#049 Dec. 5, 2024 | Read on the web

Handle with care

We are very lucky in the Capital Region to have new indoor venues and outdoor municipal venues with beautiful, dedicated pickleball courts.

Let's protect those courts.

I learned something new this week: many of these venues have cushioned surfaces, and if you put something heavy on them—especially if it is pointy, like a camp chair with the weight of a person on it—you can make a permanent impression on the surface or possibly pierce it.

I’m sure you’ve noticed all the signs about wearing non-marking shoes at indoor venues. These surfaces have a sandy texture that helps the ball play true, but they can also be marked by the wrong shoes.

Proper non-marking shoes are softer and tend to have flat bottoms. If you push your fingernail into them, the material bends but the dent recovers immediately. This is good footwear for our beloved pickleball courts.

Marking shoes, on the other hand, are hard and do not bend to your fingernail. They tend to have deep crevices and lots of texture. The marks they leave behind can be permanent or at least very hard to eliminate.

This article from a New York City tennis club does a great job explaining non-marking shoes and includes some helpful photos.

https://www.court16.com/proper-footwear

Proper footwear: non-marking shoes have softer, shallow texture

Bad: Marking shoes have hard, deeply crevassed soles.

Tournaments

Tournament news

The Thanksgiving at Emma Willard tournament was a blast. We had just over 100 players compete in women's doubles and events for kids 13 and under.

For info on winners and photos, click on the photos below.

Mark your calendar...

Dec. 6-8: Winter Classic Tournament @ Bousquet Sport
Singles, skinny singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles! https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=5d82e86a-5bac-4c31-a28c-728716a5a068

Dec. 29: New Year, New You, Same Pickleball Addiction at Southern Saratoga YMCA
Gender Neutral Doubles
https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=9933e2fd-058d-4120-be5d-4a0078a4e3ea

2025

Jan. 11: MLP tournament at SPORTIME Schenectady
Intermediate, Advanced divisions. Cost: 180.00/team. 4 players per team with a team registration fee. Register now by emailing Mike Amico at mamico@sportimeny.com or call the club at 518-356-0100

Jan. 17-19: 3rd Annual Capital Center Pickleball Classic
https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=8e13f3ec-bf3c-4cf1-bf44-84d7c345bb76

Feb. 1 & 2: Tournament at Legacy
Registration info to come

June 5-8: 3rd Annual Dink for a Cure Pickleball Tournament, Wellness Expo and Walk for A Cure
Siena College, to support the Arthritis Foundation. A Pickleball518 tournament.

June 14 & 15, 2025 Flutters of Hope (rain-date June 21 & 22)
McGregor Links in Wilton, Saratoga County to benefit Flutters of Hope.
https://www.fluttersofhopeinc.org

July 26-27 5th Annual Chuck Allen Memorial Tournament at Jenkinsville
https://www.adkpickleball.com/

Leagues

How to register for leagues

Many of our local venues use CourtReserve to manage their courts. You can create a free guest membership on CourtReserve with any venue which allows you to see their schedule and sign up for drop-in sessions and leagues. Picklers put together this how-to explaining two different ways to register for a league.

Open CourtReserve on your smartphone:

Option 1: Go to Events -> select Categories -> select Leagues à click on the league you want -> click on Register For Full Event button and then à click on the Finalize Registration Button.
Option 2: Go to Events -> select All Events -> click on the League you want (this method is in date order so you will have to scan down quite a way to January -> click on Register For Full Event button and then -> click on the Finalize Registration Button.

Please note that you must be a member (Gold or Basic/Free) to register for a league.

Picklers leagues in Menands

League Details:

Signups Start: Monday, November 11th
League Start Dates: 1st or 2nd Week of January depending upon league
Duration: 8 of Weeks
Pricing: $125 Per Person!

Winter League Offerings

Monday:

Novice Ladder League: 8 PM – 10 PM, 15 slots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 6th to February 24th

Tuesday:

Ladies Ladder League (All Player Levels): 6 PM – 8 PM, 30 slots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 7th to February 25th
Men’s 55+ Intermediate Ladder League: 8 PM – 10 PM, 15 slots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 7th to February 25th
Women’s 55+ Intermediate Ladder League: 8 PM – 10 PM, 15 slots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 7th to February 25th

Wednesday:

Advanced 3.75+ Ladder League: 6 PM – 8 PM, 20 slots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 8th to February 26th
Novice Partner Ladder League: 6 PM – 8 PM, 6 slots/partnerships, 4 – 5 games per session, 8-week season, $250 per team ($125 per person). League runs January 8th to February 26th
Strictly Social Players League: 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM, 10 spots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 8th to February 26th
Intermediate Open Partner Ladder League: 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM, 12 partner slots 4-5 games per session, 8-week season, $250 per team ($125 per person/partner). League runs January 8th to February 26th

