Support the Troops - Update

An Update from Don on our effort to collect postage money to "Support the Troops".

AND---------------- Send in your group Name Suggestions!!

As many of you know one of our members personally contributed (for her Dad) $100 to Support the Troops, Inc. So, she helped to send about 4 or 5 packages all by herself. I found out she also volunteered at their packing facility one day. We have some great people in our little group!

We have been collecting loose change (and bills) these past few weeks and it totaled enough to ship a package so I went to the post office and picked the box on top of the pile and paid the shipping. We paid to have a package shipped to Jeanne Braswell at the Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.

Thanks to all of you who contributed . . . I am sure Jeanne will appreciate it.

Also, on the box there is a place to put the name of who paid for the postage. So, I proposed a contest to see who can come up with a name for our group, so I can put it on the next boxes we ship.

I Found Rich and Dee!!!!

Looks like our friends are having a great summer. Here they are playing in the 4th of July tournament at the Thousand Trails RV Park in Chesapeake, VA. And here the Championship Winners showing off their coveted prizes!!!
There is a nice story and pictures of the tournament on our friends blog. Click Here and check it out.

Randy and his group get Pickelball Started at Beacon Woods

Remember Randy and his friends from Beacon Woods that came to play with us here in Wesley Chapel? Well -They finally have a pickleball court to play on........Read more below. Found this in the Suncoast News.

By: CARL ORTH The Suncoast News
Published: June 29, 2010

Pickleball fan Randall Schaeffer whacks the ball in a game at Beacon Woods in Hudson.

HUDSON - Pickleball, anyone? A small group of dedicated pickleball players at Beacon Woods hope to popularize that phrase, much like "tennis, anyone? "

Pickleball is sweeping the nation and a few Beacon Woods residents are playing the hybrid game of tennis and badminton. But a few tennis enthusiasts don't much care for the blue court stripes painted on top of the white tennis boundaries on one of the four courts at the Beacon Woods clubhouse.

.....Ryan, a former Beacon Woods board member, took to pickleball even though he had been an avid tennis player most of his life and the father of a tennis champion. Pickleball can appeal to men and women players alike, as well as people of all ages and abilities, Ryan wrote in a note.

Click here for more pictures and to read the whole story:
Pickleball sparks community controversy

How To Get To The Net After Serving

Coach Mo's Pickleball Tip of the Month

The serving team is at a disadvantage because the returning team will be at the net before the return of serve is touched by the serving team.

the serving team must get to the net as fast and as safe as possible to level the playing field.

There are three methods to get to the net:
Click Here to Find out which method is the best!

Pickleball Group to Support Our Troops

Hello Everyone

Last night we had a brief discussion about a voluntary fund raising project for the men and women serving our country overseas.

Bob Williams a local business man accepts donations of various treats that our military people enjoy, but are not available to them because of the area they are deployed to. Bob has a web site at www.ourtroopsonline.com
where you can learn more about what he does. There is even a video from a local news station about what he does. By the way his organization is a 5013C operation.

While Bob is very successful in getting the “goodies” and packaging them, postage is a large expense and he seeks help with it from the community.

In the Wesley Chapel branch of the US Post Office on Boyette Road they have packages all ready to be shipped they just need someone to pay postage. I sent one this week that cost a little under $21.

So, going forward I will bring a collection jar to our games for anyone to donate loose change if they want to. There will be NO pressure or obligation to donate, but if you look at the "Thank Yous" on the web site you, will understand how much these men and woman appreciate these packages.

So, each time the collections total near $20, I will go to the Post Office and select a package and ship it from us.

Just another thought, the opening in the collection jar will actually be large enough to accept bills as well as coins :).

Don Bass

Twelve members of the Meadow Pointe group got together today . . . with their street clothes on instead of pickleball gear. . . . boy everyone looked different!!!

Suzi and Pat organized the gathering at a nearby restaurant called Dunderbox.

Everyone had a great time.

