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Margaritaville
USA Pickleball National Championships 2018
The 2018
Nationals were played November 3-11 at the Indian Wells Tennis
Garden, home of the annual BNP Paribas Open tournament.
Qualifying for
playing at the Nationals:
- All Medalists
from the 2017 USAPA National Championship Open & Sr. Open.
- All Gold Medalists
in any age/skill event from the 2017 USAPA National Championships.
- All Gold Medalists
in a Tier 1 USAPA Sanctioned Event between July 15, 2017, and
July 15, 2018.
- All Gold Medalists
at any USAPA Regional Event between July 15, 2017, and July 15,
2018.
Cash prize purse
for Open and Sr. Open Pro Divisions: $75,000 |
Great intro video
found on the Margaritaville You Tube Channel |
Great intro video
found on the USAPA website |
Early morning match
on center court
Nice view from all
45 courts
 Match between Jennifer
Dawson and Cammy McGregor
Jennifer Dawson
Tennis and Pickleball Competitor
Manager, Bobby Riggs Tennis Club, Encinitas, California |
Steve Dawson
Owner, Bobby Riggs Tennis Club, Encinitas, California
Early adopter of pickleball in a Tennis Club |
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Lucy Kovalova
Lucy, 26 is one
of the best pickleball players in the world. Born in Presov,
northeast Slovakia, Lucy was introduced to tennis during a summer
camp at age 7.
She played more
seriously after high school and was recruited by Wichita State
where she played for 4 years. |
Lucy Kovalova plays
with the ENGAGE PICKLEBALL Elite Pro
"Kovalova" signature paddle |
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Lucy picked up
pickleball at the Wichita Country Club, where she teaches tennis
and where pickleball is "a large part of the social fabric."
At the 2018 Margaritaville
USA Pickleball National Championships Lucy won Triple Gold: Women's Doubles Pro, Women's Singles
Pro and Mixed Doubles Pro with Partner Matt Wright.
Matt Wright
Matt started
playing tennis at age 6. He played for 4 years at the University
of Michigan and 2 years on the Pro-Tour. Matt also has a "real"
job - he's an attorney in Wichitas, Kansas.
At the 2018 Nationals
Matt won silver in Men's Open. |
Lucy Kovalova and
Matt Wright |
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2018 West
Coast Pickleball Conference
The inaugural
PPR Pickleball Conference was held Monday, November 12 at the
tail end of the 2018 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships
at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California.
Open to all PPR
members, the conference featured a great line of topics and speakers.
Speakers were
Dan Santorum, Sarah Ansboury, Adam Jasick, Donny Felich, Brian
Parkkonen, Dean Hollingworth, Jason Jamison, and Caerwyn Evans.
Parallel to the
conference, PPR held a Certification Workshop at the Indian Wells
Tennis Garden. |
Left: Sarah Ansboury
and Jason Jamison. Behind them: Adam Jasick.
Right: Dan Santorum next to Ken DeHart.
Sarah Ansboury teaches
the fundamentals of pickleball. Grip always Continental. Keep
the same relaxed grip throughout play. We need paddle head speed
while we're carrying the ball on the paddle longer. The paddle
never needs to be taken back for a big swing. We don't hit groundstrokes,
we hit approach shots! |
Sarah shows that
pickleball is a core sport. We need to engage our core. Stands
slightly wider than shoulders. We're working a lot on our toes.
The paddle is out in front facing the ball at 12 o'clock. When
ball position moves, our body moves to create a new 12 o'clock.
The movement is always forward, with longer, slower strides than
in tennis.
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Adam Jasick, Head
Pro at The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert (right), is demonstrating
strategy with Jason Jamison, newly appointed Clinician for PPR. |
PTR Chief Executive
Dan Santorum addressing the crowd of tennis and pickleball teaching
professionals before the start of the conference.
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Jason Jamison is also Executive Director
at COVERING THE COURT, LLC, a Phoenix, Arizona based consulting
service specializing in "supporting a wide variety of programs
and recreation initiatives ideal for recreation organizations,
program providers, and facilities." |
Adam Jasick (left)
and Donny Felich, tennis professional at Shadow Mountain Resort
in Palm Desert and very experienced pickleball teacher. Both
were a great team training tennis professionals at the PPR Conference. |
Dan Santorum and
Sarah Ansboury, PPR’s educational consultant and lead clinician
for pickleball related activities. Sarah is a five-time USAPA
National Champion and two-time US Open Pickleball Champion.
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Dan Santorum says that PPR now has
about 900 members and goes better than expected. He will send
Sarah to China soon because Chinese Tennis has reached out to
him at the Nationals. She will also go to France after the French
Pickleball Federation showed interest in adopting the PPR program.
Dan says, "We are training more clinicians now and hired
Jason Jamison to bring pickleball into schools." (From 2004-2015,
Jason served as National Manager for School Tennis for the USTA.)
Dan's vision
is to turn PPR into a global organization and to show that tennis
and pickleball can work cooperatively for the betterment of the
game. "The current pickleball growth can be directly compared
to the growth tennis enjoyed in the 70ies and 80ies. There are
so many passionate volunteers. They and PPR will help the sport
to excel in the future."
