary Club is holding a fund raising tournament on June 15th and June 16th.  This event is a fundraising effort for St Albert community projects.   If you are interested click this link

    If you have any questions or still want to volunteer, please contact Daniela at ionitescudaniela@gmail.com to see if there are any opportunities available.

    We look for forward to seeing you there!!

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    976 members have already renewed their memberships for 2024.  The breakdown of those members at the end of May (with comparative figures for April) are as follows:

                                       April              May  (Current)      Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  264                         327                           

    2.5 Rating                    28                           34                             6

    3.0 Rating                  135                         141                            6

    3.5 Rating                  219                         247                          28        

    4.0 Rating                  158                         184                          26

    4.5+ Rating                  19                            43                          24          

    Total Members        823                        976                        153

    Note: The substantial percentage increase in 4.0+ members can at least partially be attributed to the launch of the new 4.0+ League format play in May, 2024.

    Until next time keep your paddle up!   

  • 2024-04-19 09:56 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     SAPC 2024 Tournaments   League Play for 4.0+ Members
     Call for Volunteers  Updated Code of Conduct
     Alpine Outdoor Play  Special Olympics update from Gary C.
     Non-SAPC Tournaments  Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    2024 Tournaments

    We will be hosting three tournaments this year. Our Members Only Summer Kickoff is scheduled for June 8th and 9th and is on pickleballbrackets.com now - registration opens today, April 20th, at 6:00 pm.  You can register as a team or, if you do not have partner, register without a partner and we will pair you up with someone. 

    Our Sanctioned Tournament will be held on  August 16th to the 18th.

    Finally, we will be hosting a Members Only Tournament on September 21st and 22nd.

    League Play - 4.0+

    We are presently working on getting league play organized and will be sending an e-mail very shortly to all 4.0 and higher players with details on how to register.  We hope to start play on May 9th.  If you plan to register for this League play, please make sure that your membership details are in order and that you are an active, paid up member including Pickleball Canada, Alberta and SAPC; any members who register without meeting these criteria will be rejected.

    Call for Volunteers

    Please note that our Club needs volunteers in many areas in order to operate effectively - that includes having captains for ALL Club play sessions, rating coordinators for DUPR rating play sessions, tournament volunteers, administrative and scheduling functions, etc., etc. 

    Thanks to all those who have volunteered in the past, are currently volunteering or have plans to do so later this year.  The Club will be holding a volunteer appreciation day for all of our fall/winter season volunteers on June 1st (if it rains on June 1st the event will be moved to June 2nd).  We will keep you posted with more details as the month of June approaches.

    Also, keep an eye out for e-mails from our membership team on the topic of volunteers as the summer season progresses.  Please consider volunteering your skills and time to support our Club and your fellow members as these opportunities arise.

    Updated Code of Conduct

    SAPC has updated its Member Code of Conduct (click here) and our Board requests your help to keep our club atmosphere friendly and open.

    Introduction

    We are at the start of our outdoor season, and look forward to meeting you all on the courts to have fun playing pickleball and socializing. Outsiders and new comers often comment on the friendly and  welcoming atmosphere in our club. This friendly atmosphere does not happen by chance.  

    In order to achieve this our Club has conduct policies for members, volunteers and board members that set out the expectations. These policies ensure that members, their guests and club visitors can enjoy the benefits of the SAPC events without fear of rude, intimidating, or other unwanted behaviours.  The Board follows up when these or other policies are ignored.  

    Quite a few members have received written reprimands when needed, including one whose membership was revoked after due process.

    The Issue

    It has come to the board’s attention that our volunteers, especially our captains, face the brunt of rude, belligerent or intimidating behaviour when they give direction, ask for compliance to the rules or ask to see the membership and rating card as per our Club regulations.

    It is caused by a small minority of members that spoil the atmosphere for the rest.  Often they are not even aware that their attitude and behaviour affect others negatively. Sometime, they actually blame the other person for making problems! Arguing with these persons does not improve the situation, and frankly who needs the aggravation? 

    This has resulted in a number of volunteers quitting their roles and none of us can enjoy the pickleball programming if we do not have volunteers to organize the activities.  Unfortunately, the Board was not aware of these issues when they occurred, and, therefore, could not investigate the incident(s) in question, support the volunteers involved or reprimand the offending parties.

    Here is how you can help bring change and support our volunteers:

    1. Report any incidences of rude, belligerent or aggressive behaviour you observed via a quick email, including date, time, location and the person in potential breach of our policy.

