The #1 source for pickleball news in New York's Greater Capital Region. Written by a journalist and pickleball player.
518: Dink for a Cure teams forming + new Capital Region leagues
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#072 March 5, 2026 | Read on the web Team competition planned for Dink for a Cure at Siena CollegeRegistration for the Dink for a Cure Pickleball Tournament benefiting the Arthritis Foundation opens next week. This year there will be both a team event (Friday night, June 5) AND a traditional tournament on Saturday and Sunday (June 6–7). The team event will take place Friday, June 5, from 5:30–9 p.m. Teams must have at least two men and two women, with up to eight players allowed per team. The format is designed to welcome companies, groups of friends, and pickleball clubs looking to compete together while supporting the charitable event. Anyone interested in forming a team is invited to complete a short interest form and will receive additional details:https://forms.gle/ourswwDpgCsrtWd89
Dink at the Dam tournament scheduled in AmsterdamDink at the Dam, a multi-day pickleball tournament sponsored by Montgomery County and powered by VAIR, is scheduled for April 23–26 at Xtreme Pickle Amsterdam. The event will use a round-robin format followed by single-elimination brackets to give players multiple matches before advancing to playoffs. The tournament features 18 events, including gender doubles, mixed doubles, coed doubles, and singles divisions. A separate Money Ball event is also available for an additional $25 entry. Early-bird registration is $40 through April 1, after which the fee increases to $50. The entry fee allows players to enter multiple events and includes a tournament dri-fit shirt. A free VAIR account is required to participate. https://www.bounce.game/event/cf6e79fa-8f92-4c67-b078-70f02c9933ba VAIR account registration Xtreme Pickle Amsterdam — 1700 Riverfront Center, Amsterdam, NY 12010 • 518-221-1195 • xtremepickleclub@gmail.com
SPORTIME Capital Region announces March pickleball specialsSPORTIME Capital Region is offering a series of discounted open play sessions and themed pickleball events throughout March as part of its March Madness Pickleball Specials promotion. Regular $5 open play sessions will be held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, along with Tuesday sessions from noon to 3 p.m. and 7:30–10 p.m. Additional themed events during the month include Women’s Wednesdays intermediate open play from 7:30–10 p.m., Courts & Caffeine open play Thursdays from 7–11 a.m. featuring Rise Up Nutrition, and Dinks and Drinks happy hour play Fridays from 6–8 p.m. SPORTIME Capital Region — 2699 Curry Road, Schenectady, NY 12303 • 518-535-9180 Xtreme Pickle announces March Madness member-guest tournamentsXtreme Pickle Amsterdam will host a series of March Madness member-guest tournaments this spring. The events provide an opportunity for members and guests to compete in a social tournament format while meeting new partners ahead of the upcoming tournament season. The schedule includes: • Men’s member-guest tournament — March 21 https://www.bounce.game/event/e3ae0582-bf77-44d0-97d1-210559254503 Xtreme Pickle Amsterdam — 1700 Riverfront Center, Amsterdam, NY 12010 • 518-221-1195 • xtremepickleclub@gmail.com Best of Best 518 Grand Finale scheduled at True Pickleball ClubTrue Pickleball Club will host the Best of Best 518 Grand Finale on Sunday evening, April 12. Invitations will be sent to the top four male and female players as selected by a panel, with additional players earning spots through qualifying events held during March. Qualifying events are scheduled March 15, March 25, March 27, and March 29. Each qualifier is limited to eight men and eight women, and players may enter multiple events but only need to win once to advance to the finale. Registration for the qualifying events is available on CourtReserve. https://app.courtreserve.com True Pickleball Club — 195 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110 • 518-776-1170
