OPC Rochester Ladder Players "ALL TREAT!"

Congratulations to ALL
OPC Rochester Ladder Players for your participation in
Michigan's 1st! Michigan's BEST! USAPA 50+ Ladder Tournaments!

NIGHT FIRST PLACE MAN: George Stec 90.00%
NIGHT SECOND PLACE MAN: Lewis Forrest 88.00%
NIGHT THIRD PLACE MAN: Dick Manasseri 84.88%

NIGHT FIRST PLACE WOMAN: Dai Lin Shu 82.00%
NIGHT SECOND PLACE WOMAN: Clare Bushman 79.77%
NIGHT THIRD PLACE WOMAN: Janet Razz 78.88%

DAY FIRST PLACE MAN: Gene Murphy 89.38%
DAY SECOND PLACE MAN: Hans Spata 82.00%
DAY THIRD PLACE MAN: Phil Gural 78.66%

DAY FIRST PLACE WOMAN: Lynne Dadas 73.08%
DAY SECOND PLACE WOMAN: Sandy Knaack 72.22%
DAY THIRD PLACE WOMAN: Mary Stoolmiller 71.74%

Score of 45 on October 31, 2008: Albert Hung, Marlene Stieve, Roger Waid

Perfect Attendance: Janette Andrews, Fred Densmore, Dick Manasseri, Janet Razz

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

• Sam Morrison for creating the Michigan Great Lakes Pickleball paddle logo and donating the logo to MI Pickleball
• Pickleball Central for donating prizes for the Fall 2008 Award Banquet
• USA Pickleball Association for providing, free of charge, the general ladder description, the ladder software, and the ladder web pages to publish weekly schedules and standings
• Marye Miller for making the "OPC! A Great Place To Be!"
• Matt Spierling, Lauren Polinsky, and Krystee Dorland for making the OPC! A Great Place To Play Pickleball..."just for the fun of it!"

OPC PICKLEBALL - FUN, Friends, and Fitness!!!
Yours in pickleball, Janet Razz

The next 12 Week 50+ USAPA OPC Rochester Ladder Tournaments begin Friday, November 14. If you would more information or registration forms, please email your request to MIPickleball@gmail.com

"Speed Pickleball Tourney Partner Searching!"

PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT PARTNER SEARCH FORM

The MSO - Great Lakes Pickleball Skills Clinic, November 12 at the OPC Rochester, will include an introduction to the partner search process and time during the break for "speed partner searching!" Here's a sneak preview of the form.

First Name

Last Name

Sex

___ Male ___ Female

Age Bracket
___ 50-54 ____ 55-59 ____ 60-64
___ 65-69 ____ 70-74 ____ 75-79
___ 80-84 ____ 85-89

Skill

___ A ____ B ____ C

Division

___ Doubles ___ Mixed Doubles

Event
___ Mixed Generation Holiday Pickleball Festival - Troy 12/28/08
___ Happy New Year Pre-MSO Games - Auburn Hills 1/03/09
___ Michigan Senior Olympics 2009 Winter Pickleball Games 2/02-04/09

Phone

Email

Pickleball News ~ By Dick Manasseri

Get Your Red Hot USAPA National Ranking Points Right Here In Cool Michigan at the Sanctioned MSO Winter Pickleball Games February 2nd – 4th, 2009!

The MSO Winter Pickleball Games are now officially sanctioned by the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) and the level of sanctioning has been elevated to Tier 3. This means the national ranking points that are available for the top 3 finishers in each age group have been increased by 50%. This is a clear vote of confidence in the high quality of competition generated right here in the Great Lakes Region and specifically in Michigan.

On a practical level, this means that players do not have to travel to Arizona or Florida in February to find a major sanctioned tournament. And even those who do spend 4-6 months in the sunny South, may want to schedule a mid-winter trip home to compete with their neighbors in this Great Lakes Region Showcase Event. In order qualify for national ranking points in this sanctioned event, you must be a member of the USAPA which is easy to do online at http://usapa.org/memberships/index.php

Now is the time to register for the MSO Winter Pickleball Games and other MSO sports. To request registration forms email: MIPickleball@gmail.com

MSO Pickleball Skills Clinic
Renard Kolasa, 2008 MSO Doubles and Singles Gold Medal Winner, will be hosting a Skills Clinic that is open to all players who want to improve.