    Often the volunteer will not report because the offender may well create more unpleasantness for them in the next session. When the board approaches the offending party, they will have checked with a couple of persons present as to what happened, and the name(s) of who sent the report will not be divulged.

    2. When any member or volunteer is accosted in a way that is rude, aggressive or belligerent, you and others can approach silently , and just by your presence, show your support for the person that is being attacked.  Your courage to show silent support will help diffuse the situation.

    This takes courage but it is worth doing.  If we do nothing, then the bullies will win and they will not magically change their ways. Past experience is that a little bit of support and proper enforcement will take care of the problem.

    Also, for your information, our SAPC member conduct policy, bullets 4,14,15, have been edited to make things clearer as follows:

    4. Members will treat all people that volunteer to help run the club with courtesy and respect, complying with all reasonable requests in a courteous manner.

    14. Members are expected to help create an environment that supports the dignity of, and equity for all members and which is free of discrimination, bullying, harassment or rudeness.

    15. To maintain a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, members will report to the board any incidents that diminished the enjoyment of club activities for themselves, other members or volunteers. The Board will then decide on appropriate follow up.

    The SAPC Board would like to thank you for your help with this.  We hope to see you soon at Alpine as we embark on another fun filled summer pickleball season!

    Alpine Outdoor Play (from Eileen)

    Alpine sessions are opening Monday 22nd.  Please note that all members should have their current, valid membership cards ready to show to captains at ALL times.  Members must sign in with full name and write legibly Captains will only accept active membership cards as evidence of a member's rating level.  Captains will not review nor accept "evidence" of a rating that has not been approved by the rating coordinators (for example your DUPR or Tournament rating).  If you have requested a change in your rating level, please note that our captains cannot accept your new, higher rating level until that rating has been approved by our rating coordinators and updated on the SAPC website; once that occurs, the member can access and/or print their membership card reflecting their new rating level.  

    Please watch the Outdoor Play Calendar, Facebook updates and WhatsApp group chat for possible changes due to weather and cancellations.  Any such cancellations will come through social media due to time constraints.

    If you haven’t joined these groups please consider doing so.  The  WhatsApp groups that are set up for each rating level are a great for  organizing social play with other members as well as other pickleball related communication.  Go to the SAPC website and under the members tab you will find links to join these social media groups.

    Please note that during May and June many St. Albert schools will have  times assigned to them on the Alpine courts; it is impossible to note all of these changes in the Outdoor Play Calendars because of the variety of times.  A communication explaining all of this will be sent out during the last week of April.

    All sessions are drop in except for the following sessions which require pre-registration:

    • Partner play (see more details below)
    • DUPR play sessions - the 3.0 on Monday evening and 3.5 on Wednesday evening 
    Note: All members with 3.0 or 3.5 ratings will receive notification about when the play opens for the DUPR registration; registration times vary according to when you receive the email. 
    • League play on Thursday evenings for 4.0+ (see the article above for further details)

    Please Note:

    • Be ON TIME for Round Robin sessions (we recommend 10 to 15 minutes before the official start time)
    • Before Club play has started members are expected to use their own pickleballs.
    • Members must never go into the Captain's bag 
    • If members hit a ball outside of the court they are expected to retrieve it after the game, not at the end of the session
    • Only water is allowed on the courts (many members do like to socialize outside the courts at the nearby picnic table)
    • The City will have a port-a-potty in place starting May 1st

    Partner Play

    Members need to register for Partner Play sessions.  The sessions open on the Friday at 12:01 am.  Only ONE member of the team only needs to register.

    It is so important that if you register for partner play and you cannot attend, please cancel as there are always people on the waitlist.

    If you are a no show for Partner Play this will be noted and if this happens a second time, you will not be allowed to register in the future as this causes so much extra work for the captains and there are always too many members on the waiting list.   

    Have fun and enjoy another wonderful outdoor pickleball season!

    Thanks,

    Eileen McClean

    Special Olympics update from Gary C.

    Do you love pickleball and find it personally rewarding to help out others? Have we got an opportunity for you!

    The 2023 inaugural year of Special Olympics pickleball was such a success that we just had to do it again this year.   We are so lucky to have almost all of last year's volunteer coaches returning, but there is a need for another 6 to 8 coaches. 

    The plan is to run the program Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 7:45 pm at Alpine from June 4 to July 23 inclusive. We play on courts 7 through12 with 2 to 4 coaches per court depending on the need.

    Gary Cheetham is the program lead, providing support and direction to make the experience enjoyable for everyone.

