Club Update

Hello First State Pickleballers!

We have been very busy planning some great pickleball activities for the remainder of the year – please read all the way through.

 On November 5th out at Clayton outdoor courts we are having a really cool clinic for all players who want to learn some skills that will take your level and knowledge of play to another level.  As we mentioned in the last newsletter, our mission is to improve play and that means increasing the fun that you can have playing this great game.  The design of this clinic is to show the various shots that are used in higher levels of play and you will get an understanding of how and why they are used.  We will then break up the attendees into the various skill stations to help tune up your skill level and make sure that you get access to many of the most fundamental shots that make our advanced players so good at this game.

We all want our FSPC players to continue to elevate our level of play,  Our Delaware players have continued to win multiple medals in many tournaments this year and that happened in DE, MD, NJ and VA at the Senior Olympics.  You might not be interested in winning medals but I bet that this clinic will double your fun when playing.  Banging the ball is fun but can get boring.  Why not come out and let our instructors challenge you to expand you skills and knowledge of the game.

Here is our promo for this clinic:
“You Asked, We Listened”.  We are now organizing a heavy duty pickleball clinic at Clayton outdoor courts on November 5, Saturday, from 9-1.  You need to sign-up on Sign-Up Genius and tell us your rating. (3.5+, 3.0- Beginner Intermediate, and/or Just Started.). These ratings will help us plan instructors.  The cost will be $10 for anyone who signs up by October 22, and $15 afterwards.  We have capped participation to the first 60 sign-ups.

Not sure if this one is for you?  Well it is.  We all think that we know how to play this game.  Our friends could tell us our areas of weakness but who are they to tell us what we are doing wrong?  You can get this from our instructors who have worked very hard on their own games and want to share their knowledge with you!

Anyone who can keep the score and knows the fundamental rules is welcome to come out.  We will do our best to group you  with similarly skilled players so that you get the most out of this opportunity to learn some skills that will improve you game.

Second, on November 19th AT 6:45 pm our social committee has set our Club up to listen to Bryan Clarke at Hooked Seafood & Martini Bar(302-827-4944) located in the Midway Shopping Center in Lewes, DE.  Call the restaurant directly for reservations. We did this event last year and it was a blast!  Bryan is a local who can really sing and entertain while we get to dance, sip, and eat some great food.  Everyone who attended last year had a great time.  Who knew that many pickleball players liked to dance.  Maybe dancing helps improve balance and agility on the court.  Who knows?

Third, we are also putting together plans for our Holiday Party on 12/16 at Kings Creek Country Club in Rehoboth Beach.  We are limited to 130 attendees and will have the  “Over Time”  band providing the music again this year.  Everyone that we talked to wanted us to keep everything the same as last year so we did.  Anyway,  this event will sell out quickly so do not hesitate to get your check in to ensure that you have a chance to experience this fantastic event.  This wonderful event will only be $35.00 a ticket (cash bar).  We could not offer the same deal as last year but hope that many of you will agree that it is still a bargain for dinner and dancing with a live band in a beautiful setting. Stay tuned for the specific email announcement coming out soon.

Our social committee wants to put something special together for that evening and is asking for any pictures you have from your group of players or events that you have attended over the past year.  We would like to include pictures from the many existing and new venues that have popped up this year.  If you would, please send them to rlmurray13@icloud.com with the location and names of people in the picture. We want to collect people and places where we are playing in Sussex County.  Should be a very cool project.  Thank you Robbin for agreeing to take on this project!!

Finally, we have put together a Nominating Committee with our Members at Large.  Our club is run by volunteers so we need your help.  Please step up to nominate yourself or someone you know who would be interested.  We need a Treasurer, Vice President, and President to begin office on February 1, 2017.  All that it takes is passion for the game, a willingness to get to know the wonderful members of this club, ability to listen and explore ideas presented.  Our Board continues to bring venues, tournaments, clinics and league play.  Volunteers have a great time helping out at our various events so please let me know if you would be interested.  Please reach me at kathycasey12@comcast.net.  And remember, many hands make light work!
We are in need of volunteers at this time.  If anyone has experience in web design and management who would be willing to serve on a team to work out our strategies for our Club’s communication, we would be most grateful.  Just contact me and we will put together a group to sort our what needs to get done and how.  We have found that Club communication is the most critical need for our membership.
Our club needs a membership committee to stimulate growth in the area for pickleball play and help people know about the benefits of membership. FSPC needs someone(s) to receive applications and someone(s) to update the spreadsheet.
We also continue to focus on advocating for a dedicated indoor pickleball facility in Sussex County so that we can play year round out of the sun, in air conditioning or heat, so that we can play without fear of freezing to death, getting skin cancer, or having a heat stroke. I hope to have an opportunity to speak to the Sussex County Council in the very near future on the need for such a facility in Sussex County.  I will be reaching out to you to show up for the event and would like as many members who live in Sussex County to show up that night so that the Council can see just how many of us there are playing pickleball.  Stay tuned!
But wait! There’s more!!

Speaking of benefits, Vaughn Baker has scored another deal:

Fork and Flask at Nage19730 Coastal Hwy, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 (302) 226-2037www.forkandflask.com

Fork and Flask is offering a one-time 10% off your tab from October 17 through November 20, 2016. 

Last, but not least…

Please don’t forget to use the Code CRFirst when you order products from Pickleball Central (pickleballcentral.com) to get the 5% discount and the club also gets a 5% credit to use for club purchases.  Engage Paddles is still offering a 25% discount when  you use the code FSPC at time of check out. Engage  (http://engagepickleball.com/ ) also gives us 8% back to use on club socials.  Many of our players have tried the paddle and have ordered one.  Also, remember that you get a 10% discount at New Balance when you purchase a new pair of court shoes.  It is a wonderful deal and the sales people there really know their shoes.

Well, that is it for now.  Hope to see you on the courts!

Kathy Casey
Acting President
First State Pickleball Club, Inc.
302-226-7871
301-518-3434  (cell)