• Wednesday November 12th 1:00- 4:00pm
• OPC Rochester Gym

The clinic is a great way to develop a winning strategy for the February Winter Games. Need an MSO partner? We can help at the clinic. The $5.00 fee is waived for MSO members. Register today. To request registrations forms email: MIPickleball@gmail.com

Celebrate the Holidays with Family and Younger Friends at the Holiday Mixed Generation PICKLEBALL Festival at the Troy Community Center Sunday December 28th

Spread the joy of Pickleball to your favorite people of all ages by inviting them to play recreational and/or competitive games at this unique Festival. Register today. To request registration flyers email: MIPickleball@gmail.com

Great Lakes Region Showcase Event

Perfect Your MSO Partnership Play at the Pre-MSO Happy New Year! Tournament at the Auburn Hills Community Center Saturday January 3, 2009. Grab this chance to play with your MSO partner in a fun tournament that will use the MSO format including trained referees. Register today. To request registration flyers email: MIPickleball@gmail.com

Live Long Live Well Discovers Pickleball
"Live Long Live Well (LLLW) is a TV program and a website dedicated to the health and wellness of baby boomers and seniors". LLLW's producer, Mark Maxwell (Max), has recently discovered Pickleball and he is interested in learning how this fast growing sport might just help us all live longer and more satisfying lives. Recently Max interviewed Bob Lavens who is still going strong at 80; Bob plays Pickleball, softball and more in and around Troy. To see the interview with Bob and Max and to follow Max's research on living well tune into Channel 52 on Comcast or Channel 18 WOW, on Tuesday at 8:30 pm, Thursday at 10:30 or 11:00am, and Saturday at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit www.livelonglivewell.org

Please send me any Pickleball news for your local areas.

Just for the Fun of It!

Dick Manasseri

USAPA Great Lakes Regional Ambassador

Guessing Games!

Snow on the Pumpkin ~ Reflections by Dawn

My large 4 generation extended family plays "Family Trivia" Guessing Games via email. The first person to hit "reply all" with the correct answer is the WINNER! The last challenge was: List ALL of the countries a pair of well traveled Aunties have visited! The PRIZE went to one of our many Oakland University grads! Thus the bounce to today's family question...

For the family today's question is: How many Oakland University diplomas have been awarded to members of our family AND what are the major fields of study AND what are OU's colors?!?

For MI PICKLEBALL Players, today's challenge is: List ALL of the USA Pickleball Association 2008 MI PICKLEBALL Completed Tournaments AND the two USAPA Michigan Ladder Leagues AND name the upcoming SE Michigan Great Lakes Pickleball December 28, 2008 Tourney.

You may email your answers to MIPickleball@gmail.com OR post your best guess as a comment on the blog. First player with the correct answer is the WINNER! I don't know if the cousin that listed ALL the countries is a geography whiz or if she went to our Aunties' home to look at the travel map with the push pins in it :) ! We don't call that 'cheating', we call that 'using all of your resources!'; so it's fair play to research the answers at the USAPA Tourney webpages and the USAPA Ladder League webpages.

!!! BE TODAY's WINNER !!!

MI Pickleball Players that are SNOWBIRDS have begun their migration. WE MISS YOU ALREADY! The family email guessing games started as a SNOW DAY activity. Did you notice the similarity between the words: "WINTER" and "WINNER"?!? MI winters are part of what give Michiganders our "GRIT"! Our COMPETITIVE EDGE! Our GO FOR THE GOLD SPIRIT! SAVE THE DATE: February 2, 3, and 4 MSO 2009 WINTER PICKLEBALL GAMES!!! Maybe -- just maybe :) -- MI Pickleball will reverse the SNOWBIRD effect and Players from AZ and FL will fly TO MI for MSO 2009 WINTER PICKLEBALL!