    Here are the requirements:

    • Patience and a desire to share your love of the game with an enthusiastic group of new players with an intellectual disability

    • The ability to pass a vulnerable sector check (VSC). There is no cost and the form is provided for you to take to your local police detachment (you do not have to be a resident of St Albert)

    • Complete a 1.5 hour Sport Alberta online module that helps prepare you to be a successful coach of Special Olympic athletes

    Please call or text Gary at (780)901-0005 by April 30th if you are interested in getting involved.

    Non-SAPC Tournaments

    We have been asked to advertise the following tournaments on behalf of other clubs in our province:

    Medicine Hat Pickleball Club

    The Medicine Hat Pickleball Club is extending an invitation to all members to come play in the Medicine Hat Pickleball Open Tournament on Friday, July 5th to Sunday July 7th, 2024.  For more information check the following link:

    Medicine Hat Pickleball Club Open Tournament

    According to MHPC they have a beautiful outdoor 20 court facility with state of the art courts and look forward to welcoming everyone to the Hat in July!!!

    St. Albert Rotary Club

    The Rotary Club is holding a fund raising tournament on June 15th and June 16th.  This event is a fundraising effort for St Albert community projects. 

    Registrations opened on April 15, 2024 just click this link.

    They will need referees for the medal games and volunteers for other roles as well. If you are interested, please contact Daniela at ionitescudaniela@gmail.com .

    We look for forward to seeing you there!!

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    823 members have already renewed their memberships for 2024.  As is typically the case, many of our members - particularly snowbirds - do not renew their Club membership until spring or early summer.  To that point, we currently have well over a hundred members with a "renewal overdue status".  If the majority of those members were to renew later this year, as we expect, we will have over 1,000 active members!

    In terms of those members who have already renewed for 2024, the breakdown of those members as of mid-April (with comparative figures for March) are as follows:

                                      March          April  (Current)      Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  237                      264                           27

    2.5 Rating                    28                        28                             0

    3.0 Rating                  124                     135                            11

    3.5 Rating                  213                     219                              6        

    4.0 Rating                  153                     158                              5

    4.5+ Rating                  18                       19                               1          

    Total Members       773                    823                            50

    Until next time keep your paddle up!   

  • 2024-03-29 10:42 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     AGM Elections   Wrapping up 2023
     Call  for Captains  Training and Mentoring
     DUPR Play and Ratings Sessions  St. Albert Rotary Club
     Membership Breakdown by Rating Level  

    AGM Elections

    The Club recently held its Annual General Meeting on March 27th.  A key part of the agenda at the AGM was the election of Board members.  Members should be aware of the following Board members changes:

    1.  James Porter chose not to stand for re-election as the Club's Vice President.  The Board would like to thank James for his years of service in this capacity and for all of his valuable contributions to SAPC during his tenure.   You will be missed James!!

    Douwe Spriensma, formerly a Director at Large, was elected as the Club's new Vice President.  

    2.  Jeanine Au was elected to the position of Director at Large filling the role vacated by Douwe as note above.

    As a consequence of these changes, your Board currently consists of the following individuals:

    President - Eileen McClean

    Vice President - Douwe Spriensma

    Secretary - Jenna McCully 

    Treasurer - Laura Spencer 

    Director of Communications - Roger Hutlet

    Director of Information and Membership - Art Au

    Directors at Large - Ken Dentzien and Jeanine Au

    Wrapping up 2023

    We had another great year in 2023! 

    Our members enjoyed thousands of hours of play last year, our programs expanded, and our club grew even larger. This all means that even more connections were made, friendships were expanded and lives were enriched.  Thanks for being one of our friends! 

    Key Stats for 2023

    • 976  members  at peak (24% growth over 2022)
    • 11,263 member plays at organized outdoor sessions
    • 8,000 estimated member plays at organized indoor sessions
    • 160 school kids trained in 8 beginner lessons
    • 348 participants in 59 adult beginner training sessions
    • 291 participants in 19 mentoring sessions
    • 637 participants in 3 tournaments
    • 16 certified referees
    • 15 newsletters
    • $47.25 adult membership fee
    • $136,700 total income
    • $65,700 surplus (= contribution to capital reserve for future facilities)
    • $173,100 net assets
    • Untold amounts of laughter and squeals of joy

    All thanks to our many teams of volunteers:

    • Play captains
    • Venue coordinators and binder administration
    • Tournaments (organization, officiating, sponsorship and prizes, etc.)
    • Skill rating coordination and development
    • Training and mentoring
    • Reserved play coordination and play calendar management
    • Equipment and facility maintenance
    • Facility task force
    • Membership and volunteer management
    • Communications and social media
    • Health
    • Social
    • Finance and play sticker sales
    • Technology
    • Nominating, auditing, ombudsperson
    • Board 

    Further details and facts can be found in the club's Annual Report

    Call for Captains

    Preparations are under way for  the Alpine outdoor season.  

