Jeanette Donohue and Pam Smith celebrate the day.
JoDean Ward shows off her red, white and blue.
Harvey Weiss (left) and Harold Rathman are ready for the fun.
Pancho Epstein
More than 100 PebbleCreek Pickleball Club members, on July 4, showed up for the tenth annual Share Your Paddle Extravaganza, which is as much social as competitive. All members played at least three games in a six game schedule, always with different partners. It’s another way that our club encourages friendship. Between games, members, most attired in red, white and blue, socialized, kibitzed, started rumors, laughed, enjoyed food and encouraged those who were playing.
This year’s extravaganza, which ran from 7:00 to 8:50 a.m. in 95 degree muggy weather, was under the leadership of Sue Johnson and Bob Oswald who created a seamless event.
Matches ran for 20 minutes. Bill Nee and his bullhorn kept the action moving.
The food and drink included water, sports drinks, blueberry muffins, brownies, cinnamon rolls, lemon bites, health bars, red and green grapes, tangerines and professionally sliced pieces of watermelon.
The big eating hit in the hot weather were Icy Whole Fruit Organic Juice frozen in paper cones which come in several flavors; a real find by members of our Social Eating Committee.
Four huge watermelons were professionally cut by 5.0 player Scott Johnson. “I cut from 4:45 until 5:30 a.m.,” said Johnson, who added, “The secret of cutting watermelons is to miss your fingers with the knife.”
The PebbleCreek Pickleball Club, with more than 1,000 members, continues activities through the summer months with daily drop-in play, round-robins and socials. Courts can also be reserved.
The winter schedule is being prepared. It’ll include free training and ladder competition, socials and PebbleCreek’s biggest event of the year: the third annual PebbleCreek Pickleball Club Welcome Back Dinner Concert on October 25 on the back lawn of the Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse.
If you’d like more information on pickleball or the club, contact Bob Oswald at [email protected] or 623-476-7553.
Pickleball is an exhilarating experience; exercise without knowing you are exercising. Join the fun.