Recommended Reading: Pickleball Success

Pickleball Website Recommendation


Pickleball Success

Sandra Stultz

and

Mary Littlewood

http://pickleballsuccess.com/


Pickleball Success Rules/Refs Article
Pickleball Officiating - "Are We There Yet?"


Pickleball Tournament Players Read the Rules!
Official USA Pickleball Association Tournament Rulebook

Learning to referee pickleball always improves a players game!

Hartland Pickleball "Spring Training: Rules/Refs!"

Spring Training: Rules/Refs

March 24 at 10:30am

• Presented by: Steve Balasia and Don Ritter

• Host Facility: Hartland Senior Center

• Hartland Spring Pickleball Tournament Registration Flyer:

http://usapa.org/file/mi/Hartland_Spring_Tournament.pdf

Snowbirds and Picklers Across the Nations PLUS MI Pickleball Challenge Match: MI Winter vs MI Spring

Flower Garden by Dawn Ulmer

Dear MI Pickleball Players,

If you are home sweet home, you don't have to read the blog or listen to the news to know we've had MORE MI SNOW. So I posted a flower garden photo offering the hope of Spring! What's the ole rhyme..."March winds and April showers bring May flowers..."

Holding on to the hope of Spring, I've turned off the weather channel and turned my attention to what's happening for some of our MI Snowbirds and Picklers across the Nations...

South Atlantic Region Picklers in Sebring, Florida are preparing, with Ref Training Sessions, for their first USAPA Sanctioned (Tier 4) Tourney, The Heartland Senior Games, March 6. The Tourney Director and Lead Referee is our Canadian neighbor, a Port Perry, ON Snowbird and USAPA Board Member/E-Newsletter Chair Wayne Roswell.

MI Picklers are fond of this HOT News, in part, because Sebring, FL is home to the Tanglewood Club -- the club with spring in their steps! The Sebring Picklers originated the Tanglewood Crawl! We've shared MI/FL Virtual Karaoke Parties! We share a love for Richard "MO" Movsessian (ONLY Tanglewood actually received live-in-person coaching from MO! Read about it here: http://usapa.org/south/2009/02/more-with-mo.html !!)

MI Picklers love the Tanglewood Motto: "We play Pickleball with relish, put mustard on our serves and when behind play ketchup."
"X-Michigander" ( "x-" ?!? ...you can take the Pickler out of the Mitten, but you can't take being smitten by the Mitten out of the Pickler!) USAPA South Atlantic Regional Ambassador Dick "Greenie" Greenfield is playing and playing up the Sebring FL Tourney. Some of you have played in "Great Lakes Region Showcase Events". Greenie upped the friendly rivalry MI has going with FL boasting:

• 
  
  "South Atlantic Florida's 1st Tier 4 Sanctioned USAPA Heartland Senior Games - A Sunshine Event...just for the (S)UN of it!! HA! HA!"

GO Tanglewood, Sebring FL!
The Great Lakes Region has 3 local blogs, MI, WI, and Ontario. Wayne Roswell and Tony Sequeira host the Ontario blog. And (as the OPC Rochester players will testify) I don't know how to put batteries in a camera without help, so I sure would have never figured out blogger without Wayne! In appreciation, here's a photo that will warm your day and make the FL SUN a little brighter for Wayne, too.

GO Ontario!

Puce Sports and Leisure Community Centre Drop-in Pickleball

Five Smiling Puce Picklers

Visiting the MSO Games at OPC Rochester, MI

From WT09 By Stan Wilson, Jr

More HOT news on a COLD MI day. Arizonia Senior Olympics Pickleball Games are PopPiNg this week. Great Lakes Snowbirds on the AZ Players List include: Bob and Sue Cary (SE MI), Dan Clemence (SW MI), Doug Kant (MI) Joyce Sickle (SW MI), Stan Volkens (OH), David and Gloria Leach (MN).

