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2/20/2022

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Beginners Group Fridays 9-11am.

Indoor pickleball is going strong at the YMCA. (All photos sent in by Jim Maupin).

Hello, Port Townsend Picklers,

Our false spring last week teased us, but it also reminded us that real spring is right around the corner. For many of us, pickleball, both indoor and outdoor, has been a welcome outlet for exercise, socializing, and combatting the doldrums during the pandemic. It also feels to me that our club has been treading water through this period in terms of achieving our stated goals, and now we can begin to ramp up our activities.

I often refer to the PTPC Strategic Plan*, which is the Club’s guide for achieving its goals. The Board adopted this Plan in May 2021. While I was thinking about the many events we could be doing, even with our limited facilities, the reality hit me – we need more help. The Board can’t do it all. Under Goal #4 of the Strategic Plan, which is about strengthening the Club, Objective 4b states the following: Increase the volunteer base of the Club.

And now is the time to step up. We need YOU! Here is a short list of some specific roles that we are trying to fill right away:

Someone to chair this group of volunteers and recruit more

Someone with accounting or bookkeeping experience to assist the Treasurer as we grow our Club and embark on a capital campaign (a volunteer would be ideal, but if you know someone we can hire, that would also fill the need)

Capital campaign workers -
- One more person to serve on the Capital Campaign Committee
- Several people to make follow-up calls asking for pledges once we launch our pledge campaign (hopefully in March)
- Folks to help the Events Chair organize a potluck/party and games event to launch the capital campaign

Someone with tech experience who can set up a chat room for our website

Also what kind of activities would the Club like to see this year? Clinics, Tournaments, Socials, Swaps with other clubs, Challenge Ladder, Round Robin play? We can’t do it all right away, but we can begin to initiate some of these. Jeannie Ramsey on the Board oversees Events, but we need an army of volunteers to help her. If you would like to take the lead on any of these, please let us know.

If you have any questions about the above or would like more information, please contact me at ptpickleball@gmail.com. If you have other ideas or suggestions, we would love to hear them too.

Thank you and Happy Pickling,
Lynn

*If you are interested, Click here to read the PTPC Strategic Plan.

Meet Pro player Lee Whitwell; she is originally from Gibraltar, lived in Bend OR for seven years before moving to the mecca pickleball state of Florida where she now resides.

Lee became a super star as MVP of the Major League Pickleball (MLP) team Chimeras. She was introduced to pickleball in 2016 when a friend asked if she would like to play women's doubles in a tournament. Lee, being from a tennis background, said sure I'll play in a tennis tournament. When she found out it was pickleball Lee asked “what's this game pickleball?” She wasn't into it and said “no way, sounds like something my grandma would play”. Her friend said “try one game and I'll throw in a case of beer”. That got Lee's attention and she was hooked (not on beer, but pickleball)! Lee was an assistant women's tennis coach at the Alliant International University (formerly United States International University) in San Diego.
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Sign up for the NP International Indoor Pickleball Championship tournament. Lots of prizes and cash. Cl ick here for more details.

Are you fairly new to the game and perhaps you’re frustrated by continuous hard drives. Here’s a few tips on how to defend yourself from the bangers. Click here.