Seattle Metro Pickleball Association

Driest June? More Outdoor Play!

This month, we start the newsletter with the President’s message to members and other readers because there are key events brewing behind the scenes. Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA) was formed to help grow pickleball venues in Seattle to further pickleball for all ages and abilities in a welcoming, inclusive, and healthy environment. By creating a sustainable organization, we wanted to make clear to the city officials that we are here for the long run, that we remain a steady presence regardless of changing personnel (their side or ours), and that our formation of SMPA in 2017 wasn’t an indication of our “newness” of pickleball as a sport but our dedication to the future of pickleball in the region.

As you read Jerry’s letter, consider what SMPA has accomplished and what can be accomplished with the full participation of our almost 250 members. Encourage your non-member pickleball pals to join with us by becoming a member. These membership numbers count in our dealings with cities. Our work as an organization is ongoing, and we need every one of you to help us continue in our work with the often slow-moving entities who control our access to courts.

SMPA President’s Message

Pickleball Friends,

May 2019 was a busy month and June promises to be even more so. I want to update you regarding recent SMPA efforts to promote pickleball and our continuing work to expand Pickleball play opportunities and venues in the metro area.

SMPA Board members continue to meet with Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) representatives every other week to discuss ways in which the City of Seattle can better serve the pickleball community in the greater metropolitan area. Progress is slow, however we remain steadfast in our efforts to move the city forward. While not brief, this summarizes our recent meetings:

• SPR advised us that they are finally readying the release of a formal report on the results of the Pickleball Pilot program that ended last October. We have no details of the contents of the report, although SPR has suggested that it will likely recommend that future pickleball courts be created in clusters of multiple courts and likely near community centers. They are hinting that SPR may recommend the creation of dedicated pickleball courts in addition to 2 or three additional locations where tennis courts will be lined in order to provide more places to play. As always, the devil is in the details, although we consider this to be movement in a positive direction. We expect to make the final SPR pilot program report available to you as soon as it is released. Stay tuned.
• SMPA submitted some months ago eight different sites for creation of clusters of dedicated pickleball courts. At this writing, we are awaiting feedback from SPR on these recommendations. While we know they are reviewing the extensive data we provided, including Social Justice Initiative screening, accessibility, court condition, adaptability for pickleball, they’ve not committed to anything yet.
• SPR held the first of two public Park Fests in early June for the purpose of giving citizens an opportunity to provide input about what is most wanted in parks and to ask questions of SPR officials about its plans for the near term. The Fest was held at Green Lake and drew several hundred folks. Individuals had an opportunity to “vote” on the activities they most wanted SPR to concentrate on improving. More votes were cast for improving play and venue opportunities for pickleball than any other of the more than a dozen choices provided. In addition, 65 to 75 players filled eight pickleball courts for open play from 10 AM to 3 PM. At least one of the ranking officials from SPR came to observe the play and commented upon pickleball’s popularity.
• SPR holds its next (and last) Park Fest Sunday, June 9th from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Yesler Community Center. If you were unable to attend the Green Lake event, please get to Yesler and tell the SPR representatives your big ideas about what the Parks Department should be doing to accommodate the demand for pickleball for the next 12 years. This opportunity may well be the last public meeting before SPR develops its strategic multi-year plan going forward. Budgets will be developed based upon input received from us regarding pickleball. Without your input, there’s the risk that budgets for the next several years will be formulated that don’t adequately consider the growth of our sport and the needs of the pickleball community in greater Seattle.
• SPR hosts a Pickleball Summit at the Miller Community Center on June 20th from 6:30 PM to 8 PM. This event is solely for pickleball enthusiasts, and SPR representatives will be available to explain various aspects of near-term Pickleball play opportunities that they are considering. They explain that they’ll listen to all suggestions made by the pickleball community. Please attend if at all possible. Think big and voice your opinions.

In the past month SMPA has explored partnerships with a couple of different organizations under which additional venues could be made available. We listen for any available opportunity, and continue to look for creative associations related to our mission of expanding pickleball opportunities.