More on the AZ Players List you might recognize include:

• 
  
  USAPA Board Member/Training Chair Norm Davis
• 
  
  USAPA Board Member/Rules Chair Dennis Duey
• 
  
  USAPA Board Member/President Mark Friedenberg
• 
  
  USAPA Board Member/Ambassadors Earl Hill
• 
  
  USAPA Board Member/Marketing David Jordan
• 
  
  USAPA Board Member/Membership Nancy Jordan
• 
  
  USAPA Board Member/Secretary Fran Myer
  
  

Arizona Senior Olympic Players featured on USAPA Training Room clips include: Alan Christensen and Wayne Muggli.

Remember playing MSO 2008 Summer Pickleball Games with Kathy Kaufman? Kathy is on the ASO Players List and so is Mary Littlewood. Pat and Rock Kane are playing and Spike Christensen. WHO ELSE!?!

On an aside (to prove I earn my reputation as a party pooper) for fun, when I'm not reading the Rules, I read the Ref Schedules. Look at some of the Big Gun names on the AZ Ref Schedule: Dennis Duey, Earl Hill, Mark Friedenberg, Pat and Rock Kane, Nancy Muggli, Fran Myer, David Jordon, Bill and Jan Booth...

Watching these Refs in action is even more inviting to me than the AZ sunshine!

GO AZ!

For HOT News closer to home, read about The Great Lakes Region's 200+ USAPA Members Don't miss the sidebar featuring an MSO Slideshow by MI USAPA Member Stan Wilson, Jr. Click on the photo of Stan to enjoy his masterful artwork!

GO Great Lakes!

Whether the weather is sunny or snowy there's not another among the Nations with 6 (count them 6!!!!!!) Pickleball Tournaments between now and the beginning of Summer. Two of the Tournaments, Hartland MI and Northville MI, are USAPA Sanctioned (Tier 4). Auburn Hills MI, June 13, is likely to be USAPA Sanctioned soon! And 6 of the 7 Tournaments offer a $5! or $10! discount for USAPA Members!!!!!! Registration Flyers: MI Pickleball Competitive and Recreational Tournaments
Go MI!
This is intentionally the longest post I've ever written. I wanted to keep typing until I knew the Winner of the MI Winter vs MI Spring Challenge Match: The Bright Sunday Morning MI Sun vs The Cold MI Snow!!

A little more snow on your window sills?!?


Think MI Spring ACTION Pickleball Ladders!! Spring Morning Action! Spring Novice Action! Spring Action Nights! Each of the three OPC Rochester Pickleball Ladders offer 10 Weeks of Games PLUS an Award Banquet with FOOD! Each week, you play 3 round robin games to 15, win by 1, with players of similar skill level. This gives you about an hour of sustained court time. Registration Flyers: OPC Rochester MI Spring ACTION Pickleball Ladders!!!
No dry pavement yet?!?

Michigan Senior Olympic "Fire and ICE" Photo Albums
I asked God, if it was going to keep snowing until Singing Pickleball Pete returned home to MI from FL. Maybe yesterday was the last MI snow of the season, because......guess who's back!!!

Stay off the Spring ice, 'stay out of the kitchen', and stay in the Game -- Spring is only 27 days away. And you have 2 MI Pickleball Tournaments to keep you warm between now and then -- Waterford, March 13! and OPC, March 20!

Yours in pickleball, Janet Razz

USAPA MI Pickleball Competitive and Recreational Pickleball Tournaments..."just for the FUN of it!"

"Fire and ICE": Michigan Senior Olympic 2009 Winter Pickleball Games

HOT Winter PICKLEBALL Games and COLD Michigan Snow!

• MSO Photo Journal By Glen Drellishak, Gold Medal Photographer

• MSO Photo Journal By Gary Grobson, Gold Medal Photographer

• MSO Photo Journal By Stan Wilson, Jr., Gold Medal Photographer
  
  
  

More photos will be added as they are received/uploaded.

Email your Pickleball Victory Stories and/or photos to:

Janet Razz at MIPickleball@gmail.com

Pickleball in KaZoo and Portage: "Where 2 Pickle"

Two Michigan Pickleball Favorites, Melissa Muha and Bob Northrop, SW Michigan USAPA Ambassadors and MSO DanceSport Organizers have created one of the most perfectly practical pickleball program promotion pages you'll ever see. And it's too cute ta-boot! Here's a weblink to add to your "Favorites" for Pickleball in Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan.

http://where2pickle.com/

March Madness - Pickleball Style by Dick Manasseri

March Madness - Pickleball Style

Fun Recreational Pickleball Tournaments, three March weekends in a row!