    Captains for all levels are needed

    Captains meetings will take place at Red Willow Church on April 16th from 9:00 to 10:30am in the morning and from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the evening.  If you have not captained before, you should come to one of these two meetings and find out what it involves. 

    Anyone interested in volunteering to be a captain should send an email to venuemanager@pickleballstalbert.ca stating what session(s) you would like to captain and which meeting you plan to attend.

    Please respond even if you are already one of our many faithful captains.  We thank all members who volunteer in advance, as we anticipate an overwhelming response - remember, we cannot have organized play without captains.  We appreciate all those members who generously donate their time in this capacity!!

    Training and Mentoring

    We are always looking for people wanting to help train and mentor our members and guests.

    The club has beginner lessons most Sundays from 9:00 to11:00 am. 

    We also have mentoring sessions for the various member skill levels.  In the summer these mentoring sessions take place on Saturdays at Alpine, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.  We start in June. 

    We have again been asked to help train students usually grades 5:00 to 8:00 pm - that starts in May (read more on this below).So that is a lot of training/coaching. If you are interested in joining the training team please message Nicole Currie (nicolecurrie@live.com) and let her know and she will add you to the list.

    Every two months an email goes out asking the trainers to sign up for days they are able to help with.  So we try to have a schedule made for two months at a time. 

    Student Training

    When it comes to the student training, please consider volunteering even if it is just for the students. Usually there are about 29 students so it takes up the courts and it is great if we have 2 trainers per court, as most students are beginners.  The locations and dates for student training are:

    Alpine:

    Monday, May 13th:   1:00 to 2:30 pm

    Tuesday, May 14th:   9:30 to 11:00 am

    Friday, May 24th:   1:00 to 2:30 pm 

    Friday, May 31st:   1:00 to 2:30 pm

    Larose:

    Thursday, May 23th:   1:30 to 3:00 pm

    Thursday, May 30th:   1:30 to 3:00 pm

    Any time you can give would be most appreciated.  Again, if you do have interest, please message Nicole Currie by clicking here

    Are you interested in taking some member mentoring sessions?   

    If so, you should watch the "Introductory Lessons and Training Calendar" for training events coming this outdoor season.  Open any particular training event to read details on the registration opening times.  If the event details say the registration opens at noon, please adhere to that time. Don't sign up even a minute early, even if the system allows this.  We need to be considerate and respect fellow members.  Thanks for making it fair to all (and for allowing us to manually get around the dreaded "midnight opening" for these particular event registrations.)

    DUPR Play and Ratings Sessions

    We are itching to get outdoors and play in St. Albert -- are you? 

    SAPC is pleased to offer even more this season than last.  In particular: 

    • The 3.0's have asked for some DUPR play this season and captains have stepped forward to lead this -- so it is a GO!

    • We will continue to have 3.5 DUPR play this season too -- and thanks to the captains, new and old, who have stepped forward to lead this too!
    • There will again be league play for 4.0's and above.
    • There will be some "Aspiring to 3.0" DUPR rating sessions, organized by our busy rating coordinators, for those who do not yet have a club rating (these will be at Bertha Kennedy when most other indoor play moves outdoors).
    • All the rest of our organized play will continue.
    • We will again put on some special olympics play (watch for an article on this in the next newsletter).

    • Our tournament scheduling is also underway and we will keep you posted with details as they are confirmed.

    Our play is still limited by court availability and allocations by the City of St. Albert, but we are grateful for what we have!

    We don't have a date for the start of outdoor play yet.  That depends on when the City puts up the nets, as usual. And that depends, in turn, on the anticipated weather.  We are, however, now looking for our sunscreen and outdoor runners! 

    Questions about DUPR? 

    • The 3.0 DUPR play dates and times are already posted on the Monday evenings of the Alpine Calendar.  The Thursday before each of these play times (at random times on the Thursday), an invitation will go to all 3.0 club rated players inviting them to register.

    • The 3.5 DUPR play will again take place on Wednesday evenings.  These sessions will soon be posted to the Alpine calendar. Invitations for these sessions will also be sent out to all 3.5 rated members on the preceding Thursday.
    • Spots are limited in these sessions -- so register early.