We hope to see all of you at the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic Tournament scheduled July 26-28, 2019. At this point, registration is going full steam with some brackets filled. However, the tournament can accommodate more players, and for the full brackets, the tournament director is accepting waitlist registrants. There are always last minute withdrawals or injuries that create opportunities for backup players, so do register soon if you want to be part of what is promising to be a great weekend of northwest pickleball. SMPA is inviting several City VIPs to attend this event so that we can demonstrate why a large multi-court regional pickleball facility should be developed in Seattle.

Until next time, play hard and have fun on the courts.

Seattle Metro Pickleball Association

Jerry Kindinger, President

Summer Pickleball in Seattle

Check out the SMPA website to see the descriptions of summer play events. We’ll try to keep the Play page updated for you. For members, these events provide a good time to see your pickleball pals, and for nonmembers, they’re a good opportunity to see and feel the excitement building for pickleball in Seattle.

• Outdoor weekly drop in play at Miller, Green Lake, Shoreview, and Delridge pickleball courts (free). Join in the fun.
• SMPA Pickleball in the Park events will return June through September (free). We’ll broadcast dates soon.
• 8-week long Leagues – flex and fixed (set fee) have started. Paddles ready!
• 4th of July Round Robin Shootout – fun play at Green Lake before the fireworks begin.
• Seattle Metro Classic Pickleball Tournament – come play at Shoreview. Sign up here. Registration ends July 29, 2019.

Pickleball Summit at Miller Community Center

SPR wants to hear from a wide cross-section of the pickleball community, and to that end they have scheduled an evening of information gathering and pickleball play. The event is scheduled for Thursday, June 20th, 2019, from 6:30 PM to 8 PM in the Miller Community Center gym (see flyer ad in this newsletter). They have an agenda, and would like to hear from the pickeball community on the following issues:

• Managing the indoor court schedule to fit all Pickleball within operating hours at each Community Center.
• Coordinating the indoor Pickleball schedule to best accommodate all levels of play, instructional programs, and greatest community need.
• How to develop a player skill level rating system where the Pickleball community can self-select to play in defined player groups by skill level. In other words; how do you divide yourselves into beginner, intermediate and advanced/competitive skill levels (and do it on your own).
• What is the best way to for the Parks and Recreation Department to receive feedback from the community (we are thinking about using Survey Monkey)? And what are some examples of questions that could be in a survey?

June Update for July Pickleball Classic Tournament

The Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic enters new territory in Shoreline, Washington in July, as the nearly 300 players registered signal pickleball’s resurgence in Seattle. Currently, there are still open player spots for female 4.5/5.0 Open play, with several male partners looking for mixed doubles partners. Check out the Players Needing Partners list on Pickleball Tournaments registration page, and help make pickleball history. There are some great local and national players looking for a partner to get them to the medal stand. We know you’re out there.

Volunteers encouraged to apply! Being there, being a part of the action, being a referee, being a parking guide, or just being a fan, every role is important, and we of SMPA are all in for the weekend of play. You can sign up as a volunteer through SignUp Genius. We’ve asked before, and we’ll keep asking because we need you and want to share the experience and challenges of this big event in our local pickleball community.

Be sure to visit the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic tournament Facebook page for more information about the tournament. We are currently updating our SMPA website to include a page of tournament information, so stay tuned.

Other Pickleball Happenings

SPR June Play Fest at Yesler

SPR is hosting another Park Fest at June 9, 2019 at Yesler Community Center. SPR plans various activities, resources and opportunities they provide to the community. The day features music, food trucks, games, activities, and booths to learn more about Seattle Parks & Recreation. This is another chance to speak out to Seattle City officials about the needs of the pickleball playing community.

Join a Free Refereeing Clinic

Arrive early for parking and bring a camp chair for the opening lecture from teaching professional Tom Grubb. The upcoming Seattle Metro Classic Pickleball Tournament will need a minimum of 30 volunteer referees per day. SMPA is hosting free clinics (weather permitting) from 8-11 AM on June 8, June 29, and July 20, 2019 at the Green Lake Pickleball Courts. Following the clinic, you can practice refereeing at the Green Lake courts. Instructor Tom Grubb is a USAPA Certified Referee/Registered Trainer & IPTPA Level II Certified Pickleball Teaching Professional. Join in the fun, learn something new, and give something back to the sport of pickleball.

