In this issue:
| Mentoring |
Indoor Play |
| Level 1 Sports - January Openings |
Level 1 Sports - New Play Offerings |
| Pickleball Rule Changes |
Message from the President |
Mentoring
Mentoring sessions will begin in the New Year. The dates are as follows:
Level 2.5/Unrated - January 14th and March 4th
Level 3.0 - February 4th and April 15th
These will take place at Bertha Kennedy at the 12:00 - 2:15 pm sessions. While this will take away play sessions at the 2.5 level for 2 weeks, there will be an "All Play" session starting at 2:15 pm. Many of our mentors play at the 9:00 am session at Bertha Kennedy, so this makes the transition for them much easier - they can simply flow from playing to mentoring.
Please note that we will get back to mentoring higher rating levels when we return to outdoor play next spring.
Special thanks to our mentoring team for taking on these sessions in 2023 and to Rachel for setting this all up in the registration system.
Please note that there are only 12 spots for each session, but always sign up for the Waiting List as life happens and there are usually cancellations.
Registration will open up the week before each session at the same time as the Red Willow registration opens up - that is Friday morning (Thursday immediately after midnight). For example, the first session on January 14 will open on January 7. Please note that the cost for each mentoring session is one (1) sticker.
Indoor Play
Proof of 2023 Membership
Please be reminded that as of January 1, 2023 members must have and be ready to present their 2023 membership cards - digital or hard copy. Captains will be asking for this proof of membership prior to play sessions beginning and it is the member's responsibility to have this information available for presentation to the Captain or they will be denied play.
Stickers
Just a reminder to members to put their name and phone number on the back of their stickers...we've had a few instances lately of members misplacing their stickers and your contact info makes it easier for us to get them back to their rightful owner.
Level 1 Sports Venue - January Openings
Please note that Series Play continues at Level 1 Sports for January and we have some openings. Each series gives you 4 two (2) hour play sessions - one per week for four weeks. These sessions are booked and paid for in advance. If you are interested, just click on a Series start date in the January page of the "Level 1 Sports Calendar" on our website for more details and to register. If a session is full, we recommend you add your name to the Waitlist.
Level 1 Sports Venue - New Play Offerings
Would you like to "rent a court" for a small group of members, family or friends? Would you like to play at Level 1 Sports, but be able to decide at the last minute without having to pre-register or prepay? If so, read on because we will be offering both starting on February 6th.
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we will have "Group Reserved Play" for each of the six courts. How will this work?
Group Reserved Play
- Only one person reserves the court. The reserver must be a member. Other group members may be non-members.
- A member may book up to 2 courts each day.
- A separate reservation must be made for each court.
- Fee is 10 stickers per court, payable upon arrival (that works out to $33.50/court)
- Stickers must be purchased in advance. The club does not sell stickers at the facility.
- The captain will assign specific courts to group leaders in a random fashion.
- Players can be any skill level(s).
- Reservations can be made through the Level 1 Sports Calendar (click here)
- Reservations open at Thursday midnight (12:01 am Friday) the week before the day of play.
- If all six courts are reserved, join the waitlist.
- If your group can't attend, please cancel your registration so those on the waitlist can be automatically registered.
This "Group Reserved" or "Book-a-court" play is perfect for many classes or types of players - casual players, recreational players, "70-plus" players or unrated players who wish to play amongst themselves. Of course, it is also suited to groups wanting competitive play, tournament prep, or court drills. So start thinking about a few people you'd like to play with - set your groups up in advance if you'd like. Use the club website member directory and WhatsApp groups to send messages to other members to help set up and communicate with other members.
On Mondays and Thursdays, we'll have individual "Drop In" play for certain skill (rating) levels. How will that work?
Drop In Play
- Guests sponsored by an attending member are allowed (for now at least) - the cost is three stickers.
- No advanced registration needed (that's what "Drop In" means).
- Thursdays will be for 3.0s and 3.5s only.
- Mondays will be for 3.5s and 4.0s only.
- No limits (at least initially) to the number of attendees - so everybody plays - but (typically) only with members of their skill level.
- The play session Captain may decide to play round robin or paddle play.
How will the courts be allocated between the two skill levels for drop in play? The allocation will generally be based on the proportion of players who are at each of the two levels. For example:
- If 12 to 15 players show up from each of the two skill levels, then each level will be allocated 3 courts
- If 10 players of one skill level show up and 20 from another, the 10 would be allocated two courts and the 20 will be allocated four, but
- If only 4 or 5 players of one level show up, they will be allocated at least one court.
- If 3 or fewer players of one level show up, they will mix and play with those of the other skill level.
Group Reserved Play AND Drop In Play
- All play times are 10 am to 12 noon.
Watch your emails and read the specific event details when they are posted to the Level 1 Sports Calendar. Event details may evolve as we adapt to our members' take up of these great play opportunities.
Pickleball Rule Changes
The Official Pickleball Rulebook is reviewed and, to the extent necessary, revised and updated every year, as pickleball rules continue to evolve as the sport evolves. As a result, it is important to stay up-to-date on pickleball rules changes so that you know the right call on the pickleball court (especially if you plan to play a pickleball tournament).
If you are interested, please read click on the following link to learn about the 2023 calendar year rule changes:
https://thepickler.com/blogs/pickleball-blog/2023-pickleball-rule-changes
Message from the President
From Eileen:
As I reflect on the closing of another year I think about the countless hours our volunteers spend making this club work so well. Thank you cannot be said enough times!
Thank you, thank you so much the hard working board members, to our captains especially those who go the extra mile in this cold weather to deliver sticker sheets, to our training and mentoring team, Nicole Currie for managing Red Willow and organizing all of the training and mentoring, our health and safety team, our tech team including our new registration people - Cherran Simpson and Rachel Peltonen, our social team, our equipment manager, rating co-ordinators, tournament team, Nela - our binder and paper forms organizer, the nominating committee and other volunteers - and thank you also to these many volunteers' spouses and partners who put up with the hours they spend on behalf of SAPC.
Merry Christmas and all the best for 2023! May you find a new pickleball paddle under the tree!
Until next time, keep your paddle up!