IN THIS ISSUE
President’s Perspective
Membership Drive
Notes & Updates
Meet the Board
President’s Perspective
Hello everyone and welcome to our first newsletter. We are excited for the opportunity to introduce our recently formed nonprofit organization, Seattle Metro Pickleball Association. We urge you to join the SMPA. You can do so by clicking on the big green button below. Our goal is to build an organization comprised of pickleball players interested in promoting the sport of pickleball, expanding available facilities and playing times, and some day hosting a variety of events, clinics and tournaments in the Seattle area. Through building a large membership we hope to be able to represent and meet the needs of all players in the Seattle metropolitan area more effectively than has been done to date.
We plan that this newsletter will become a regular publication and be devoted to informing the pickleball playing public about recent and upcoming activities on the Seattle pickleball scene, and goals we have for adding pickleball facilities and activities to our area. We intend to provide status reports on our progress and other information of interest.
We have been busy over the last year. We have applied for a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. That application is pending and should be approved within the next several weeks. We have collected a comprehensive list of pickleball venues in the Seattle Metro area to help you find more opportunities to play. We have participated in several meetings with Seattle Parks and Recreation representatives. Because of these meetings and efforts of many pickleball enthusiasts, several existing outdoor tennis courts have added pickleball lines. The Parks department has worked with us to provide outdoor nets and balls at many community centers. We have also been working to obtain additional courts. This is a start. Our long-term dreams are to develop dedicated pickleball courts all over the greater Seattle Metro area. To accomplish this, we will need support of players throughout the greater metropolitan area. We are excited about the future of pickleball for Seattle. Come join us!
Sincerely,
Jerry
Announcing the 2018 membership drive
To achieve our goals of increasing the number of players and places to play pickleball in the Seattle metro area, we need to strengthen our organization and continue to be a unified voice with governments and decision makers. We must reach out to our communities and introduce the game to others and teach them to play and love the sport as we do. We need your energy, your voice and your support.
Thank you for subscribing and staying up to date on our progress. We invite you to officially become a member of the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association with either a 1-year $20 membership, or a lifetime $500 membership. Your dues will support SMPA initiatives and entitles you to SMPA member benefits .
Join now and contribute to an association where all members share the same vision. There will also be opportunities to help us fundraise, spread the word, or volunteer your time and talents to that end.
Notes and Updates
To achieve our goals of increasing the number of players and places to pickleball in the Seattle metro area, we need to strengthen our organization and continue to be a unified voice with governments and decision makers. We must reach out to our communities and introduce the game to others and teach them to play and love the sport as we do. We need your energy, your voice and your support.
Seattle Parks and Rec Pickleball Conversion Pilot
Seattle Parks and Rec’s (SPR) Pickleball Pilot Project is in full swing throughout the metro area! This is an opportunity to show the SPR leadership that pickleball players are out there; we are growing in numbers and we need more venues and more opportunities to play.
The 24 courts are lined on tennis courts in 7 parks. You can find the list here .
The success of the pilot program will be determined by several factors including how often the courts are reserved and how frequently the equipment is checked out (information below). There will also be random site checks to monitor use of the courts.
SPR is encouraging feedback from players. Helpful information would include` safety issues, courts in disrepair, difficulty checking out equipment or simply not enough courts to accommodate all players. Send your feedback by email or call 206-233-0063
Here are the instructions from SPR on how to check out equipment:
Pickleball equipment is available for free check-out at the front desks of the following community centers:
- Delridge Community Center
- Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center
- Green Lake Community Center
- Miller Community Center
- South Park Community Center
To reserve the equipment:
Fill out the equipment check-out form with your information. You do not need to leave an i.d. or any form of collateral with community center staff.
Please note that the equipment is heavy (approx 25lbs) and cumbersome. SPR staff can only assist with exchanging the equipment at the front desk. Staff are not available to transport equipment.
As part of the pilot program overnight check-out is available. Equipment checked out overnight must be returned the next day (the center is open) within an hour after the center has opened to allow the equipment to be available for other users. Should the equipment not be returned, the user will be responsible for the cost of replacement.