Celebrating Pickleball in our State

Both our Florida Governor and our Tampa, Florida Mayor helped us to celebrate and promote this great game. Both of them signed and issued proclamations declaring June 1st through June 7th

International Pickleball Week

Click Here to Read Proclamation Issued by Florida Governor Charlie Crist for International Pickleball Week.


Click Here to Read Proclamation Issued by Mayor Pam Iorio for International Pickleball Week

International Pickleball Week

Fast Growing Sport Celebrates Worldwide with Week of Activities

Seattle, WA (Vocus/PRWEB ) April 13, 2010 -- The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) is pleased to support International Pickleball Week, June 1-7, 2010. A court game of angles and strategies, of position and speed, pickleball is enjoying huge increases in popularity with seniors, school kids and families. During the week starting June 1st the USAPA will be holding events throughout the United States to celebrate the sport and introduce it to new players.

The sport of pickleball is really catching on across the world and is particularly popular with seniors. We intend to celebrate the growth of the sport with our fellow players throughout the world, including locations in Canada, Mexico and India.

Start making your plans now for National Pickleball Week - Get out the USAPA Banners and your camera's and share your celebrations!!!

Click here to read the full release:
International Pickleball Week - June 1-7, 2010

Good Questions From Players

Quite often Rich and I get questions about the rules of the game of pickleball. We thought these particular questions we recently received from a friend of ours were worth sharing.

Have you encoutered this before - and did you know how to handle ??

Faye: I was playing doubles, the other team was serving to me. The non-server had his back to me walking toward his position on the baseline when the server went into his service motion. I raised my non-paddle hand and said wait. He was already in the process of serving and continued the serve. The serve was good but I did not return it. He questioned why I stopped the point. I explained that his partner was not in position and it distracted me and I had called a let. (I didn't actually call "Let" but "Wait".)

He had several questions after the game -- just wanting to learn the rules.

1. If I had not stopped play, would his serve have been a good serve? (Even though his partner was not in position.)

Answer: Yes his serve would be considered good. The server only needs to make sure that the person receiving the serve is ready. His partner and the partner of the receiver can be anywhere on the court they want to be.

2. My question: Was I entitled to call the let since his partner was not in position?

Answer: NO. If his partner was distrating you BEFORE he started his service motion, you could hold up you hand to let the server know you were not ready. There is nothing in the rules that says his partner must be back at the base line. His partner can be anywhere on the court, so you can't call a let for him not being in the proper position. The server only needs to make sure that the RECEIVER is ready. If you put your hand up AFTER the service motion began - his serve continues.

3. Pertaining to a different game: He was playing doubles on court A when a player fell on court B. He called a let because of the distraction of the player falling. Was that a legitimate let??

Answer: NO - It would not be a legitimate let even if it was on the SAME court. Play continues even if your partner falls.

MP's Pat Zwolenski brings Boy Scout Troop to our Courts

Story and pictures submitted by our very own Pat Zwolenski....Thanks Pat!!!

Here is a picture of Boy Scout Troop 180 having their Tuesday night meeting at the Meadow Point I Pickleball Courts.

The previous Tuesday, USAPA member and former Scoutmaster Pat Zwolenski, spent time at the troop meeting explaining the history of Pickleball and the rules of the game. Then the next Tuesday they met at the courts and under the watchful eyes of Suzi Zwolenski, Pat Zwolenski, Steve Long, and Chris Atkinson played Pickleball.

There were a few boys who really excelled and challenged Steve and Chris to a game after the other Scouts had left. Although they played very well, they ended up losing to Steve and Chris. Steve and Chris will be presented Troop 180 paperweights to thank them for their support.

Here is a pictue of Boy Scout Troop 180 with their Meadow Point Pickleball Friends. Steve is the one hidden behind one of the boys and holding paddles up like Mickey Mouse ears over two boys.

Sounds like some of these guys are pretty good players- Please invite them back to Meadow Pointe any time......Keep them practicing and we'll set up a Troop 180 Round Robin!!!