#043 Sept. 5, 2024 | Read on the web​

Connecting your DUPR and Pickleball Brackets accounts is worth the hassle

Quite a few of you intrepid folks have slogged through the process of registering for a tournament on Pickleball Brackets recently. Registrations for the Bethlehem Pickleball Tournament and the YMCA's Upstate Championships are filling up.

You are already a champion if you made it through the registration process. Tournament software giant Pickleball Brackets just rolled out its integration with DUPR, a database of player ratings.

I think it is a great idea, but boy, it makes the registration process really hard and full of extra steps.

I wrote a blog item that explains why I think it is worth the hassle.

Here is the CliffsNotes version:

By combining these two large databases of player ratings, our ratings will become more accurate. Accurate ratings translates into more competitive - and more fun - at tournaments because all of your opponents will be the same skill level of you. Neither team enjoys a blow-out at a tournament. We all love those 11-9 games. Let's have more of those.

Please consider connecting your accounts. If you don't have a DUPR account, it is easy to create one. Linking it with your Pickleball Brackets account is another story. :)

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​Pickleball Galaxy, located in Clifton Park, has set the date for its next tent sale: Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Pickleball Galaxy is located at 606 Pierce Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065. (Map)

The store will be selling off its demo paddles, returned sneakers (pretty much never worn) and other gear. The tent sale is always tons of fun.

RELATED: Pickleball Galaxy is riding the pickleball wave​

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Ken Dumond headlines a wheelchair pickleball clinic in Plattsburgh THIS SUNDAY!

2023 Minto US Open Medalist in wheelchair pickleball, Ken Dumond, will be part of an event at the Plattsburgh Senior Center to teach wheelchair pickleball. Please share the event info with any wheelchair athletes that you know!

You can sign-up on Playtime Scheduler https://playtimescheduler.com/s/1404866 or call/text 518-593-8981

South Glens Falls brewery to open pickleball courts

​Common Roots Brewing in South Glens Falls plans to open 2 pickleball courts later this month. I had hoped to track down a little more info on this, but I ran out of time. Thank you Tony for the tip.

Construction underway at Indian Meadows

Glenville is building six new dedicated pickleball courts at Indian Meadows park. If you have access to the Schenectady Gazette, you can read more here: Groundbreaking on pickleball courts at Indian Meadows Park ​

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Sept. 20-22 Upstate Championships are heating up

Nearly 200 players have registered for the Upstate New York Pickleball Championship, a tournament being hosted by the Capital District YMCA. The tournament will take place Sept. 20-22 at the Broadview Center on the campus of the University at Albany.

The event is raising money for the CDYMCA Circle of Champs, a program dedicated to improving the quality of life for children battling a life-threatening illness. The program offers opportunities for families to enjoy outings together including baseball games, cooking classes, camp, and more.

Many of you know the tournament director - Jen Kendrick- from her fierce play on the court and her tireless efforts to bring pickleball programing to the YMCA.

I've signed up to play in women's doubles and mixed doubles. I finally get to compete with my husband Greg. Many of you have never met him because he always volunteers to stay home and watch our daughter while I play pickleball.

>> REGISTER for the tournament on Pickleball Brackets: https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=13342cd3-590a-4cee-9c7b-912ccc3e8403​

Sept. 20-22 Bousquet Sport End Of Summer Classic​
PIttsfield, Mass.

