Thanksgiving Weekend Play

The weather was fairly mild for being the last Sunday in November. The mercury made a valiant effort and climbed to an admirable 46 degrees Fahrenheit.  Conditions were set to welcome the brave Picklers to the outdoor courts at Sinnissippi Park.

Today, NIP Picklers were eager to get in a couple extra games after the food binge that most experienced last Thursday on Thanksgiving. After playing indoors at ISC for several weeks, we were happy to be on our Home courts that have standard width lines, the proper height nets, and no drop-in fees. 

Most gathered about 1pm, despite some that were nursing mild hangovers from a festive martini Saturday night. We braved the fall weather with vests, ear muffs, hats, and scarves. Players wore  multiple layers of clothing and skipped the bulky winter coats. To protect their hands they wore gardening, motorcycle, and fingerless gloves.

The sun was shining, making overhead smashes on the courts’ northern sections a bit challenging with the low rising sun due to the Earth’s winter tilt. The bare trees and stripped bushes no longer provide a protective barrier. The wind screens have been taken down for the season and we are left alone to negotiate winds that were 16mph, gusting to 22mph. The wind forced many balls out of bounds that would have been fair under normal circumstances.  Some unpredictable hits were accomplished, but many misses were had with the wind bursts. Certainly much laughter was heard by the neighbors as we all took in the comedy of each others' wind falls. To have evenhanded games players switched sides when one of the teams reached six points. But, alas, it didn't make much difference in some cases. Regardless, everyone had a great day of playing.

We had a great turnout with four active courts and players waiting in the wings. Thanks to all who came out to play today. We had a good couple hours of play before dispersing to watch the Bears beat the Eagles! A great way to spend a Sunday! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all the great Picklers of the world! Here is a little Thanksgiving song to help you "Survive" today. Click here for the song!

Pickleball Winter weekend play at ISC

Hello, Picklers!

The Rockford Park District is considering giving us additional Pickleball weekend play times at Indoor Sports Center in Loves Park. These additional play times are for the Winter session beginning in January 2011. The additional times would be Saturday and/or Sunday evenings, 7pm - 9pm. The same $5 drop-in fee would apply. The number of days depends on how many weekends they have available to offer us, and how many people we have interested in playing on these particular days. Please use the link below to fill out a one question survey about when you are interested in playing. Please have every Pickleball player in your household take the survey. You can take the survey multiple times from the same computer. Please only take the survey if you are in Rockford and the surrounding areas. Click here to take the survey! The survey will be available until Sunday, December 5th at 5pm. I will then be turning in the results to ISC.

Thanks!

NIP Holiday Luncheon

Northern Illinois Pickleball players usually see each other under the most uncomplimentary of conditions on the courts. In Spring, we are anxious to play outside to rid ourselves of the cabin fever blues. We don knit hats and thick gloves to brave the boisterous winds as March roars in like a lion. We gather outdoors in the heat of summer. The sweat drips from our brows; the back of our necks hot from the sun’s intense rays. The perspiration makes our clothing stick to us in the most unflattering ways. Autumn delivers the colorful leaves that camouflage the courts. Not to be discouraged with the threat of season’s end, we fight back with brooms and leaf blowers. The Fall winds leave the players with disheveled hairstyles, and balls that are erratically blown “out”. We long for that Indian summer day to play one last game before Old Man Winter settles in for the long haul.

Saturday, we gathered not as Pickleball opponents, but as Pickleball friends. We came to see each other in a better light, and devour some delicious Italian food. We had our first NIP Holiday Luncheon at Sam’s Ristorante on Riverside Boulevard, in Rockford. The luncheon was planned early enough to avoid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. And, it was in sufficient time to be inclusive of some of our Snowbirds before they go south for the winter.

It was great to finally see what some of the players look like in “real life.”  There wasn’t a headband, spandex, or paddle in sight. It was a time to assemble, break bread, and get to know each other’s personalities off of the court. It was a communal time to laugh, and not just at each other’s missed attempts. We enjoyed spirits; we ate, and caught up with those players that are on injured reserve. We rounded out the day with smiles and a little USAPA trivia.

Thank you to all who we able to make it out to this event! There were many that wanted to attend but were regretfully engaged otherwise.  They were all in our thoughts during our time of celebration.  This year has truly been a blessed one.  May you all find yourselves surrounded by laughter and love this holiday.  Many happy wishes from your NIP family J.



Pickleball Program in Arlington Heights, IL

Pickleball is offered at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights, IL. Please call District 214 Community Education at 847-718-7700 to sign up if you are interested. Make sure you mention the course # 3882. There are weekly playdates on Thursdays for 15 weeks. The session is from October 7, 2010 to February 11, 2011. Click here to read the article from TribLocal Elk Groove Village.

Saint Charles Thanksgiving Pickleball Tournament Results

The Thanksgiving Pickleball Tournament was held at the Pottawatomie Community Center in Saint Charles, IL last Sunday. There were four courts which included Class "A" and Class "B" players. There were 32 total participants in the tournament. Some were local Illinois players from Saint Charles, Huntley, and Rockford. Others came from as far away as Verona, Wisconsin and Des Moines, Iowa.

 Each participant was assigned to a court, and all of their subsequent games were played on that designated court. Games were played to 15 points, and the win was secured by whichever team first reached 15 points. It was a Round Robin and Scramble format, so after every game the participants had a new partner. Each player played with, and against everyone on their court. It was a great way to meet many new players, and experience many different playing temperaments. Whoever had the most points for their court at the day's end was awarded a medal for that court.





Some Picklers after a hard, but fun day of playing.

Our thanks to Meghan Papke, and the staff at the Saint Charles Park District's  Pottawatomie Community Center for organizing and hosting their first ever Pickleball tournament. Also, a big thank you to the volunteers that helped with the set-up, answering of questions, and recording of each players' individual points. The event was very well organized with distribution of registration materials, T-shirts, spreadsheets with game time frames, and of course, a Giordanos pizza lunch for the hungry participants. The tournament offered some great networking opportunities, and the experience of being around others that love sport just as much as we do. We look forward to future Pickleball tournaments at The Saint Charles Park District!

Please see link below here for results:

Saint Charles Thanksgiving Pickleball Tournament Results