Regarding Sarah Ansboury, Dan says, "We
were lucky to pick Sarah to lead our training efforts. It was
a great decision. She'll make sure PPR is providing the best,
world-class education."
PTR Board member
Delaine
Mast
reached out to get pickleball as a club sport into NIRSA (National
Intramural and Recreational Sports Association). PPR'slong-term
goal is getting pickleball into the Olympics and Special Olympics.
PTR is already official training partner of the Special Olympics. |
From left: Dan Santorum,
Sarah Ansboury, Pat Murphy, Brian Parkkonen. Pat Murphy is USAPA
Board member and USAPA Training Chair.
Brian Parkkonen,
PTR COO |
Pickleball certification
activities |
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Brian Parkkonen is the new PTR Chief
Operation Officer. The PTR website states, "As COO, Parkkonen
will oversee organizational development and staff collaboration.
His main priorities will be to ensure the highest quality standards
are in place and upheld creating a unified and efficient approach
to the overall member experience."
Brian was introduced
to tennis at 4 years of age. He says, "I picked up a broken
racquet I found in a garbage can and starting hitting balls."
He played high school and college and studied Professional Tennis
Management at Ferris State University.
His experience
includes,
- Director of
Education, PTR, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- Director of
Development, PTR, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- Director of
Tennis, The Weymouth Club, Weymouth, Massachusetts
- Director of
Tennis, Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center, Florence, South
Carolina
- Director of
High Performance, Midtown Athletic Club, Weston, Florida
- Head Pro, Palmetto
Tennis Center, Sumter, South Carolina
Brian says, "The
PPR program is light years ahead of anyone else. This is also
the first conference of its kind using solid, research-based
information. A foundation for coaches to gain effective tools
to help them improve their pickleball coaching." Regarding
the venue, Brian says, "The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is
a phenomenal venue. The whole ambiance of Indian Wells is just
beautiful. It's like a true education vacation." |
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Pickleball
Channel: Destinations
Pickleball,
History and Art Combine for a Great Getaway
(article
and video courtesy of Pickleball
Channel) |
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Pickleball is popping up all
over the country! A lot of players love to travel and are constantly
on the lookout for new pickleball destinations – places
to visit where they can also play pickleball. Now you can add
the historic tourist destination of Abingdon, Virginia to your
travel plans. Pickleball Channel was privileged to visit Abingdon,
take in some of the amazing culture the town has to offer, and,
most importantly, meet with this fun and vibrant community of
pickleball players! Abingdon is a unique getaway that includes
not only culture and history, but a community of healthy living
that creates an ideal atmosphere for a relaxing and fun escape.
And that’s just what we experienced!
The Martha Washington Inn and Spa: “The Martha” as it is known
by residents was first built in 1832 as a private residence.
Later it became an upscale college for young women before being
turned into a hotel in 1935. The lush history of the Inn is evident
just by walking through the halls. Old photos of the Inn’s
previous lives dot the walls so that it’s almost like staying
the night in a museum. The Inn offers a complementary glass of
port every evening and a full hot breakfast every morning, making
sure its guests are very well cared for. And be sure to spend
an hour or so in the gorgeous library either reading, playing
chess, or just relaxing by the fireplace.
The Barter Theatre: A trip to Abingdon is not complete without
taking in a little bit of theatre. Housed in a beautiful historic
building and located directly across the street from the Martha,
the Barter Theatre opened in 1933. During the Great Depression
when money was scarce, the Barter allowed locals to attend shows
by bartering for their admission with food, livestock or other
goods rather than money. Many well-known stars of stage and screen
started their careers at the Barter including Gregory Peck, Ernest
Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty and… Pickleball Channel’s
own Will Bigham! Today the Barter continues to engage audiences
with two theaters running shows in repertory, so there is always
something to see when you come in town.
Fine Dining: There are many amazing restaurants in Abingdon
from the historic Peppermill to the more trendy Rain
to the most amazing pizza ever made at Bella’s Pizza. While visiting Abingdon,
we chose to eat at The Tavern, the oldest building in Abingdon
which was built in 1779. Originally a tavern and overnight inn
for stagecoach travelers, the Tavern boasted such guests as President
Andrew Jackson and Louis Philippe the King of France. It has
had many incarnations including a bank, barber shop, post office
(you can still see the mail slot by the front door!), private
residence, and it even served as a hospital for wounded soldiers
during the Civil War.
The Appalachian Trail and Virginia
Creeper Trail: There are a lot of hiking and biking opportunities
in and around Abingdon. The legendary Appalachian Trail is nearby,
but the local Creeper Trail, once a railroad line, is a 34-mile
trail that runs from Whitecap Mountain on the North Carolina
border into Abingdon.
The Abingdon Pickleball Club:
Completing Abingdon’s commitment to physical fitness is
the Abingdon Pickleball Club! Housed at the Harry L. Coomes Recreation Center, this
club is relatively new to the area, but it is growing in leaps
and bounds. The Abingdon Pickleball Club has both indoor and
outdoor play, which means you can visit and play anytime of the
year.
For more information about planning
a visit to Abingdon, check out their tourism website at www.VisitAbingdonVirginia.com.
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Additional pickleball resources
can be found at the USAPA
website at usapa.org
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