Thursday:

Intermediate Ladder: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, 30 spots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 2nd to February 20th
Advanced Partner Ladder League: 8 PM – 10 PM, 12 slots/partnerships, 4 – 5 games per session, 8-week season, $250 per team ($125 per person) League runs January 2nd to February 20th

Friday:

Generations X, Y & Z Are Here! Open Ladder League: : 8 PM – 10 PM, 25 spots, 10 games per session (play 8, sit out 2), 8-week season, $125 per person. League runs January 3rd to February 21th

Saturday:

Co-ed Partner Ladder League: 8 PM – 10 PM, 9 slots/partnerships, 4-5 games per session, 8-week season, $250 per partnership ($125 per person) League runs January 4tyh to February 22nd

Sunday:

High School Student Open Partners Ladder League: 7 PM – 90 PM, 9 Team/Partnership slots, 4-5 games per session, 8-week season, $250 per team ($125 per person) League runs January 5th to February 23rd

League Registration: You can register for any of the leagues through CourtReserve.

Legacy Pickleball Club leagues in Ballston Spa

Intermediate Ladder League (Tuesday Nights)

Duration: Five weeks, January 7–February 4
Time: 6–8 p.m.
Spots: 30 available
Registration: Sign up here

Advanced Beginner Ladder League (Wednesday Nights)

Duration: Five weeks, January 8–February 5
Time: 6–8 p.m.
Spots: 25 available
Registration: Sign up here

Advanced Ladder League (Thursday Nights)

Duration: Five weeks, January 9–February 6
Time: 6–8 p.m.
Spots: 25 available
Registration: Sign up here

SPORTIME Schenectady league

Sportime has an ongoing beginners league on Wednesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m.

Southern Saratoga YMCA - Clifton Park

Starting January, the Y is offering several league: Women's high intermediate doubles, Novice, Advanced Novice, Men's high Intermediate/Advanced doubles, Ladder leagues

https://cdymca.org/program-search?step=results&selectedLocations=B339&searchKeywords=pickleball

Clinics

Clifton Park's Hockey Hut offering lineup of clinics and coached drill sessions

From Hockey Hut's Anne Snyder:

I am very excited to introduce a few new instructional offerings here at the Clifton Park Pickleball Club this December! The first being a brand new weekly drilling schedule with coach Rick Caruso.

All drilling sessions are saturated with ball machine drills, proper stretching and dynamic warm up. They are 1.5 hours long and will be tailored to the players who registered into the session. I am particularly excited for the players who are looking to fine tune their technique but don't necessarily know where to start!

The second new instructional offering we are introducing is regular guided play sessions with coach David Greene. We have three different categories: Novice Guided Play, Guided Play and Skills Program, and then finally, Team Guided Play: Tournament Ready?

Our mission this winter is to really hone in on the importance of instructional work and immediate feedback for our players. We want our players to grow exponentially in their skill set and overall become well rounded players ready for all types of play.

Here are some of the scheduled sessions with links :)"

Ball Machine Drilling Sessions

Wednesday, Dec. 4
7:30–9 a.m.
Register here

Monday, Dec. 9
8–9:30 a.m.
Register here

Guided Play Options

Novice Guided Play Program (Two-week program)
Tuesday, Dec. 10 and 17
6–7:30 p.m.
Register here

Team Guided Play: Tournament Ready (Single sessions; must register with a partner)
Wednesday, Dec. 11
4–5:30 p.m.
Register here

5:45–7:15 p.m.
Register here

Guided Play and Skill Program (Two-week program)
Friday, Dec. 13 and 20

4:30–6 p.m.
Register here

6:15–7:45 p.m.
Register here

Southern Saratoga YMCA drill classes

Intermediate drill classeshttps://operations.daxko.com/programs/redirector.aspx?cid=3063&pid=11080&sid=3153243

News

SPORTIME Schenectady membership deal

Sportime is offering special membership deals all month long! For the month of December, the joining fee is waived, and for $20/month members can access all sorts of savings! Monday through Friday between 12-2pm member court rental is just $30/hour and member private lessons are just $65/hour. Complimentary court time for members is every Monday from 2-3pm. There is a Member Appreciation Holiday party on Friday, 12/20 from 6-9 with complimentary pickleball, food, and drinks!

Pickleball518: Pickleball news from Upstate New York

518: Winter league info