Playtime Scheduler

Notifying other players about where and when to play is easy with the free tool Playtime Scheduler. Sign in at Playtime Scheduler. Choose Greater Seattle as your area and select, for example, Shoreview or Green Lake or SeaTac, and then you can create a session, indicate the level you’re looking to play with, and make a note about the game you’re organizing. Subscribed users receive email notification of the session. We said free, right? Requires an email account but NO Facebook needed.

Eastside and Westside, all around the Sound

Weekend pickleball play is back at Mercer Island Community Center as of June 2, 2019. Read about it here.

Your support helped! Kirkland is moving forward with the conversion of existing Everest Park outdoor tennis courts into three pickleball courts. Thanks to all who contacted the Kirkland City Parks Manager, Jason Filan, at (425) 587-3341 or jfilan@kirklandwa.gov. Sending a note of thanks never hurts, and we look forward to playing at this renovated facility. And better yet, Jason just broadcasted the following text from the sign posted at the Everest Park courts: Pickleball Renovation – Coming Soon Thank you for your feedback on the proposed renovation to install pickleball courts at Everest Park. With overwhelming Community support for this project, the City of Kirkland will be replacing this tennis court with three dedicated pickleball courts. We expect the new courts to open by mid-July and thank you for your patience while the renovation is underway. Questions? Call 425-587-3341.

More than 150 avid pickleball players showed up for the Woodinville Sports Club Open House in mid May. Call them for open play schedule.

Pickleball Clinics Come to Town

Prepare for your upcoming tournament play in a 2-day clinic with Canadian player and international pickleball coach, Mark Renneson, of ThirdShot Sports, July 15 and 16, 2019, at Woodinville Sports Center. Mark, his clinics, and his upbeat style focus on helping you play your best pickleball. This is a great new facility with outdoor courts and an indoor setting. Prices vary based on session type.

US Open Champion and pro, Tyson McGuffin, brings his signature pickleball playing style and his LevelUp Pickleball Camp to Shoreview pickleball courts in Shoreline, WA August 27-29, 2019. Call Wayne Dollard at 888.308.3720 and visit the LevelUp Pickleball Camps to sign up. Cost is $595 for 3 days (15 hours) of high-level training.

Annual SMPA Member Meeting
Sunday April 7, 2019

Come one, come all dues-paying Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA) members to Rainier Community Center for our first ever Annual Member Meeting. If you’ve gotten the invite but haven’t RSVP’d, then do so quickly. We have food to prepare and don’t want to fall short on the cookie count.

We are committed to a short business meeting starting promptly at 12:30 PM to take care of the required tasks, hold a raffle with some great pickleball prizes (Paddles!Hats!Balls!and more) and quick Q&A, and on to the courts. SMPA Board members will be available throughout the afternoon to answer any questions. Play will be divided into 3 courts for rec play with paddle stacks if necessary, and then 3 courts for some competitive games and some form of king/queen of the courts.

Local Seattle Players Medal at IIPC

SMPA members were well represented on the medal stands on the just-concluded International Indoor Pickleball Championships (IIPC) in Centralia, Washington. Billed as the largest indoor pickleball tournament, the 2019 edition enjoyed participation from more than 580 players from the US and Canada this year, up from 2018. A qualifying, sanctioned tournament, the IIPC filled out the Northwest Sports Hub with 31 competition courts, as well as practice courts, a massage station, and a Pickleball Central store. This partial list of SMPA members (please forgive us if we missed you) shows the level of interest in competitive events for players from 3.0 to local professionals.

• Mary Ann Benack (multi medalist)
• Frank Chiappone
• Lynette Danger (medalist)
• Breann Kay
• Tom Grubb
• Theresa Haynie (silver medalist)
• Marianne Salce Johnson
• Patrick Johnson
• John Lui (multi medalist)
• See Lui (gold medalist)
• Tonja Major (silver medalist)
• Oscar Montes
• Fran Myer (bronze medalist, Hall of Fame)
• Tuyen Nguyen (multi medalist)
• Erin O’Rourke (multi medalist)
• Sean Oldridge
• Justine Park
• Tom Paull (medalist)
• Lisa Schwab (medalist)
• James Steadman
• Karen Thomas
• Kathy Wehle

Congrats to medalists and participants alike. The SMPA tee shirts were abundant on the courts, and that visibility reminded the pickleball world of the high level of play available in the Seattle metro area. As we are writing this newsletter, play is concluding and there are still medals being distributed. If we’ve left you off the list, it’s not intentional, and you can let us know with an email to info@seattlemetropickleball.com and we’ll give you the thanks you deserve for getting on the court under the bright lights of the IIPC.

