We have had a really busy month. We have held pickleball clinics in Hiawassee Georgia, Asheville North Carolina, and Rehoboth Beach Delaware. Wherever we travel, we take the opportunity to play recreationally with “the locals”. What fun!
Pickleball Clinics, Rec Play, and Tournaments
While in Delaware we had the opportunity to do all three of the things we love. On Thursday and Friday, we played with the locals. Players lined up paddles and we rotated through all the groups over 3 to 4 hours of play each day.
Over the weekend, we watched the 4th Annual Beach Blast tournament. We love watching these sort of events. We see familiar faces that have taken clinics throughout the country and love seeing our mantra Balance, Breathe and Believe on so many t-shirts. But most of all we are impressed by the tons of volunteers that work to make a local pickleball tournament happen…from the check-in people, to the people that run the tournament desk, to the referees and more.
After the tournament, we offered pickleball clinics and private lessons to members of the First State Pickleball Club. If you are in Delaware you will want to check this group out.
Tennis Facility Embraces Pickleball
All the events were held in a tennis facility in Lewes, Delaware at the Dave Marshal Tennis and Fitness Facility. There they have utilized three, indoor tennis courts to make eleven temporary pickleball courts. Outside they have one tennis court which is taped off to provide two pickleball courts. Coming from the tennis world I was happy to see so many people packed into this facility. I was even more happy to see a tennis club embrace the sport.
Of course, without the local pickleball ambassadors, this tennis facility may never have seen the possibilities pickleball offered. Instead of viewing pickleball as the enemy, this facility saw the opportunity to fill empty courts.
Coming Months
We are heading to Michigan for an Academy June 2nd to 4th. After that, we will be heading down to Texas, and plan to spend a lot of time there this summer. Though we sometimes get tired from the travel our pickleball clinic schedule requires, we are refreshed by the people along the way that make us feel more at home.