Members of the Port Townsend Pickleball Club will have the opportunity to take part in a clinic for referees during the last week of June.  The clinic will be scheduled for June 28, 29 or 30 at the home of certified ref and Pickleball Ambassador, Kathy Thomas.  

The purpose of holding the clinic at this time is to train referees for our upcoming tournament for beginners (see details below in this newsletter). The clinic will last 2-3 hours followed by 2-3 hours of reffing games with specific scenarios.  
     
This is the perfect opportunity to get the training to not only referee in tournaments, but to become more familiar with pickleball rules changes and best practices for reffing.  
 
Kathy indicates that It would also be good if participants take both the lines and the player test for practice. (No pressure to pass either test). Both the rules and the tests are available online at the USA Pickleball Association website. If you are interested in this clinic, please contact Jeannie Ramsey with your preferred clinic date at jeannieram01@gmail.com or 360-531-4195.
 

Photo taken at HS courts during Intermediate Round Robin.
If you have been playing pickleball for less than a year and would like to compete with players you don’t often get to play with, participation in the Beginner Tournament on July 8 and 9 is for you!  The tournament will consist of Men’s, Women’s and  Mixed Doubles and will be both in round robin format for newer players with less-developed skills and double elimination bracket tournament for those with more developed skills.  We are hoping to provide trained refs for the event so that players can get the full tournament experience.  
     
Play will be at the high school and possibly the Courthouse or Mountain View courts, depending on the number of entrants. The PTPC Board is hoping that there is a huge turnout for what promises to be an exciting event.  
     
If you would like to play, please sent the following information to Jeannie Ramsey, events coordinator:
Your name and cell phone number.
Event(s) Women’s doubles Partner?    
(Will be played on Friday, July 8)
            
Men’s Doubles  Partner?    
(Will be played on Friday, July 8)
             
Mixed doubles  Partner?    
(Will be played on Saturday, July 9)
          
If you do not have a partner, no problem, one will be assigned to you.
 

We are getting closer to our goal. Here is the latest on the Pledge Campaign to renovate the Mountain View Courts. Thank you to all who have made a pledge to donate, we appreciate your support. If you haven't already and would like to make a donation, please click here.

Meet Club Member Joel C. Janetski.
 I grew up in Great Falls, Montana, with a fishing rod in one hand and a shotgun in the other.  My father was an amateur archaeologist and my experiences with him exploring remnants of the lives of ancient people eventually led me to a 30-year career as an archaeologist and university professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. I loved my work and my students and continue a modest level of involvement in the discipline. My career focused on exploring the pre-European history of the arid west (Utah, Arizona, Nevada) for the most part, although I also pursued projects in Western Samoa and Jordan. Read more.

INTERMEDIATE CLINIC
TAUGHT BY DOUG HASTINGS, 5.0 AND CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR
MOUNTAIN VIEW COURTS

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 10 AM - 12 PM
LIMITED TO 8 PLAYERS
(A SECOND SESSION FROM 1-3 PMMAY BE HELD
IF NUMBERS INDICATE)
CLINIC IS $30/PERSON/PREPAID

RSVP to Jeannie Ramsey, 360-531-4195 or jeannieram01@gmail.com

For Intermediate players who want to get to the next level. The clinic is designed to improve your stroke mechanics and to help you become a more consistent player. It will cover:
A. Soft game - dinking, blocking, volleying, offensive lob
B. Transition game- 3rd shot drop, drives, lobs
C. Specialty shot selection - overheads, drop shots
D. Serve and return
E. Court positioning

Frequently Asked Questions
about the Mountain View Courts Renovation Project

PTPC has an agreement with the City of Port Townsend to install two permanent pickleball courts, plus one multi-use court lined for pickleball with a roll-away net, essentially three courts, on the existing concrete slab at Mountain View Commons. To do that, the Club needs to raise $35,000.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How does this project benefit the members of PTPC?

• PTPC will have 24 hours/week dedicated to Club programs. After that, the courts are open to everyone from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.
• PTPC will have priority for events, like tournaments, clinics, and other social activities.

2. Who is responsible for maintaining the newly renovated courts?

• The City will strive to maintain the courts at a level that is game quality for pickleball.
• The Club will assist the City in the general upkeep of the courts, like picking up trash, organizing work parties, and notifying the City when repairs are needed.
• The Club will work with the City to add accessory equipment, like bathrooms, trash cans, as needed.

3. What is the reason for 3 courts instead of 4?

• The Club was granted the existing slab for renovation, which is ideal for three courts, not four. With 12 feet of spacing and low fencing between the courts, it will be a better experience for the players, plus it is much safer.
• The PTPC Board believes that installing a quality product will further the Club's goals of adding more courts in the future.
• In actuality, currently there are 4 temporary pickleball courts at Mountain View which are all multi-use. We will only have permanent courts if nets and fencing are installed.

4. Will the City guarantee that more courts will be added in the future?

• The City cannot make such a guarantee, but the City and the Club have agreed to work cooperatively to add more permanent pickleball courts, preferably at the Mountain View site.

[Please note: the City, by law, cannot commit a future City Council to a capital expenditure that has not been the subject of a vote of the residents. The City has hired a new Director of Parks & Recreation Strategy, who will be spearheading a task force to plan for the future use of the Mountain View Commons and Golf Course. The plan would seem to be rendered meaningless by a pre-commitment to additional pickleball courts. Given these constraints, it is extremely positive that the City was willing to commit to working together toward more courts.]

• The City Council, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the City Manager have all voiced support for the Port Townsend Pickleball Club as an organization.

5. Is Mountain View the best site for this project?

• Yes, because of the existing slab of concrete to be used as the foundation. This greatly reduces the cost of repaving the courts.
• Mountain View is also away from residential housing, there is access to other recreational activities, and it will be open to the public as per City Parks rules.
• The Club reached the agreement for this site in collaboration with the City and the YMCA.

6. If I pledge now, when will I be expected to pay the money?

• Once the contractor has been engaged, the Club will need to call in the pledges. This usually takes 2-3 months, so probably around the end of June, 2022. We will urge the donors to pay by check, since using PayPal costs the Club a 3% surcharge.

7. I live in a private community which has its own courts. Why should I give?

• Pickleball courts that are open to the public are a community service.
• More courts will afford more opportunities for everyone to play.
• Pickleball promotes a healthy lifestyle and engages people of all ages.
• Share your love of pickleball!

Please consider making a pledge today!

Click here to go to the pledge page on our website.