Foot Fault? Look to the Referee

Sanctioned tournaments can’t happen without referees, and thanks to efforts of SMPA, a batch of newly trained referees filled the ranks in the last week of March at the International Indoor Pickleball Championships down in Centralia. Most of these same pickleball referee/players are now available for the summer and the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic as well.

USAPA Certified Referee Jim Cooke of Pickleball Station in Kent led the training of a handful of SMPA and Green Lake pickleball players. SMPA Board member Sean Oldridge organized the free pickleball Referee clinic in Seattle just before the IIPC tournament. Seven eager students spent their Saturday morning learning the protocols and methods for calling NVZ and service faults, enforcing the official rules, and keeping the peace on the pickleball court during hotly contested games. Afterwards, the newly trained referees traipsed across the street to the Green Lake courts to put all their newfound knowledge to immediate use by refereeing the morning’s recreational games.

Local Seattle running store Super Jock ‘N Jill provided meeting space for the pre-court instruction at their Green Lake location right across the street from the Green Lake pickleball courts.

Preparing for the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic Tournament

Registration continues for the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic as we reach the 50 percent filled mark. The tournament committee plans for a great summer event, and you can register at PickleballTournaments.com. SMPA members get a $5 discount on the registration fee. Will you be there? We can use you as a volunteer if you don’t want to play as there’s plenty of work keeping the event running smoothly.

Visit the Facebook page for the Seattle Metro Classic tournament for up to date or breaking news about the event.

Other Pickleball Happenings

Playtime Scheduler

Who’s playing and where? Once you register (and it’s free!) in the Playtime Scheduler tool and choose Greater Seattle as your area, you can schedule a game. You can use it to indicate that you’ll be playing at one of the existing Community Center play times, or set up an outdoor game when you select Shoreview or Green Lake or SeaTac, for example. You simply create a session, indicate the level you’re looking to play with, and make any notes relevant to the game you’re trying to set up. Subscribed users receive email notification of the session.

In Memoriam: Bob Hassan

On March 28th, we lost SMPA member Bob Hassan to a terrible tragedy in our city. Bob was a regular at Maple Leaf and then at Green Lake pickleball courts. He also spearheaded and organized outdoor pickleball play at the old Magnuson Park tennis courts last summer. A true sportsman, Bob made friends wherever he played, and we’ll miss his presence on and off the pickleball court. On Saturday, March 30^th, players at the Green Lake pickleball courts paused play to hold a brief remembrance ceremony in Bob’s honor.

You, too, Can Renew

February 2019 marked the first of renewal emails on their way to encourage SMPA members to re-up their membership. Seattle METRO Pickleball Association promotes and assists the growth of indoor and outdoor pickleball all around the Seattle area.

You can renew or join SMPA by visiting our website, and with your credit card and by supplying some limited personal information become a member of the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association. Note that all financial transactions are managed by a secure third-party membership management app, that we reviewed and selected based on their list management and processing security tools.

That’s a wrap: the 2019 Annual SMPA Member Meeting

The Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA) Board of Directors remembered Bob Hassan, honored the early advocates for pickleball in the region with Joyce Jones and Niki Ryan, gave an ovation to member and Hall of Famer, Fran Myer, held the most concise of business meetings to meet bylaw requirements, and then cheered on play for the 61 members and 25 or so guests who came indoors to Rainier Community Center on April 7th. We greeted members old and new, enjoyed great play on the courts, and shared our accomplishments of the time since our start in 2017 and becoming a registered nonprofit in 2018.

