Cynthia Schwartz
The American Athletic Union (AAU) recently sponsored a pickleball tournament, AAU Pickleball All Ages and Skills plus The Road to The AAU Junior Olympic Games. Held in Wickenburg, the tournament offered events for ages seven to 99. This non-sanctioned tournament attracted players from PebbleCreek. It included matches in skill/age and also senior categories. Three members of the PebbleCreek Pickleball Club, Renee Salko, Roberta Diles, and John Donovan, entered the tournament and brought home the gold.
Renee Salko and Roberta Diles played for the first time together in a tournament and won gold in the senior womens doubles 3.5/60+ age category. In 2017, Renee and her husband Ed moved to PebbleCreek and were introduced to pickleball. She commented, “I love this game. It’s such a friendly but competitive sport. I’m definitely hooked. I’ve met so many nice people in our Pickleball Club. This was the first tournament I played with Roberta. She’s great to play with!” When asked about her experience playing with a new partner, Roberta said, “Playing with Renee is a delight. She is such a good communicator and a positive reinforcer that you can’t help but feel good about yourself throughout the matches and perform at your peak. It was her father who boasted about Renee’s college scholarships in volleyball and basketball that made me realize how modest she is.”
Roberta Diles and her husband, John Donovan, were gold medal winners in the senior mixed doubles 3.5: 70+ age category, and are icons on the pickleball courts. This couple began their tournament career over three years ago, when they won gold at the 3.0 level at 2017 Nationals and were moved up to the 3.5 level. Roberta commented, “After winning gold, John’s interest in pickleball intensified. He was constantly trying to coach me and became very frustrated with me. As a result, I found another partner! My new partner and I won a lot of medals together. Unfortunately, my partner needed surgery and couldn’t play with me in tournaments. So, John and I tried it again and became partners. I discovered that my attitude is key to our success as a team. Hopefully, we can continue to succeed together in the 2021 Wickenburg Winter Blast Tournament in February.”
Congratulations PebbleCreek Pickleball Club members!
Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports, especially in active adult communities. The PebbleCreek Pickleball Club (PCPB) has over 1500 members and is one of the largest clubs in the United States. If you are interested in learning how to play, sign up for the novice player development program. The program is free and the PCPB Club will loan you paddles and supply the balls. Visit www.pcpickleball.org.