Registration Open for 6th Annual Round Robin Tournament June 21
EPC’s Summer Round Robin is back June 21, 9 am at Marshdale. We hope to have as many as 64 players on all 8 courts. Groups of 8 will compete by skill level. Prizes awarded to top three finishers in each group. Healthy snacks and beverages provided.
Non-refundable $10 registration fee. Open to EPC members. If you’re not a member already, go to
2022 Membership Registration.
We need volunteers. If you’re not playing, let Pat Theno know you can help herd cats.
Round Robin registration closes June 16.
Summer Hours at Wulf Mean Only Two Courts Weekdays; June EPRD Classes Registration Open
The Summer schedule is out. The primary change is that Monday through Friday only the two courts in the east gym are playable. All four courts are open Saturday and Sunday. Wulf is closed July 4.
At Marshdale play starts as early as 8 am and is open play. Advanced/Upper Intermediate players play on the north courts; Novice/Intermediate play on the south courts nearest the entrance gate. Tuesday and Thursday the east court is for tennis only.
Marshdale Saturdays in June are closed 9 am to noon to EPRD classes. The Never Ever Beginner class is already booked. If you are a novice and want to keep building skills, sign up for the Next Steps class. Skills and Drills for Intermediate and higher skill levels is also taking registrations.
Does Pickleball Need Two International Governing Bodies, Three Professional Leagues, and Warring Texas Billionaires Fighting for Control?
Sport Illustrated reports that “Dinkheads.com, the preeminent pickleball blog, referred to USA Pickleball’s intent to erect a second Pickleball Hall (of Fame) as a ‘douche-y’ move, but it’s far more serious than that. The Hall is just one parry in a series of turf wars and satellite skirmishes plaguing the fastest growing sport in America—a sport whose ambitions extend from occupying real estate at your nearest park to reaching the Olympics.”
SI’s story“Pickleball Is the Wild, Wild West”: Inside the Fight Over the Fastest-Growing Sport in America,” says “There are: Too many leagues. Too many federations. Battling billionaires. Bad behavior. And the growth of a booming sport is on the line. As you might surmise, it’s not an altogether flattering look at the growing pains of pickleball at the highest levels.
For a more nuts and bolts look at the two professional leagues, Sports Business Journal gets into the details in “Are You Ready for Some Pickleball: The fastest-growing sport in the country now has multiple leagues competing for fans and dollars — and with each other.” It gives a solid, but depressing rationale why pickleball may not make the Olympics - ever.
Pickleball is One Word, Not Hyphenated and Not Capitalized
You’d think the name of a sport that’s been around nearly 60 years would have a common spelling. We don’t have a problem using football, baseball or basketball correctly. Why do we want to capitalize pickleball and write it as two words?
And a person who plays pickleball? A pickleballer according to Merriam-Webster. But footballer, baseballer and basketballer don’t quite work for us. We prefer pickleball player.
Tip of the Week from Hiwan Pickleball Pro Tom Karas
The Ready Position: feet apart, knees bent, butt down, head up, paddle up with arms slightly extended.
As you learn to play, a few “no brainers” should become automatic before you start thinking about more advanced levels of play.
Hold your paddle up. The ball moves quickly, and you won’t have time to raise it when a quick volley comes at you.
Always be in the ready position: knees bent, paddle up and keep a spring in your feet.
Keep your eye on the ball all the way into your paddle. If you find yourself swinging and missing, there’s a good chance you took your eye off the ball before striking it.
Stay back for the return of serve. I often see beginners creeping in and getting caught up because the ball has to bounce and if it bounces deep in the court…. oops, it already passed you.
Move with your partner and get to the net. The team together at the kitchen line wins the rally 80% of the time. Why? Because they have more control and can take advantage of the angles.
Get out of the kitchen after your return a dink. If you are standing in the kitchen, the ball must bounce – no volley - so staying in the kitchen takes away a lot of opportunities.
Once you do all these things automatically, you are ready to go on to bigger and better strategies.