Picklers offering early bird morning leaguePicklers Pickleball Club is launching an Early Bird League for players looking for weekday morning competition. The league meets Wednesdays from 8–10 a.m., beginning March 11. The eight-week session costs $90, and spots are limited. Registration is handled through CourtReserve. Picklers Pickleball Club — 90 Broadway Ave., Menands, NY 12204 • 518-729-2022 • infopicklerspickleball@yahoo.com Picklers hosting rotating Saturday ladder series in MarchPicklers Pickleball Club will host a series of Saturday evening ladder events throughout March from 6–8 p.m.. Each week features a different format. The schedule includes: • March 7 — Coed partner ladder Players can reserve a spot through CourtReserve. Picklers has also started a weekly Open Play for Women 4.0 and above on Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. Register on Court Reserve. Picklers Pickleball Club — 90 Broadway Ave., Menands, NY 12204 • 518-729-2022 • infopicklerspickleball@yahoo.com FryeGuys announces new leagues and youth programsFryeGuys Pickleball is offering several new league opportunities this spring along with youth programming and beginner instruction. The facility is also looking to grow its beginner program and is encouraging new players to get in touch. Upcoming leagues include: • Advanced mixed league — Mondays, 9–11 a.m., beginning March 9 (six weeks) Sign up on Court Reserve. Youth programs are also planned at the facility. A High School Hangout open play session for ages 13–18 is held Thursdays from 3–5 p.m. FryeGuys will also host a summer pickleball camp July 27–31, with sessions for ages 8–10 from 9 a.m. to noon and ages 11–14 from 1–4 p.m. FryeGuys Pickleball Club — 1319 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY 12065 • 518-902-8777 • steve@fryeguyspb.com Clifton Park Pickleball Club waiting for ice to meltThe Clifton Park Pickleball Club at Hockey Hut will begin its outdoor league season in early May instead of April following a colder-than-usual winter in the Capital Region. The later start is intended to allow for more reliable weather and better playing conditions. Players looking to return to the courts earlier will still have an opportunity to play. Beginning April 6, the Pavilion courts will be available for rentals, group play, and open play sessions. Reservations must be made through Court Reserve, but there will be no charge for court bookings during this early-season period. Hockey Hut Pavilion — 1535 Crescent Road, Clifton Park, NY 12065 • 518-371-1469 • info@myhockeyhut.com True Pickleball Club offering Wednesday daytime leaguesTrue Pickleball Club is offering Wednesday daytime pickleball leagues for players at several skill levels. The leagues provide structured match play and allow substitutes if a player needs to miss a session. An Intermediate Division meets Wednesdays from 8–10 a.m. beginning March 11. The six-week session costs $120. A 50+ Advanced Beginner / Novice / Low Intermediate division meets Wednesdays from 2–4 p.m., with a six-week session cost of $100. Intermediate registration:https://app.courtreserve.com//Online/Events/Details/9234/XCAYSY9923496?resId=49460227 50+ division registration:https://app.courtreserve.com//Online/Events/Details/9234/WGXEGJV9234399?resId=49460858 True Pickleball Club — 195 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110 • 518-776-1170 VAIR APL winter championship wraps up as spring season beginsThe VAIR Amateur Pickleball League (APL) winter season is concluding with its championship event across several divisions, including 3.2 and under, 3.2–3.79, 3.8–4.39, and 4.4–5.2. Players can begin competing in matches now to get an early start on the upcoming spring season rankings. Local players interested in participating can connect with VAIR ambassadors including Bart Metzold, Sean O'Donell, Valerie Kline, Chris Rusc, Marina Metzold, and Kim Mungal to learn more about joining the league. Current APL standings are available here:https://www.vairified.com/apl-standings
Pickleball expo coming to American Dream mall this weekendA national pickleball expo will take place March 7–9 at the American Dream complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, bringing together equipment companies, instructors, and players for a three-day event focused on the sport. The expo includes vendor booths from paddle manufacturers, apparel companies, and training equipment brands, along with opportunities to test gear and watch demonstrations. For players in the Capital Region, the event is roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive. Leadership transition planned at Clifton Park Pickleball ClubClifton Park Pickleball Club at Hockey Hut will have a leadership transition ahead of the upcoming outdoor season. Club Director Anna will step back from day-to-day responsibilities with the arrival of her baby expected in March. The club plans to name a new director who will serve as the primary point of contact and help lead operations for the upcoming season. Additional details about the transition are expected later this month. The club will continue offering its two membership options — Big Dill and Pay-to-Play — with membership details, pricing updates, and the May event schedule expected to be announced soon. Protective eyewear company donates raffle prizes for Dink for a CureKitchen Blockers, a company that makes