FINE PRINT: The family does indeed award REAL PRIZES for the guessing games! Sometimes sweet and sometimes dill -- depending on what's in the 'regifting' drawer on any given day. The MI PICKLEBALL PLAYER Blog Guessing Game PRIZE is_______________! WIN TO FIND OUT !!!

Harvesting PICKLEBALL Skills!

SE MICHIGAN GREAT LAKES PICKLEBALL

Michigan Senior Olympics PICKEBALL Skills Clinic

Harvest ~ Reflections by Dawn

How would you like to spend 3 hours with an MSO GOLD Medal Winner who wants to help you improve your game? Renard Kolasa, 2008 MSO Doubles and Singles Gold Medal Winner, will be hosting a Skills Clinic that is open to all players who want to improve.

OPC Rochester Gym

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The $5.00 fee is waived for MSO Members

Registration/details: MIPickleball@gmail.com

A great way to develop a winning strategy for MSO 2009 Winter Games.

MI Pickleball Registration Flyers

Grandma is doing what grannies ought to do - rocking the baby, singing lullabies to the baby, snuggling the baby, smooching the sweet little baby toes and the little lambie pies, laughing with the baby, listening to baby talk, reading "Pat the Bunny" to the baby, bragging about the baby, talking perambulator walks with the baby, taking naps when the baby naps, praying for the baby....Five months ago Papa Razz and I marveled at the miracle of our first grandbaby's birth...Now we marvel at the miracle of her growth!

Grandma is not doing what bloggers ought to do - learning how to post registration flyers, entering data, data, and more data on the Calendar...Michiganders marveled at the "birth" of pickleball at the Michigan Senior Olympics 2007 Summer Games...Now we marvel at pickleball's miracle of growth! The written word just can't keep pace with the reality. If you know how to post a pdf to a google blog, please teach me. Meanwhile...

Please email MIPickleball@gmail.com , if you want a registration flyer or more details for PICKLEBALL events posted on MI Pickleball. Of course, you may also send requests for photos of my grandbaby :) !

The current registration flyers are listed below and open to all players that meet the age/gender qualifications.

• OPC Rochester MI NEW NOVICE 12 Week 50+ Pickleball Ladder Tournament - Fridays at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm beginning November 14, 2008


• OPC Rochester MI DAY Intermediate and Advanced Recreational USAPA 12 Week 50+ Pickleball Ladder Tournament - Fridays at 10:00 - 11:30am beginning November 14, 2008


• OPC Rochester MI HOT Winter Night Competitive and Recreational USAPA 12 Week 50+ Pickleball Ladder Tournament - Fridays between 5:00-9:00pm beginning November 14, 2008

• SE Michigan Great Lakes Pickleball MSO SKILLS CLINIC at the OPC Rochester Gym - Wednesday, November 12 at 1:00 - 4:00 pm

• SE Michigan Great Lakes Pickleball First Annual MIXED Generation Holiday Pickleball Festival at the Troy Community Center Gym - Sunday, December 28, 2008

• SE Michigan Great Lakes Pickleball MSO Pre-Games I Women's Doubles and Men's Doubles at the Auburn Hills Community Center Gym - Saturday, January 3, 2009

• Save the Dates: Registration available soon for Michigan Senior Olympics 2009 Winter Pickleball Games - February 2, 3, and 4

If you host a PICKLEBALL event and do not see your flyer listed, please email your flyer and event details to MIPickleball@gmail.com for posting on the MI Pickleball Calendar and distribution to players upon request. Of course, you may also send photos of your grandbabies :) !

Yours in pickleball, Janet Razz

MI Pickleball News ~ Grand Rapids Press

By Paul R. Kopenkoskey

Dick Draigh, USAPA Ambassador,

plays pickleball with Carol Heiss at the Eash Hills Athletic Club.

Pickleball is a low-impact sport that's a great workout. Dick Draigh, USAPA Amabassador, credits Pickleball for keeping his girth from expanding. "It develops hand-eye coordination, balance and increases your mobility," said Draigh, a retired Steelcase Corp. employee. I used to play a lot of racquetball, but it's too strenuous and overtaxing. This sport is easy on your body, but really fast-acting."