Sign up and reserve your court time today! Reservations have priority over drop-in play. Information on reservations for outdoor courts can be found here: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/reserve/tennis-court-reservations
SMPA members Sean Oldridge and Frank Chiappone have volunteered to host drop in play at the Green Lake Park courts every Saturday and Sunday from 9am – 12pm. They’ll get to the courts early and have the nets set up and ready to go so all you need to do is show up and play!
We are looking for volunteers to organize and host drop in play at other pilot locations. If you’re interested, or just want more information, post a message for Sean and Frank on the North Seattle Pickleball Players Facebook page.
The Pilot Project comes to an end October 31, 2018. Go out and play, have fun, and let’s make this pilot project a big success.
Meet the Board
Jerry Kindinger, President
Jerry took up pickleball in the Summer of 2016 after retiring from the long-time practice of law in the Seattle area. Pickleball is his new passion.
Jerry is married to Marcia, and they have a grown married daughter, Kerry. He and Marcia play pickleball several times a week at various venues in Central and South Seattle.
He is one of the founders of the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association along with several other enthusiasts who are interested in expanding available pickleball facilities and events and introducing this fantastic game to others.
Theresa Haynie, Vice President/Secretary
Theresa took up pickleball after a summer of being net hauler and line-painter for the pickleball courts on Orcas Island. Married to an avid pickleball player, Theresa accompanies her wife Kathy to the occasional tournament, and makes certain the paddles are always packed for any and all travels.
Theresa schedules her technical writing workday around pickleball play at various Seattle community centers. As one of the SMPA founders, she believes strongly in giving back to the sport by working to improve playing opportunities throughout the Seattle metro area. Favorite outdoor venues: Green Lake and Buck Park on Orcas. Favorite indoor venue: Pickleball Station in Kent.
Drew Thoresen, Treasurer
Drew retired in 2007 and currently lives in West Seattle.
He is one of the founders of Seattle Metro Pickleball Association and first played pickleball in the early 1980’s, took it up again 3 years ago and now plays mostly in West Seattle.
He previously worked as a CPA, Controller, CFO and a founder/co-owner of two small businesses.
Sandra Goldade, Director
Sandra currently works at Boeing but will be retiring in a few months. She has one son, Max.
Sandra has been playing pickleball (and volleyball) for 15 years, first starting as a way to spend more time with her 94-year old dad. There is some humor in hearing a 60-something woman yelling “Dad!” in a group of people over 55.
An SMPA founder and part of the membership committee, Sandra plays several times a week at 3 gyms in West Seattle.
Jimi Vernie, Director
Jimi is a retired teacher who left small-town eastern Washington life and moved to Seattle with her husband in 2000. They started playing pickleball to get acquainted with the community. They were quickly hooked and now play 4 to 5 times a week.
Jimi has a daughter, step-daughter, a step-son, 5 grandchildren, and as of 6 months ago, a great-grandchild!
Jimi enjoys helping people make connections to other people and to our pickleball community. A founding member of the SMPA, she played a key role in the SPR Pickleball Pilot Project.
Stan Jonasson, Director
Stan is a retired Seattle small businesses owner. He moved to Seattle in 1980 from his native state of Idaho, and has been here ever since, except for one year living in New Zealand.
Stan and his wife, Linda, live in Ballard. He has two adult daughters and a step-son. Three years ago, Linda took Stan to a pickleball class and he was smitten. He is a founding member of SMPA and sits on the membership committee. Stan also volunteers for several environmental organizations.
Miguel de Campos, Director
Miguel must have been a dog in one of his previous lives because when he sees a moving ball he has to go fetch it and return it to wherever it came from.
When he is not coaxing pickleballs with a paddle, you might find him kicking them with his foot or trying to trap them with his chest, both old reflexes from his soccer playing days
When no balls are around, Miguel enjoys programming computers, keeping timeforpickleball.com up to date, listening to music and visualizing achieving world peace through pickleball, a key reason he helped found the SMPA.
Miguel’s wife, who does not share his canine ancestry, prefers yoga, tai chi, and qigong to pickleball.