- Kona, Hawaii
Submitted by Bob Courtney

"We are making slow but sure headway here in Kona, Hawaii."

Jovon and Bob Courtney got a feature front sports page article in "West Hawaii Today" on their new pickleball program started at the Kona County Park. The couple, who have lived in Kona for the past five years, were recently named the Big Island Ambassadors to the sport by the USA Pickleball Association.

Courtney said they've been trying to garner more attention and participation for the past three years.  During that time, the County Parks and Recreation Department allowed them to begin utilizing the outdoor basketball courts next to Kekuaokalani Gym at the Old Kona Airport Park.  In November, a group of volunteers (made up of Pete Pleban, Noel Klawe, Tom Griffiths, Dante Lopardo, Nancy Sommers, Brad Davis, Tom Brainerd, Jason Weighter and the Courtneys) painted three regulation-sized courts and installed a removable net system, so the courts can be used for basketball when not being used for pickleball.  The courts have been set aside for pickleball on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

"It's great having permanent courts," Courtney said. "For the past three years we'd draw the lines using chalk. So each time it rained we'd have to draw them all over again."

In addition to the group the Courtneys have put together, pickleball is also being taught and played at the Holua Tennis Center at 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as well as 8 a.m. Fridays.

If the saying "build-it-and-they-will come" is true, the Courtneys expect to get more players soon.

- Miller, South Dakota

Submitted by Glenn Ramsey

I'm 64 years old and from Miller, South Dakota.  Through fall of the year, all the farmers and folks in farm related jobs are working 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week  to harvest their corn, wheat, sunflowers and soybeans.  Not much time for anything else.  But summer and winter are a different story.

Last winter. my wife and I took our first try at going south for the winter.  For two months we rented a place at Happy Trails in Surprise AZ.   For exercise, I attempted to revive my racquetball playing and found I couldn't compete with the 30 year old kids that showed up to play.  This is what led me to pickleball.  I played in round robins three hours about every morning.  After 2 months in AZ we went to Mission, TX and I also found a place to play there.

By the end of last winter after all that great play, I just couldn't quit cold turkey.  When I got back to South Dakota, I talked to our local school and got permission to use a small gym three mornings a week.   I ordered and paid for one complete set of pickleball equipment.   I contacted the area ambassador from Pierre, SD and through him I borrowed a second set.  From there I ran an ad in the local paper and went around town with my laptop and Demo Disk ,sitting down individually with anyone who would listen.  The first morning I had three people show up and I gave my first lesson.   As they say, the rest is history.

We have had about 20 people show up so far with around 12-15 who play at least weekly.  The ages of our players range from 30-65.  You can tell we have some dedicated players, as we play at 6:00 a.m. three days a week. I  have recently reserved the gym for Friday evenings and plan on scheduling a couple of hours then for people who can't make the morning sessions.

In the spring I applied for a grant from Miller Area Community Foundation, which administers charitable gifts to programs to promote the social and economic well-being of the people of Miller and the surrounding area.  At the end of October, our club was awarded a check for $500.   I was reimbursed for the pickleball set I had bought and we ordered our second set so we could return the borrowed one.

I expect now that harvest is completed and cold weather is setting in, more people will be looking for some exercise and the numbers of pickleball players will grow. Not bad results so far for a town with a population around 1,500.

- Canton, Georgia

Submitted by Ann Earley

The North Georgia Pickleball Club recently held their annual Halloween Tournament, despite chilly weather and threat of rain.  Hosts Tom and Ann Earley provided an excellent venue and delectable home-made goodies.  The tournament began with a "Grand Opening Ceremony" featuring tenor Pastor Ken Terrell singing the National Anthem and the Teasley Middle School Air Raiders conducting the  flag ceremony and rifle team presentation.

Prizes for tournament winners were creative.   "Most Improved" team won yodeling pickles.  The "Good Sport" award was a pottery pickle bowl.  The category winners received truffles made by a local chocolatier.  Bocce, the Earley's standard poodle and the official Atlantic South Region Pickleball Mascot, was in attendance during the tournament as line judge.

Needless to say, a good time was had by all.

- Indian Land, South Carolina

Submitted by Frank Kinder, USAPA Ambassador to Indian Land, SC

The Sun City Carolina Lakes (SCCL) Pickleball Club in Indian Land, SC not only taught pickleball to Indian Lakes Middle School (ILMS) students, they also donated two portable nets to help jump start the program.

USAPA member Luis Lopez organized the event held the last week in October.  Several members of the SCCL Club worked with students during daily physical education classes.  USAPA nets were purchased by the Club and donated during a presentation ceremony following the weeklong event.  Pictured at right are Luis and USAPA ambassador Frank Kinder presenting the new nets to ILMS Principal David McDonald, along with Physical Education teachers Jessica Hardy and Kevin Mager, as students patiently stand by.

- Eloy, Arizona

Submitted by Nancy Friedman

Robson Ranch Pickleball Club is pleased to announce the upcoming addition of 12 new pickleball courts in our Eloy, AZ community!  The courts are scheduled to be completed January 2012.  Upon completion we will have 16 state-of-the-art pickleball courts.  Stay tuned for future postings of our ribbon cutting ceremony and upcoming events.

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