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/lifestyles/index.ssf/2008/10/pickleball_is_lowimpact_sport.html

"Pickleball News" - By Dick Manasseri, USAPA Great Lakes Regional Ambassador

Please send your requests to MIPickleball@gmail.com , if you want registration flyers or more details for any events listed in "PICKEBALL NEWS".

-------

MSO PICKLEBALL SKILLS CLINIC

How would you like to spend 3 hours with a GOLD Medal Winner who wants to help you improve your game? Renard Kolasa, 2008 MSO Doubles and Singles Gold Medal Winner will be hosting a Skills Clinic that is open to all players who want to improve.

• Wednesday, November 12
• 1:00 - 4:00pm
• OPC Rochester Gym

The clinic is sponsored by the Michigan Senior Olympics (MSO) and it's a great way to develop a winning strategy for drop-in play as well as for the February MSO 2009 Winter Games. You may even locate a Pickleball partner there.

-------

MSO 2009 WINTER PICKLEBALL GAMES SCHEDULE

• MSO Early Registration Closes Wednesday November 26th

Pickleball will be played as part of the Michigan Senior Olympics (MSO) 2009 Winter Games for the first time because of the overwhelming success of the 2008 Summer Games. The OPC Rochester with its freshly painted 4 courts will host the 3 days of friendly competition:

• Mon. Feb 2 - Women's Doubles (AM) - Men's Doubles (PM)
• Tues. Feb 3 - Mixed Doubles
• Wed. Feb 4 - Men's Singles (AM) - Women's Singles (PM)

Register by Wednesday November 26th and take advantage of the early registration discount. Better yet, register at the November 12th MSO Skills Clinic described above and attend the MSO PICKELBALL Skills Clinic at NO COST.

-------

MXG HOLIDAY PICKLEBALL FESTIVAL

There's No Place Like Home (and Pickleball) for the Holidays!

Bring your family members together over the Holidays to learn what you already know – The Joy of Pickleball. Form mixed generation teams within your circle of family and friends and come join other families at the First Annual -

Mixed Generation Holiday PICKLEBALL Festival

• Sunday December 28th
• Troy Community Center

There will be two hours of Round Robin Recreational Fun 6-8pm where family teams can rotate in different players so everyone gets to play. Round Robin Competitive matches where team partners are approximately 20 years apart in age will be played 8-10pm.

Start Mixed Generation (MXG) play now at the Troy Sunday Night Drop-In 6-8pm! Troy Community Center is now open for Sunday Night Drop-in Play every week for all ages, with four more courts coming online soon for a total of eight. There is a beginner's clinic each week and fun for all skills levels.

-------

USA PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION LADDER TOURNAMENTS

Climbing those Winter Ladders Can Keep You Warm All Winter Long! Northville and OPC Rochester are continuing their fiery ladder play all winter long. There are 3 new ladders starting in Rochester Friday November 14th.

-------

Please send your requests to MIPickleball@gmail.com , if you want registration flyers or more details on any events listed in "PICKLEBALL NEWS".

Detroit Marathon Men - Father 51 and Son 21

The special thrill of two generations crossing the same finish line!

2 Countries! 2 Ambassadors! 1 Game! Pickleball!

October 23rd, Chatham-Kent, Ontario CANADA welcomes Wayne Roswell, Dick Manasseri, and PICKLEBALL! Dick Manasseri exemplifies servant leadership in his role as
USA Pickleball Association Great Lakes Regional Ambassador!

Wayne Roswell needs a separate hat rack for all
of the USAPA hats he wears - Board Member, Newsletter Chair, Interim Atlantic South Regional Ambassador, Atlantic South Regional Blogmaster, Ontario Pickleball Blogmaster, Tanglewood Pickleball Club Blogmaster...!

And both of these men find time to
PLAY PICKLEBALL..."just for the FUN of it!"

Troy Sunday Night MXG Pickleball

Troy Community Center Gym

Mixed Generation

Pickleball

Sunday Nights at 6:00 pm

$5.00 Drop-in Fee

Michigan Great Lakes! Great Pickleball!

SAVE THE DATES -- DETAILS COMING SOON!