lensless protective eyewear for pickleball players, recently introduced a slimmer version of its design called SlimFit. The eyewear is unique in that it does not use lenses — the protective frame is open in front — eliminating issues such as fogging, sweat buildup, or glare while still helping shield the eyes during play. Several pairs of Kitchen Blockers eyewear will be raffled off during the upcoming Dink for a Cure pickleball tournament benefiting the Arthritis Foundation. The raffle is part of the tournament’s ongoing effort to raise funds and awareness for arthritis research. https://kitchenblockers.com From Cathleen: Everyone should be wearing eye protection!!! VAIR player rating system keeps growingVAIR, which has local roots, is developing a new player rating system designed to give clubs and tournament organizers more detailed performance data. The system evaluates players using a 41-point visual assessment that measures multiple aspects of the game, including serve and return, non-volley zone play, transition shots, court positioning, and decision-making. The goal is to provide a more detailed picture of player skill than traditional win-loss based rating systems. VAIR is also building software tools for clubs, including league management features, video-based player evaluations, and rating sessions that can be conducted during events. VAIR is designed to integrate with several pickleball software systems — including Bounce, Brackit and GGSports — allowing match data from leagues and tournaments to automatically feed into player ratings. Guilderland High School hosts third annual student pickleball tournamentMore than 75 students participated in the third annual Guilderland High School Pickleball Tournament, organized by physical education teacher Deb Murray. The event featured three divisions and drew strong participation from students across the school. The tournament continues to grow each year as interest in the sport expands among students. Murray has been working to build momentum for pickleball at the school and is exploring the creation of a pickleball club team with the long-term goal of establishing a varsity program. Picklers group hosts women’s play recognizing Title IXPlayers from the World’s Okayest Pickleball Club, a regular Monday group at Picklers, organized an informal morning of women’s play this week in recognition of women in sports and the legacy of Title IX. The group normally plays mixed doubles, but the men in attendance stepped aside to allow the women to take the courts. The gesture followed national conversation surrounding recognition of recent championship wins by U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams.
I hope you create a team to compete in the Dink for a Cure team competition. Fill out this form if you are interested: https://forms.gle/ourswwDpgCsrtWd89 Know about a league, tournament, or pickleball story I should include in a future newsletter? Just reply to this email. I hope to see you on the court, Cathleen
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Pickleball518: Pickleball news from Upstate New York
The #1 source for pickleball news in New York's Greater Capital Region. Written by a journalist and pickleball player.
Hello Reader, Registration is open for the 4th Annual Dink for A Cure Pickleball Tournament benefiting the Arthritis Foundation. The tournament returns to Siena University (under newly installed lights) as part of Arthritis Community Weekend. The weekend includes the Walk to Cure Arthritis, the pickleball tournament and a wellness expo, with more than 1,000 people expected to attend the weekend's activities. The pickleball tournament will have divisions for all skill levels, and age divisions...
#073 March 19, 2026 | Read on the web Dink for a Cure returns to Siena for fourth annual tournament weekend Dink for A Cure, a charity tournament to benefit the Arthritis Foundation, will return to Siena University June 5–7. More than 200 players are expected to compete across 16 indoor courts inside the Siena field house, with a full slate of team, singles, doubles and skinny singles events. The tournament continues to grow each year, with a wide range of skill and age divisions, including...
#071 Feb. 19, 2025 | Read on the web All kinds of options to play this spring When I play in tournaments, I try to tap into my "beast mode." That's where I play my best. But last week, I scared my opponents with a new beastly feature: an infielder's mask. I wore the mask to protect the delicate skin left behind from minor skin surgery on my nose. My doctor advised not playing, but I couldn't resist. I definitely intimidated my opponents. 😊 Spring programming is beginning to take shape across...