    • Registered players are placed on a court based on their specific rating. You play 3 or 4 games with the other similarly rated players on that court. After this initial round, the top scoring player on each court moves up a court, the lowest scoring player moves down a court, and you play another round of 4 games.
    • Scores are tracked, verified by all players on the court, and entered into DUPR by the lead captains.

    • See the event invitations and descriptions for more details.

    • To prepare, if you haven't already done so: (i) set up a DUPR account, and (ii) join SAPC on DUPR. There is no cost for this. The specific steps to do this are described on the SAPC DUPR Play FAQ web page.

    • By the way -- if you know of any past SAPC members who have not renewed -- tell them to do so right away -- especially if they want to play in any DUPR play or rating session. Those who have joined SAPC on DUPR last year, but have not renewed their SAPC membership, will soon be deleted from SAPC on DUPR. This means they will then have to re-apply via DUPR to join SAPC on DUPR.

    Thanks again to our rating coordinators and 2024 DUPR lead captains: Karen C, Jeanine A, Roger B, Kim S, Gord T, Carol A and Daniela I.  And thanks as always to our lead play scheduler and venue manager Eileen M!

    The St. Albert Rotary Club

    The Rotary Club is holding a fund raising tournament on June 22nd and June 23rd.  This event is a fundraising effort for St Albert community projects. 

    Registrations open April 15, 2024 - more details will follow via e-mail and other sources of communication.

    They will need referees for the medal games and volunteers for other roles as well. If you are interested, please contact Daniela at ionitescudaniela@gmail.com .

    The Rotary Club will arrange for a meeting to organize the volunteers and to assign work that needs to be done.  Again, we will forward details once these are available.

    We look for forward to seeing you there!

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    773 members have already renewed their memberships for 2024.  As is typically the case, many of our members - particularly snowbirds - do not renew their Club membership until spring or early summer.  To that point, we currently have hundreds of members with a "renewal overdue status".  If all of those members were to renew later this year, we would have over 1,000 active members!

    In terms of those members who have already renewed for 2024, the breakdown of those members as of February (with comparative figures for January) are as follows:

                                    February          Mar (Current)       Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  220                     237                         17

    2.5 Rating                    20                       28                            8

    3.0 Rating                  123                    124                            1

    3.5 Rating                  208                    213                            5        

    4.0 Rating                  145                    153                            8

    4.5+ Rating                  18                      18                            0          

    Total Members       734                   773                         39

    All members should note that memberships purchased prior to October 1, 2022 expired on December 31, 2023, so we request that if you haven't done so already, you should consider renewing your membership as soon as possible.  For instructions on how to renew your membership, please click on this link (Note: Ensure you are logged in before going past the first screen).

    Until next time keep your paddle up!     

  • 2024-02-22 17:25 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     Upcoming Board Meeting / Nominations   Indoor Play - Red Willow
     Preparations for Outdoor Season at Alpine  Changes to DUPR
     Membership Breakdown by Rating  

    Upcoming Board Meeting / Nominations

    As members may or may not be aware, the SAPC Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place in less than a month on March 13, 2024.  A key part of the agenda at the AGM is the election of Board members. 

    The Board currently consists of the following individuals who are still within their approved terms:

    Secretary - Jenna McCully 

    Treasurer - Laura Spencer 

    Director at Large - Douwe Spriesma

    A number of the Board positions are up for re-election so members were able to apply for these positions which are as follows:

    President - Eileen McClean, will stand

    Vice President - currently held by James Porter, will not stand for re-election)

    Director at Large (Tournaments) - Ken Dentzien, will stand 

    Director of Information and Membership - Art Au, will stand

    Director of Communications - Roger Hutlet, will stand 

    A Nominating Committee report covering candidates who are interested in the positions will be sent out to all members with the notice of the AGM in the next few days - on or before February 28, 2024.

    Indoor Play

    Red Willow Play Registration

    In respect of other members trying to register, please ensure you wait until NOON on Saturday before registering for additional Red Willow sessions.  Nicole and the Club are very impressed with how many members do watch the time and don’t register early, but we just need to see that everyone honors this time frame. As you can appreciate, once one person registers early, it then it encourages others to want to follow suit; this is frustrating for those who are patiently waiting and, potentially, see that the last spot available is taken prematurely. 

    Thanks to Ken Anderson

    Thank you Ken for fixing the net at Bertha Kennedy.  We really appreciate the efforts of all indoor players who assist our captains in properly setting up and taking down the nets at our indoor venues - not doing so correctly can be costly and time consuming.