Waterford "Freaky Friday" March 13 Pickleball Tournament!

Registration Flyer:

http://usapa.org/file/mi/Waterford_Pickleball_Tournament.pdf


If you are a Novice or a Beginner who has never been in a Pickleball tournament, take look at the Spring Fling Tournament at the OPC Rochester on Friday March 20th at 10am-1pm. You register as an individual, no partner needed. Your partners will be randomly selected throughout this round robin event. That's right, a new partner for every match. It's Mixed-Up Doubles – a little like Speed Dating! All for fun! This is a Great Lakes Pickleball Showcase Recreational Event so the cost is only $5 for USAPA Members, that's a $10 discount.

Registration Flyer:

http://usapa.org/file/mi/OPC_Spring_Fling.pdf

OK, so if you are more of an Intermediate player but have little tournament experience, the right choice for you might be the Pop Till You Drop Tournament at the OPC Rochester on Friday March 27th at 5-8pm. You register as an individual, no partner needed. Your Men's Doubles or Women's Doubles partner will be selected randomly and you play with that same partner throughout the tournament. The round robin format will determine the top four Men's and the Women's teams who will play in the single elimination final bracket. All for fun! This is a Great Lakes Pickleball Showcase Recreational Event so the cost is only $5 for USAPA Members, that's a $10 discount.

Registration Flyer:

http://usapa.org/file/mi/OPC_PoP_Till_You_Drop.pdf


Let the March Madness begin! Just for the Fun of It!


USAPA Sanctions SE Michigan Showcase Events

The USAPA has repeatedly recognized the high quality of our SE Michigan Showcase Events, and for 3rd and 4th time this year, we have the opportunity to receive USAPA National Ranking Points in sanctioned events. Congratulations to Tournament Directors in Hartland and Northville for meeting the requirements to be designated as both a Great Lakes Pickleball Showcase Event and a USAPA sanctioned event (Tier 4). Together this means that players in these tournaments will experience outstanding events in terms of organization, hospitality and competition.

Hartland 50+ Mixed Doubles Spring Tournament

USAPA Sanctioned (Tier 4)

Saturday April 11th
Registration Flyer:

http://usapa.org/file/mi/Hartland_Spring_Tournament.pdf

Northville 50+ Men's & Women's Doubles Tournament

USAPA Sanctioned (Tier 4)

Saturday May 16th
Registration Flyer:

http://usapa.org/file/mi/Northville_SP09_Tournament.pdf


OPC Rochester Spring Action PICKLEBALL Ladders

Registration Is Now Open

Like lots of other important information registration flyers can be found at the Michigan Pickleball website. If you have questions or want more details about the OPC Rochester Spring Action PICKLEBALL Ladders contact Janet Razz at MIPickleball@gmail.com

Registration Flyers:

OPC Rochester Spring Action PICKLEBALL Ladders

Please send us the latest news from your favorite Pickleball location and we will distribute it in e-newsletters and post it:

• MI Pickleball http://mipickleball.usapa.org/
• Great Lakes Region Pickleball http://greatlakes.usapa.org/
• Pickleball Ontario, Canada http://pickleballontario.blogspot.com/

Dick Manasseri
USAPA Great Lakes Regional Ambassador

Snowbird Connection

Here a picture of two Local MI USAPA Ambassadors, Bob and Jeff, visiting another Local MI USAPA Ambassador, Monzie, in Arizona. The Snowbird connection really does work; each year we benefit from the travels of our players as they share their experiences. -Dick

Troy MI Pickleball, Pickleball, and More Pickleball!!!