FRIDAY November 14 New OPC Rochester 12 Week 50+ Pickleball Ladder Tournaments Begin

Date Pending: MSO Pickleball Skills and Drills Clinic - OPC Rochester

SUNDAY December 28 Southeast Michigan Pickleball - Mixed Generation Holiday Pickleball Festival - Troy Community Center

SATURDAY January 3 Southeast Michigan Pickleball - Pre-MSO Pickleball Tournaments WD and MD - Auburn Hills Community Center

MONDAY! TUESDAY! WEDNESDAY! February 2, 3, 4 Michigan Senior Olympics 2009 Winter Pickleball Games

Auburn Hills MXG Pick-up Pickleball Games Sunday October 12 at 2:00 pm

The Greatest
Mixed Generation Game!
!!! Pickleball !!!

Sunday October 12 at 2:00pm
Bring the Kids and the Grands!

Auburn Hills Community Center Outdoor Tennis Courts
1827 N. Squirrel Rd., Auburn Hills, MI 48326

THANKS to AUBURN HILLS COMMUNITY CENTER we have permission to tape the Auburn Hills tennis courts with Pickleball lines.

Sunday games are weather permitting, pick-up Pickleball games on the Auburn Hills public tennis courts. If tennis players are on the courts, we will need to wait our turn. We usually have have good luck, having all three courts available at 2:00 on Sunday afternoons. The games are played to 11 win by 2 and then waiting players rotate onto the courts. There is a $1. donation per player/family to cover the cost of the tape. Paddles, balls, and instruction for beginners will be provided. Bring a water bottle, snacks, a camp chair, and sun protection. Court shoes are recommended.

Let's squeeze every last ounce of SUNSHINE out of our MI Fall!

Pickleball..."just for the fun of it!"

MI Pickleball ~ Meet Your USAPA Ambassador

USAPA Ambassador Dick Draigh - Grand Rapids MI

Dick and his bride, Barb, with their granddaughter

"This is a shot taken during a mini-celebration while on vacation at Watervale Inn in Arcadia, MI. Barb and I started playing pickleball in FL several years ago, and I was surprised to find that there was no place in Grand Rapids, MI (our home) to play. This led to my self-appointment as the Ambassador for Grand Rapids. So far I have been able to establish a class that I teach at East Hills Athletic Club through the Forest Hills Public Schools Continuing Ed program. The AC painted lines for three courts on the floor of a multi-purpose area, and we use temporary nets. My hope is that the program will expand to the point that the club will convert a tennis court(s) to official pickleball courts some day. In addition, we also chalk the lines on a tennis court at the Ada Township Park and have been playing there at lease once a week with neighbors and friends. The park supervisor has promised to paint lines for pickleball next spring, and would like to incorporate it into his summer program for kids."

Stay out of the kitchen!! Dick Draigh Ambassador, Grand Rapids, MI

New! USAPA Northville MI "A" Ladder!

"A" skill level PICKLEBALL players of all ages are encouraged to join this competitive group of men and women. Hillsdale Middle School hosts the Northville MI Ladder games every Thursday beginning at 3:30pm. For more information contact Jack Licata at jlicata2@yahoo.com The Northville MI USAPA Ladder pages are found at http://www.usapa.org/ladder/ladder_main.php?lname=northville Two of the eight USAPA Ladders listed on the Ladder pages are Michigan Ladders - a testimony to Michiganders drive and spirit!

Future MXG Pickleball Tourney Partner!

Love my little cutie!!! xox grannie razz

more storyteller than statistician

In my v e r y l o n g 'career' as a mother and my very short 'career' in sports management, I've learned that mothers must never 'play' favorites and sports is a lot about 'playing' favorites. I've learned there are a lot of numbers in sports. And a lot of measuring. I've learned when the men start 'discussing' 36 inches on the ends with a 34" sag in the middle - they are talking about the nets.