    Preparations for Outdoor Season at Alpine

    Preparations are under way for  the Alpine outdoor season.  Anyone interested in volunteering to be a captain should send an email to venuemanager@pickleballstalbert.ca .

    Captains meetings will take place at Red Willow Church on April 16th from 9:00 to 10:30am in the morning and from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the evening.

    Please respond even if you are already one of our many faithful captains.  We thank all members who volunteer in advance, as we anticipate an overwhelming response - remember, we cannot have the outdoor sessions without captains.  We appreciate all those members who generously donate their time in this capacity!!

    Changes to DUPR

    As our members will know, for approximately a year now, our Club has adopted DUPR as our predominant player rating system.   Details about DUPR can be accessed from our website by clicking here.  

    You should be aware that DUPR is making changes as outlined by their communication to registrants as inserted below:

    ------------------

    January 30, 2024

    Dear Player,

    Today, we released significant updates to our rating, which will ensure more accuracy, connectivity, consistency, and reliability — and an even better pickleball experience for you.  

    Your rating will now take into account: 

    1. Points Matter.  Was this a tight match or a blowout? DUPR now evaluates the closeness of the match, so a score of 11-0 will have a bigger impact on your rating than a close match of 11-9 against that same opponent.
    2. Recency Matters.  A match you played today will impact your rating more than a match you played six months ago.
    3. Total Match Count Matters.  If you've played in a lot of matches, your rating will fluctuate less compared to a player with a lower match count.
    4. Every Match Matters (even against unrated players).  Every match counts towards your rating, even if you are playing against someone who is unrated or new to DUPR.

    These updates will be applied across all your match results in our platform, as well as to all future results you submit. Due to this, your rating has gone up!  For a deeper look into the new rating updates, check out our new blog written by DUPR’s Head of Analytics, Scott Mendelssohn.

    We are thrilled to bring these improvements to DUPR to support you with a more accurate and more reliable rating. We can’t wait to hear what you think.

    DUPR thanks you for your continued support! 

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    734 members have already renewed their memberships for 2024.  As is typically the case, many of our members - particularly snowbirds - do not renew their Club membership until spring or early summer.  To that point, we currently have hundreds of members with a "renewal overdue status".  If all of those members were to renew later this year, we would have over 1,000 active members!

    In terms of those members who have already renewed for 2024, the breakdown of those members as of February (with comparative figures for January) are as follows:

                                    January          Feb (Current)       Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  190                     220                     30

    2.5 Rating                    16                       20                        4

    3.0 Rating                  115                    123                        8

    3.5 Rating                  195                    208                      13       

    4.0 Rating                  129                    145                      16   

    4.5+ Rating                  13                      18                         5            

    Total Members        658                   734                      76

    All members should note that memberships purchased prior to October 1, 2022 expired on December 31, 2023, so we request that if you haven't done so already, you should consider renewing your membership as soon as possible.  For instructions on how to renew your membership, please click on this link (Note: Ensure you are logged in before going past the first screen).

    Until next time keep your paddle up!     

  • 2024-01-16 11:48 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     Election of Board Members   Indoor Play
     Membership Breakdown by Rating  

    Election of Board Members

    As members may or may not be aware, the SAPC Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place in less than 2 months on March 13, 2024.  A key part of the agenda at the AGM is the election of Board members. 

    The Board currently consists of the following individuals who are still within their approved terms:

    Secretary - Jenna McCully 

    Treasurer - Laura Spencer 

    Director at Large - Douwe Spriesma

    A number of the Board positions are up for re-election so interested individuals may apply for these positions as follows:

    President - Eileen McClean, will stand

    Vice President -  It is recommended that this position be held by a St. Albert resident (currently held by James Porter, will not stand for re-election)

    Director at Large (Tournaments) - Ken Dentzien, will stand 

    Director of Information and Membership - Art Au, will stand

    Director of Communications - Roger Hutlet, will stand 

    If a member is interested in any of these positions, they should first read the Job Descriptions available on the SAPC website which can be accessed from this link.  

    Candidates seeking to put their names forward for one of these positions may contact any member of the nominating committee (see contact details below) with a short bio stating why they would like to be nominated for the position.  If more than one candidate applies for a position, a ballot will be held at the AGM.

    Nominating Committee members currently include:
    Kevin McClean at kmcclean@telus.net 
    Cassey Campbell  at cassey7@icloud.com
    Brenda Regehr  at brendaregehr54@gmail.com

    A Nominating Committee report covering the candidates will be sent out to all members with the notice of the AGM in February, 2024.

