Greetings Silveridge Pickleballers!
The 2023-24 season has been rolling for a full month and what a month it’s been! The weather during November was just about perfect and although we are currently in a brief cool spell the forecast calls for upper 70’s again in several days and more great pickleball weather just ahead.
If you aren’t in the park already, rest assured we are all looking forward to your return! Whether you’ll be arriving shortly or after the 1st of January, you are going to love the four new courts! By all accounts they are AWESOME and we can’t wait for you to rejoin the Silveridge pickleball family that is already 180 strong as of December 1st, including 27 new players!
November events: In addition to well-attended daily All-Play and four weekly round robin competitions for every skill level there are already a handful of special events in the rear-view mirror:
- On November 6th we held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new courts followed by a delicious burger bash put on by the social committee. Snipping the ribbon was Betty Royal, our basket raffle coordinator extraordinaire who has been a member of the club since its inception. The ribbon was held by Barry Halpenny and Donna Stensrud in honor of their many years of past (and ongoing) contributions to our club. Almost 90 people attended.
- A fun-play social with plenty of treats brought by the membership was held on November 18th that included friendly games with three people on each side of the net! That same day the club also conducted its first basket raffle of the year generating $717 to which will help offset some of the many expenses associated with setting up four additional courts (another leaf blower, countdown clock, windsock and medical kit plus new court number signs, ball sleeves, pickleballs and water squeegees).
- On Sunday afternoon, November 19th, the club held two back-to-back King of the Hill tournaments. 20 members played in the 2.5-3.25 group and another 20 participated in the 3.5-4+ event. As one might expect, both competitions also drew spectators who enjoyed the music and the talent on display.
- Two shout outs:
- To Jack and Bernice Hall, Dave and Deb Grimm and Bryce and Cyndi Greer as well as the many jump-in volunteers for planning and putting on the ribbon cutting meal, the social event on Nov. 8th and the Christmas party to be held in ten days. And, also, to Betty Royal, her helpers and everyone who contributed items or bought tickets for the basket raffle held that same day; and
- A very huge THANK YOU to the renter’s association which voted to reimburse us for up to $3,000.00 (not a typo) that we have spent or will be spending to acquire a second count-down clock, another ball machine and a bigger and better shed to store our leaf blowers, new ball machine, extra nets and the miscellaneous equipment we’ve accumulated over the years.
December Events: We have plenty on tap for December both on and off the courts:
- 9th is the annual Christmas Celebration Party. 140 have already registered. There will be laughter and fun, guaranteed. Cost is $10 per person to cover the fabulous meal planned. Please register on SUG immediately if you still wish to attend. We need a final number for food planning purposes. (FYI – cheesecake for dessert!)
- We will shortly be setting up the new Erne ball machine. It just arrived yesterday and is still in the box! Club members who want to drill with the Erne can sign up on the Pickleball Ball Machine Booking Sign-Up Genius home page.
- There will be more clinics for all levels, including for those new to the game, four round robins every week (discuss with your captains how your group wants to handle play on the holidays) and another fun-play social on December 9th. A second King of the Hill tournament is in the planning stage.
2024 Events: Goodness, there is so much already on the schedule! Tournaments, clinics, social events, maybe a ladder league and/or challenge court, the Annual Meeting in March, Bingo night, and Casino & Bingo night, where do I start? Where do I stop? Just several highlights. The rest you can peruse under the “Events” section on our ever current and always thorough website.
- February 10th is Casino & Bingo Night. Back by popular demand, the pickleball club is joining the tennis club and co-hosting an evening of simulated casino & bingo fun that was a park favorite several years ago. Participants receive 500 chips they can “bet” at fairly realistic roulette, craps or blackjack tables or try to out-wit their competition in a game of Texas Hold-Em. If your game of choice is bingo you can use your chips to buy-in for that game as well. The event is just for fun, you can’t win real money – BUT chips remaining when a participant decides to ‘cash out’ can be traded in for raffle tickets towards a host of very nice prizes, including several TVs, tablets, Amazon Echos, Ring security devices, wine baskets, gift cards, etc. The more chips you cash in the more raffle tickets you receive. The event is limited to 300 people ($25 per person) with any profits after expenses being returned to the co-hosting clubs. You won’t be able to buy tickets from the Activities Office until January, but pickleball and tennis club members can purchase tickets in advance from their club. We will have a table set up during the Christmas Celebration party on December 9th for anyone who wants to purchase tickets. Early purchase is highly recommended. The Activities Office anticipates this event will sell out quickly.
- We will be participating in the “Let’s Play Bingo” night again this year. Join your fellow club members and help us say ‘thanks’ to the Renter’s Assn for their support of our club. You might even win – and Bingo winners get paid in cash!
- March 2nd is our Annual General Meeting. Please plan on attending. Important topics affecting all of us are debated and decided, all sandwiched around good food and good fun.
In Closing
In just the past ten days I played pickleball at Sun City Grand (2,000 members) and twice at Sunland Village (200 members). They have nicer facilities (22 courts and 8 courts). But let’s put it this way: any comparison to what we have here in Silveridge is patently unfair to those facilities. It isn’t even close. The organization, the camaraderie, the communication. If you like pickleball and want to be in a club where all are welcome that provides instruction, drills, tournaments, fun play events, parties and social events, and anything else pickleball that you could possibly think of ………..… look no further, you are already there.
Mike Savre
Executive Committee: Mike Savre, President; Bonnie Arbez, 1st Vice-President; Barry Halpenny, 2nd Vice-President; Debbie Nelson, Treasurer; Donna Stensrud, Communications Officer; Julie Nosko, Secretary.