9 weeks into a 13 week season, I took a deep breath, gathered chi and sat down to write a report to the team. I'm a quick study, so I knew to have any credibility I must include NUMBERS and STATS. Especially since our Great Lakes Ambassador is a mathematician. And 2 of our MI USAPA Ambassadors manage the MSO DanceSport Competition!! I've watched The King & I - there's a lot of counting in dance - 1, 2, 3, and 1, 2, 3 and 1, 2, 3 and... Daunting!!! The only dance I do is a little 'kitchen dance' every time MI has a USAPA Member join/renew. I did 2 'kitchen dances' this week!! Thank you Liz! Thank you Lita!

Notes and Numbers from a grannie, princess ref/manager...

• by mid game - it takes 4 players and 1 princess ref to remember if the server is a 1 or a 2...OR for that matter to remember who served 'that' pickleball
• swimmers have 97.0005682492% more numbers than pickleball players -- pickleball games have 97.0005682493% more laughing out loud than swimming meets
• 19 out of the 56 OPC Rochester Ladder Players and Subs* are USA Pickleball Association Members! WoWiE! zOwIe! That's 33.9285714% !
• 16 men players + 18 women players + 10 men subs + 12 women subs + 7 gym hours + pickleballs + paddles + USAPA stats and standings = S P E T A C U L A R FUN!
• 99+ Villages, FL "wind-screened outdoor pickleball only courts" turned 1 pickleball blogger 27 shades of G R E E N ! (Does MI's 33.9285714% USAPA membership turn the Villages just a little green? Let's do the math...if FL boast 700ish+ picklers -- to nip at MI's heels -- FL's target would kind-of-sort-of-maybe be set at 237.49999 USAPA members! FL could round up to 250 because FL also has SUNSHINE!!! Lucky ducks!!!)
• Tickled P I N K Smith Middle School in Troy, MI now has 1 outdoor court with taped pickleball lines (1 court close to home is worth 99+ elsewhere...)
• HUGE thanks to the Pink Ladies for enriching the MI pickleball experience!
• 2 Westsiders won the 4 1st Place Men's Doubles prizes in the 2 MI 9/2008 48326 and 48083 tournaments
• 2 Pink Ladies won the 4 1st Place Women's Doubles prizes in the 2 MI 9/2008 48326 and 48083 tournaments
• MSO 2009 Winter Pickleball Games are February 2, 3, 4 and 1 worthy goal for MI pickleball players is to learn to count the score to 15 in American Sign Language prior to the registration deadline of December 31, 2008
• And my favorite players will learn to sign my favorite word: "PLAY" !

Did you ever delight in reading Eric Carle's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar? "As a child, Eric Carle claims to have been much more of a philosopher than a mathematician. He recalls his difficulties this way: 'If you told me that there were two apples in a bowl and one was taken away and then asked me how many apples were left I wasn't sure. You can't really take away an apple. You can eat it or make cider out of it or hide it under a basket, but the apple is still an apple and it isn't really gone...'"

• 1 quote tells the whole story: "I have joined usapa for 3 yrs...I'm committed to having fun." Janette Andrews, MSO Gold Medalist

http://usapa.org/memberships/index.php

Yours in pickleball, Janet Razz

FINE PRINT: MI's UP is famous for it's delicious FUDGE! Some of the numbers in this report may have been sweetened with a little downstate MI fudge. MI and FL share Dick Greenfield! Greenie is a FL USAPA Ambassador. AND a MI Ladder Sub, ref, skills clinic instructor, pickleball mentor, dearly loved friend...

MI Pickleball October Player of the Month

Alice ! One of our many PICKLEBALL blessings !

"It's October! Here in the Midwest, it now feels like autumn.

May God give you great joy as you delight in what He has created -

the autumn colors, skies and the [PICKLEBALL] people in your lives."

Reflections by Dawn

NEW! Troy! Round Robin Doubles!

Troy Community Center Gym

3179 Livernois North of Big Beaver, Troy, MI 48083

All Ages Men's & Women's Pickleball Doubles Play

1st & 3rd Sunday Nights

Starts Sunday Oct. 5 through Dec. 21 6-8 pm

Register in advance and pay $25.00 per person

Drop in and pay $5 per night you attend

Round Robin play will occur among players of equal skill levels.

Number of points per game will be determined by the number of players.

For those new to the game some informal instruction will be available.

All equipment needed to play is provided.