    Indoor Play

    Membership Cards

    Just a reminder to members who have renewed their memberships for 2024 that they should have their membership information ready to show to the play captain at every venue of play. 

    One Possession Academy

    Please be advised that we are still waiting to hear from OPA about the dim lighting at this venue and, once the lighting issue is satisfactorily resolved, more play sessions will be scheduled.

    Bertha Kennedy

    At Bertha Kennedy we recently had one of the nets put together incorrectly - we are hoping we can get the poles unstuck (a net costs $300.00 so let's  be careful!).

    While we appreciate players being willing to assist in the net setup process - in fact we encourage this - please be very careful.  Unless you are completely familiar with the process, please take direction from our play captains who will be overseeing the process of putting the nets together and taking them down. If you are unsure of the appropriate process for net set up and/or take down, please ask the play captain for direction.

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    658 members have already renewed their memberships for 2024.  As is typically the case, many of our members - particularly snowbirds - do not renew their Club membership until spring or early summer.  To that point, we currently have 341 members with a "renewal overdue status".  If all of those members were to renew later this year, we would have almost exactly 1,000 active members!!

    In terms of those members who have already renewed for 2024, the breakdown of those members as of January (with comparative figures for December) are as follows:

                                   December        Jan (Current)      Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  341                         190                   (151)

    2.5 Rating                    18                            16                       (2)

    3.0 Rating                  155                         115                     (40)

    3.5 Rating                  247                         195                     (52)

    4.0 Rating                  170                         129                     (41)

    4.5+ Rating                  24                           13                     (11)

    Total Members       955                        658                 (297)         

    All members should note that memberships purchased prior to October 1, 2022 expired on December 31, 2023, so we request that if you haven't done so already, you should consider renewing your membership as soon as possible.   For instructions on how to renew your membership, please click on this link (Note: Ensure you are logged in before going past the first screen).

    Until next time keep your paddle up!    

  • 2023-12-08 14:56 | Anonymous

    In this issue:

     Membership Cards   Rating System Update
     Election of Board Members  Member Training
     Membership Breakdown by Rating  Broken Balls

    Membership Cards

    In order to play at Club play sessions, members must be prepared to show their current, active Membership Cards to the session play captain.  This is particularly important at the beginning of a new calendar year given that memberships purchased prior to October 17th of this year expire on December 31, 2023.  For instructions on how to:

    1.  Add a photo to your membership card

    2.  Print a membership card, or

    3.  Display your membership card on your smartphone

    please click here as these questions and more are answered under the heading of "Member Help FAQ".

    Rating System Update

    As most members will appreciate and remember, the Club adopted a new ratings process back in the spring of 2023.  At the time, the Board advised members that the Ratings Committee that was established to implement and oversee the new process would report back to members regarding learnings associated with the rollout including feedback provided by members and, finally, to make changes if necessary.

    Thank you

    First of all - thanks must go out to Karen and Jeanine, our Rating Coordinators, for the many of hours of work they volunteered in order to plan, set up, oversee and administer our DUPR rating sessions - you did an incredible job especially considering that this was brand new to all of us!

    The Numbers

    Jeanine advised the Board that 168 members have received a rating and 18 members have 10 games towards their DUPR rating.  That is a big number and a great accomplishment in such a short period of time.

    Feedback

    Most of the feedback has been of the operational variety as our Rating Coordinators made changes to the paperwork, processes and administration of the DUPR play sessions throughout the year in order to facilitate and streamline those processes.

    The other main point of feedback is that the Club is not offering enough DUPR rating sessions particular for those members aspiring to higher level ratings like 3.5 and 4.0.  As you can probably appreciate based upon the high concentration of members who are unrated and/or at the 2.5 rating level, most of our Club-run DUPR ratings sessions have been and will continue to be offered to those members in these groups.

    Recent and Future DUPR Rating Sessions

    As you will have noted, the Club recently held "Aspiring to 3.0" DUPR sessions at Bertha Kennedy on December 2nd.  Further rating sessions will be held on one Sunday each month at Red Willow from January through March.

    Given the constraint of limited indoor venue space, the opportunities for members to achieve higher rating levels at Club rating sessions will be limited until the next outdoor season.  As many members are aware, members do have access to DUPR play through other organizations in the area and can also arrange their own DUPR play sessions if they are able to book courts on their own (please note that these self arranged and recorded games to do not carry as much weight as Club organized sessions within the DUPR algorithm).  That being said, non-Club DUPR play sessions, if reflected in the DUPR software system, may be used to modify a member's Club Rating as detailed on the SAPC website.