Oct. 5 (Raindate Oct. 6) Bethlehem Tournament to benefit Bethlehem Senior Projects​
Elm Avenue Pickleball Courts in Bethlehem, NY
​https://www.bethlehemseniorproject.org/​
​The Bethlehem tournament is almost full. There are a few spots left in men's doubles, in women's doubles intermediate II and mixed doubles "first tournament" division

SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE TOURNAMENTS

Nov. 2 & 3 Annual Support Our Heroes Tournament​
Southern Saratoga YMCA, Clifton Park NY

Nov. 23-25 2nd Annual Thanksgiving at Emma Willard​
Emma Willard School, Troy NY - A Pickleball518 tournament

June 14 & 15, 2025 Flutters of Hope​
McGregor Links in Wilton, Saratoga County to benefit Flutters of Hope. https://www.fluttersofhopeinc.org/pickleball-classic​

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

Open plays and DUPR rating sessions at SPORTIME Schenectady

Sportime is hosting all-level open plays on Monday/Wednesday/Sunday from 12-2pm at $10 for members and $12 for non-members.
There is a DUPR open play on Tuesday's from 6-8pm for those who are rated 3.0-4.0. Players can sign up for DUPR at the club.

Sportime plans to hold "get rated" DUPR round robins/events/and socials. These events will be announced on Teamreach, as well as social media. (Team Reach code SportimeS)

Several leagues will start at the club next week including a Monday night women's league at 5 p.m. and Monday night men's league at 8 p.m., a 4.0+ MLP league on Thursday nights and 3.5 MLP league on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. This is a "create your own team" league and there will be a team fee instead of each person paying individually.

Gina Family and Bob offer clinics at Hockey Hut

Unlock your potential and overcome challenges in your game with Coach Gina Family and Coach Bob. Gina and Bob are running a series of clinics at Hockey Hut in Clifton Park. You can register on Court Reserve: https://app.courtreserve.com/Online/Portal/Index/11361​

• Friday 9/6- 10:15a-11:30a The Serve and the Return of Serve
• Monday 9/9- 4:00p-5:15p The Volley - Skills, Drills and Games
• Monday 9/9 - 5:30p-6:45p Pickleball 101 Plus (a two week clinic)
• Friday 9/13 10:15a-11:30a Teamwork and Court Positioning
• Monday 9/16- 4:00p-5:15p Groundstrokes with the ball machine - Skills and Drills
• Monday 9/16- 5:30p-6:45p Pickleball 101 Plus - Week 2
• Monday 9/23- 4:00p-5:15p
• Lob Retrieval and Overhead Smash
• Monday 9/23 - 5:30p-6:45p Pickleball 102\
• Friday 9/27- 10:15a-11:30a Playing against Bangers

Here is some great advice from Gina about why the RETURN of serve is the most important shot in pickleball.

WHY IS THE RETURN OF SERVE SO IMPORTANT?

1. If you miss your return of serve, you give away a free point.
2. If you hit a successful return of serve, you can move up to the zone before the serving team. This can be a huge advantage.

KEY POINTS

1. Stand out a foot behind the baseline when waiting for the serve
2. Take one more step sideways to give your forehand more room if that’s your preferred side.
3. Use a small swing and focus on accuracy over power. Think about hitting the ball at 75-80%.
4. Lean in with your return serve so that your body momentum will continue forward towards the kitchen line.
5. Use your split step once your opponent has the ball on their paddle.

WHERE TO HIT YOUR RETURN OF SERVE

1. Deep
2. Middle
3. Of course it may depend, but 75-80% of the time, go deep and middle.

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I am one of those people that said that the "pickle" in pickleball came from name of the dog owned by one of the families that created the game. This article does a nice job debunking the dog story and tries to to track down where the name really came from.

​Pickleball's Name Has Two Origin Stories (But One is More Believable) – The Kitchen ​

Here is a story about a pro pickleball player with Saratoga roots...Serving It Up: Merrill enjoying transition from tennis to pickleballdailygazette.com (This one you can read without a subscription)

Pickleball518 lists

• ​List of indoor pickleball clubs in Capital Region​
• ​Map of pickleball courts in Greater Capital Region​
• ​List of upcoming tournaments in Greater Capital Region​
• ​List of pickleball instructors in Greater Capital Region​

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Every time I have a newsletter deadline, I think I have no material and then I started writing and it ends up jam packed and too long.

Thanks for reading through it all and thanks for all of your support.

Hope to see you on the court,

Cathleen

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