8 AM Start for Mixed Doubles Tournament Wednesday
The brackets are set. 29 teams in four brackets will start play at 8 am Wednesday at Marshdale. Please sign in by 7:45 so we can go over scoring, draw straws for courts and last minute questions. We’ll start play promptly at 8 am.
Mixed Doubles is a double-elimination tournament. Games in the upper (winners) part of the bracket are regular scoring to 11, win by one. Games in the lower (losers) part of the bracket are rally scoring to 15, win by one. Each bracket will have first, second and third place prizes.
As there will be nearly 60 players, only those playing a game will be allowed inside the fence. Bring your chairs if you want to sit outside the fence to watch. Once half the teams are eliminated we will allow spectators inside to watch the finalists games. Snacks and cold water to refill your water bottles will be available.
Here are the brackets:
EPC Mixed Doubles Brackets
Group 1
1 Linda Strauss - Larry Flowers
2. Binki Thalheimer -Rick Zgol
3. Jane Voorhees - Dan Harger
4. Shari Pew - Chip Pew
5. Din Golden - Dick Densch
6. Denise Hartman - Pat Bixenman
7. Corinne Jackson - Jeff Freeman
8. Liz Stensing - John White
Group 2
1. Linda Jacobsen - Roger Miles
2. Marcia Larson - Erich Meyer
3. Jeri Herskovits - John Dunlop
4. Nicola Baer - John Hatch
5. Laura Fiiguli - Dave Figuli
6. Mo Gohlke - Don Wasco
7. Karen Parr - Bud Parr
8. Bye
Group 3
1. Carmen Fink - Tom Flint
2. Maureen Gehlhausen - Jim Fischer
3. Barb Perkins - Mick Pearce
4. Bonnie Lee - John Kerekes
5. Karen Morris - Mike Morris
6. Jerry Beth Owen - Gary Owen
7. Elizabeth Bormann - Monte Poague
8. Bye
Group 4
1. June Zapata - George Crego
2. Lynda Parker - Neil Fischer
3. Shawn Durand - Wayne LaMura
4. Leanor Lesser Jim Madden
5. Nancy Hughes - Bill Hughes
6. Stephanie Gruber - Joe Gruber
7. Claire Roberts - Larry Anderson
8. Bye
Look for Gig’s tent at the tournament. She’s offering free tickets to the Big Chili Cookoff later this summer.
Last Call for Pre-Ordering Your EPC Puffer Vest for Fall and Winter Play
Pre-orders for EPC branded Cossland® Puffer Vest will close this weekend. Now’s the time to guarantee the size and color you want. And it will make a great holiday gift for your favorite pickleball player on your shopping list.
The vests come in four colors: black, gray, navy and royal. Sizes from XS to 4XL for both men and women. Get your order in today for delivery around Labor Day.
Help Us Save a Life; Donate Now for an AED at the Courts at Marshdale
EPC board members Linda Jacobsen and Pat Bixenman have been working with EPRD to secure and install a new AED inside the fence at Marshdale. An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that helps re-establish an effective heart rhythm in those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
Evergreen Fire & Rescue is donating half the cost of the AED. EPRD has agreed to install and maintain the device. EPC has offered to raise the remaining $1,000 to benefit our players.
Instructional classes on its use and for CPR will be offered by EFT at no cost.
Jim Hunsaker, former department chief with Denver Fire Department, has lots of experience with AED training and use. “As a teacher and evaluator of AEDs for many years, I found that some people don't ‘want to get involved’ because they are afraid of being held liable if the outcome is not good or they are afraid of doing something wrong while they are doing something right,” Jim says.
The 911 Good Samaritan Act protects anyone who applies their training in a time of need. Jim assures us the AED “is super-easy to use, and there is no liability attached.”
AEDs save lives every day. Your donation of $25 or more might save yours.
Download Team Reach® App to Know Where and When Your Besties Are Playing Today
Thanks to EPC board member John Dunlop we now have an app that texts us when and where people want to play in Evergreen. Go to teamreach.com to download the app to your cell phone. Find the group Evergreen CO Pickleball and use the password Pball 80439 to connect with other players. You can message the entire group or just the people you want to play with. No emails required.
Can Pickleball Save America? The New Yorker Thinks It Just Might
Seems we can’t go more than a week without a major media outlet taking an in-depth look at pickleball. This week it’s The New Yorker magazine. In its July 25 issue it credits pickleball with bringing together communities, generations and opposing political parties during the pandemic.
Pickleball fosters “norms of reciprocity, trustworthiness, and general good will. A craving for such feelings is a key part of pickleball’s popularity," The New Yorker reports.
However, some of us have noted the “us” and “them” camps in our midst. That is, those of us who despair at playing with anyone perceived to be below our skill level and they who play the game just for fun. Maybe a bit more “good will” will help save ourselves and the game of pickleball.
Tip of the Week from Hiwan Pickleball Pro Tom Karas: Different Shots for Different Spots
Pickleball is not just about going out on the court with a paddle and banging that little wiffle ball around as hard as you can. There are several strategic shots in the game you need to be familiar with.
A dink is a soft short shot that goes over the net and lands in your opponent’s kitchen. They will have to bend low to return it. A dinking contest will determine the winner of many rallies. It is a defensive shot that your opponent will have a hard time slamming back at you.
A groundstroke is a shot you hit after the ball has bounced.
A volley is a shot you hit before the ball bounces.
A passing shot is like a line drive in baseball. It is an offensive shot that moves fast and in a straight line with no arc. It can be used to keep your opponents away from the net near the back of thier court, a good place to keep them.
A lob shot travels in a high arc over your opponent’s head and lands near their baseline. They will have to turn around and move back to try for it, or just let it go and hope it’s long. A lob is a risky shot and when you try it three things can happen, two of them bad. You may not hit it high enough and your tall opponent may slam it back at you. You may hit it too hard and it will travel out of bounds. Or you might hit a perfect lob that goes high over your opponent’s head and then drops in the back of the court. This is a tough shot to return but also a tough shot to implement.