Troy Community Center Gym

Drop-in Pickleball for ALL Ages - Wednesday Nights!http://usapa.org/file/mi/Troy_Wed_Night_Drop-in.pdf

Troy Community Center Gym
Drop-in Pickleball for ALL Ages - Sunday Nights!
http://usapa.org/file/mi/Troy_Sun_Night_Drop-in.pdf

If you have any questions or want more details, please contact Elaine Torvinen, Senior Programming Coordinator, at 248-524-3484 or E.Torvinen@troymi.gov

MI Pickleball News by Dick Manasseri

MSO Review

The MSO Pickleball Games were completed last week and the competitive results can be found at: MSO Winter 2009 Pickleball Tournament Results

Congratulations to all the players, volunteers, referees, spectators, and organizers that made this Great Lakes Pickleball Showcase Event so successful. Auburn Hills Senior Services enabled USAPA Ambassador Michelle Pozan to dedicate her time and energy to the planning and managing of the MSO. The Rochester OPC enabled USAPA Member Krystee Dorland to do the same. And USAPA Member Janet Razz volunteered countless hours to complete the three-way leadership collaboration that produced a wonderful Pickleball experience for all.

USAPA Ambassadors Melissa Muha and Bob Northrop produced the Karaoke Social that raised the bar to a new level for a near-wedding experience of laughter, good music, singing, dance and camaraderie.

Pictures of the MSO and the Karaoke Social will be posted soon on the Michigan Pickleball website http://mipickleball.usapa.org/

So if you like this type of high quality organization, hospitality and competition, where do you go next?

"Wait, there's More!" (Like they say in the TV commercials)

That's right! 5 more Showcase Events in the next four months for all levels of play.

All five of these tournaments, within an hour drive of one another, will offer refereed matches where appropriate plus $5 discounts for USAPA Members.

Friday, March 20th - OPC Rochester Spring Fling
Friday, March 27th - OPC Rochester PoP Till You Drop
These Showcase Events will offer recreational level fun for beginner and intermediate players that are new to tournaments. Mixed-Up Doubles will be included on the 20th where no partners are needed; partners will be drawn randomly; partners will continue to change each game. Watch for details and Registration Flyers!

Saturday, April 11th – Hartland 50+ Mixed Doubles
This USAPA Sanctioned (Tier 4) Showcase Event is the natural extension of the MSO Mixed Doubles games, worth the drive out MI 59 past US 23.
Registration Flyer: Hartland Spring Pickleball Tournament April 11, 2009

Saturday, May 16th – Northville 50+ Women's and Men's Doubles
This Showcase Event will sharpen your doubles skills in preparation for the July MSO Games.
Registration Flyer: Northville Pickleball Tournament May 16, 2009

Saturday, June 13th - Auburn Hills Summer Smash
Michigan State Pickleball Games #1
50+ Mixed Doubles, Mixed Generation, 14+ Women's and Men's Singles
This Showcase Events is a model for a series of tournaments across Michigan that together will form the Michigan State Pickleball Games for All Ages. There will be games intended to draw Junior, Adult, and Senior players. Watch for details and Registration Flyers!

"But Wait, There Really is More!"

July 7-10 MSO – SE Michigan Location

September - USAPA Great Lakes Regional Tournament
For USAPA Members – Date TBD – SE Michigan Location – All Ages

November 2-8, 2009 Buckeye, Arizona (near Phoenix)
USAPA National Tournament
For USAPA Members – All Ages –Entry Deadline October 10th
http://usapa.org/nationals/index.php


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

Pickleball TV Show Now Broadcasting

CMNTV* Channel 18 (WOW) & 52 (COMCAST)

February 3rd – March 14th

Tuesday 8:30pm

Thursday 11:00am

Saturday 6:30pm

CMNTV serves 11 communities in Oakland County, Michigan: Auburn Hills, Berkley, Clawson, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Oakland Township, Pleasant Ridge, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, and Troy.

This program can serve as a demo/clinic for beginners. It is an episode of the Live Long Live Well series produced by Mark Maxwell (Max), a consultant dedicated to the health and wellness of baby boomers and seniors.

The entire 30 minute show can also be viewed online at Google video http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Pickleball_lllw&emb=0&aq=f

as well as on Max's website Live Long Live Well http://www.livelonglivewell.org/gpage1.html

The program discusses the history of Pickleball, demonstrates the various shots, and explains how the game is played. Instructors, recreation center program managers and physical education teachers can use it as part of their Pickleball programs.