    Registering for DUPR Rating Sessions

    When the club is putting on a DUPR rating session members eligible for the rating session will receive an invitation.

    We have noted that members are registering through the calendar even when they are not eligible (they do not appear to be reading the information on the registration page); this causes more work for our Rating Coordinators.

    We ask that members not register through the calendar - only those who received an invite.  If you do not receive an invite for a specific DUPR session, you may not register for it.

    If there are any questions the rating coordinators can be contacted.  Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

    Election of Board Members

    As members may or may not be aware, the SAPC Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place in about 3 months on March 13, 2024.  Some of what takes place at the AGM is the election of Board members. 

    The Board currently consists of the following individuals who are still within their approved terms:

    Secretary - Jenna McCully 

    Treasurer - Laura Spencer 

    Director at Large - Douwe Spriesma

    A number of the Board positions are up for re-election so interested individuals may apply for these positions as follows:

    President - Eileen McClean, will stand

    Vice President -  Must be a St. Albert Resident (currently held by James Porter, will not stand for re-election)

    Director at Large (Tournaments) - Ken Dentzien, will stand 

    Director of Information and Membership - Art Au, will stand

    Director of Communications - Roger Hutlet, will stand 

    If a member is interested in any of these positions, they should first read the Job Descriptions available on the SAPC website which can be accessed from this link.  

    Candidates seeking to put their names forward for one of these positions may contact any member of the nominating committee (see contact details below) with a short bio stating why they would like to be nominated for the position.  If more than one candidate applies for a position, a ballot will be held at the AGM.

    Nominating Committee members currently include:
    Kevin McClean at kmcclean@telus.net 
    Cassey Campbell  at cassey7@icloud.com
    Brenda Regehr  at brendaregehr54@gmail.com

    A Nominating Committee report covering the candidates will be sent out to all members with the notice of the AGM in February, 2024.

    Member Training

    2023 Statistics

    We are very happy to report that we have had another extremely successful year in player training.  Thank you Nicki and our amazing team of training volunteers for the many hours of work you have contributed to train our members this past year.  In total, over the course of 2023, the Club can report the following in terms of training sessions and member participation:

    Type                       No. of Sessions              No. of Participants

    Beginner                         59                                            348

    Mentoring                      19                                            281

    School Kids                       8                                            160 (approx)

    Our members are extremely grateful for your dedication, patience and hard work!

    Upcoming Mentoring Sessions

    Speaking of training, there are four mentoring sessions coming up between January and April as follows: 

    • January 20th for 2.5 (Note: the calendar will be changed so the 3.0 will play at 2:15 while ALL is cancelled)
    • February 10th for 3.0 (there is no change to the February calendar)
    • March 9th for 2.5  (Note: the calendar will be changed so the 3.0 will play at 2:15 while ALL is cancelled)
    • April 20th for 3.0 (there is no change to the April calendar)

    Membership Breakdown by Rating Level

    Our Club continues to grow - we have welcomed an additional 26 members in just the last month!  We thought you might be interested in a breakdown of our ever-growing Club membership by Club Rating Level.  If you are, please see that breakdown below:

                                   November           Dec (Current)      Inc/(Dec)

    No Rating                  323                           341                      18

    2.5 Rating                    16                              18                        2

    3.0 Rating                  151                           155                        4

    3.5 Rating                  245                           247                        2

    4.0 Rating                  171                           170                      (1)

    4.5+ Rating                  23                             24                        1

    Total Members       929                          955                    26          

    Please note that Club memberships purchased prior to October 17, 2023 will expire on December 31, 2023, so please renew your membership as soon as possible.  2024 memberships are now on sale and will expire on December 31, 2024.  For instructions on how to renew your membership, please click on this link.  Ensure you are logged in before going past the first screen.

    Please note that if a member allows their membership in SAPC to lapse (e.g. doesn't renew until the spring), then the Club and the member will incur extra work to both delete and then re-add members to our other systems (Pickleball Brackets and DUPR).

    Broken Balls

    Do you ever wonder what happens to all those broken pickleballs?  You may be surprised and impressed to learn that these are donated for use in art projects!  For example, over 200 pickle balls are on display in art pieces in front of the payment office at Servus Place - pop by and check them out.  Thanks to Wally and Rachel Peltonen and Don Hamaliuk for making this happen!

    Until next time keep your paddle up!   

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