Public access stations throughout the country are always looking for quality content that would be of interest to the communities they serve. Pickleball players are free to contact their local public access TV stations to request that they broadcast the program. This might be done to generate general interest in a community or as part of a targeted campaign to kick-off a new Pickleball program at a local recreation center.

Please contact me with any questions or comments about the program or to discuss plans to use the DVD in any of the above or other settings.

Whether your cup of tea is tournaments, ladders, drop-in play, refereeing, teaching, volunteering, or spectating, let's all celebrate the health, fitness, and friendships that we enjoy because somebody invented Pickleball.

Dick Manasseri
USAPA Great Lakes Regional Ambassador

dmanasseri@usapa.org

Blogger's Note: One More! Waterford "Freaky Friday" Pickleball Tournament, March 13!Registration Flyer: http://usapa.org/file/mi/Waterford_Pickleball_Tournament.pdf

MSO 2009 Winter Pickleball Games: The Women

Michigan Senior Olymic 2009 Winter Pickleball Games

The Women



USAPA Member Stan Wilson, Gold Medal Photographer

"Let the Games Begin! Play Pickleball!"

Michigan Senior Olympic

2009 Winter PICKLEBALL Games

Opening Ceremony

National Anthem Sung by Betty Jones

Singing Pickleball Pete's showtime friend, Betty Jones, lead the MSO 2009 Winter Pickleball Athletes in singing the National Anthem each morning at 8:00am. An upper level walking track encircles the OPC Courts. It was awesome to see the river of walkers on the track stop, face the Flag, and join us from above. (My friends on the walking track often tell me that they are watching me "from above"... And they know how very much I need those prayers!)

On the last morning of the MSO games, Men's Singles, I asked all of the players that served in the military to stand. I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to our American Heroes. The largest community of pickleball players ever gathered in the State of Michigan, stood united in celebration of our American freedoms. What a luxurious way to say: "Let the Games begin! PLAY Pickleball!"

So the MI Pickleball Players fell in love with Betty Jones and she got a little sweet on us too. She wrote a pickleball song to the tune of "Oom Pah Pah" from Oliver. Betty brought us to our feet to honor the men and women that serve our Country... ... ... and she had us stomping our feet at the MSO Karaoke Pizza Party! Pickleball Lyrics By Betty Jones!

Gold Medal Team of Photographers!

Michigan Senior Olympic

2009 Winter Pickleball Games are still in progress.

Results are being posted on the USAPA tournament pages at:

MSO 2009 Winter Pickleball Tournament Results

A "Gold Medal Team of Photographers"

is chronicling the Celebration of Athletes.

Glen Drellishak

Gary Grobson

Mark Maxwell

Dennis Troskak

Stan Wilson

The MI Pickleball Players recognize the years of training and experience that these men have invested in their skill and extends deep application to for their Volunteer service. Their work will be posted soon. Meanwhile please enjoy these 'first fruits' that arrived via email from Amy Kessler. If you have Pickleball Victory Stories and/or photos you would like posted on MI Pickleball, please email them to MIPickleball@gmail.com

Enjoy the Games! Enjoy the Glory!

Bronze! Mixed Doubles 50-54 John and Jenny Martin

Silver! Mixed Doubles 50-54 Patrick McPhail and Clare Bushman

Gold! Mixed Doubles 50-54 Steve and Beth Mosshart


Michigan Senior Olympic 2009 Winter Pickleball

Michigan's 100th and 101st USAPA Members

Michigan's 100th and 101st

USA Pickleball Association Members

Mark and Pat Pierce, OPC Rochester MI

Special Thanks to Pickleball Central for donating FUN prizes !

Special Thanks to USAPA Member Stan Wilson, Jr., Gold Medal Photographer!

Stan went 'the extra mile' to award Mark and Pat with a professionally framed copy of this celebration photo. Stan, Mark and Pat, all OPC Rochester Pickleball Ladder players, are in good company! 53 of the 100+ Michigan USAPA Members are OPC Members and/or OPC Rochester Pickleball Ladder Players!

"OPC! A great place to be!"

OPC! A great place to play pickleball!

Special Thanks to the OPC Health & Wellness Department!