As a first of many annual member meetings, the rainy April afternoon of pickleball was a wonderful display of the community that we are building with the organization. SMPA Board members served as organizers for this first one, and used the occasion to encourage volunteers to join in the fun. We hope to grow the meeting in the coming years to be full day of pickleball, renewed playing relationships, and a confirmation of the vision for pickleball in the Greater Seattle area, where we are driven by commitment to fun, fitness, and friendship in an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Up Next: Summer Pickleball in Seattle

Among the major updates to the SMPA website is the addition of a page filled with summer play events planned for our members. Check out the Play page and put these dates on your calendars. For members, these events provide a good time to see your pickleball pals, and for nonmembers, they’re a good opportunity to see and feel the excitement building for pickleball in Seattle.

• Outdoor weekly drop in play at Miller, Green Lake, Shoreview, and Delridge pickleball courts (free)
• Pickleball in the Park returns June through September (free)
• 8-week long Leagues – flex and fixed (set fee)
• 4th of July Round Robin Shootout – start your day with a bang, a dink, or a lob. Details to follow.
• Registration required for the Seattle Metro Classic Pickleball Tournament – and it’s almost full!

Rainbow Recreation at Miller Community Center

Working hard to keep the adult community fit and engaged, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) has a full schedule of Rainbow fitness activities focused on the LGBTQ community. When we realized that the schedule did not include pickleball, a quick email and call got us on the schedule. For 8 weeks, starting in July, Rainbow Recreation will offer an Introduction to Pickleball class each Thursday morning at Miller Community Center. There is a small fee for the class that will feature a series of instructors from the SMPA pickleball community. Spread the word, or come out and play with the group ready to pick up paddles and keep moving.

Rainbow Recreation is a partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Lifelong Recreation and Generations Aging with Pride to provide recreational opportunities for LGBTQ adults 50+.

What it takes to run a Tournament

To tournament players, picking a partner, registering, and practicing together may constitute much of the work required to do well. For those involved in making the tournament itself succeed, there is oh, so much more. The Seattle Metro Classic Pickleball Tournament scheduled for July 26-28th, 2019, began as a gleam in the competitive eyes of SMPA members Patrick and Marianne Johnson of Edmonds, and then grabbed the attention of SMPA board member and Play committee chair, Frank Chiappone, events chair, Sean Oldridge, and local pro player, Tonja Major. Along with several more tournament fanatics, the Seattle Metro Classic has morphed into a 200+ player event that may well be the biggest, to date, pickleball tournament in the Seattle metro area. These events don’t happen by magic.

What Patrick and Marianne dreamed of now has major outside sponsors, volunteers, pro players, and the services of Mike Hoxie, owner of Pickleball Is Great (PIG) and a well-known tournament organizer in the Pacific Northwest. The tournament expects to draw close to 250 players, will require 100+ volunteers, 60 or more trained referees, and offers a full weekend of pickleball competition and fun at beautiful Shoreview Park in Shoreline, Washington.

The level of planning going into the tournament is an amazing display of commitment to the sport of pickleball. Meetings started in January, and continue now weekly as the Tournament Committee ramps up to fill out the player, sponsor, and volunteer rosters. SMPA member and local pickleball player, Joan Hanson, has been buttonholing potential volunteers in between her play and writing quilting books. With full support of the SMPA Board, the tournament organizers are drawing from the membership to fill out roles that will include Guest Relations hosts, bathroom patrol, player check in, tournament management, court buildout, and more.

Why should you get involved? For one, the energy surrounding a tournament is just different, to quote an USAPA Ambassador. The energy field is elevated, the play ticks up several levels, the air is abuzz with chatter about play and players and exciting points and dramatic wins and losses. You head home at the end of the day with a head filled with thoughts of points that should have been won, games that were fulfilling and fun and supercharged, and if you’re among the lucky players, a medal around your neck. And if you’re not a medalist, you’ll have new war stories to share.

The Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic can happen only because of the tenacity of the handful of players who got together to say “let’s put on a tournament.” And following on their enthusiasm, expertise, and love of the sport, a tournament happens. This particular tournament, on the heels of its smaller version that kicked off in the summer of 2018, makes the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic another pin in the must-play pickleball tournament map, and it doesn’t happen without the many hours that the committee has already put in, and the many hours still to go. The Tournament Committee invites all SMPA members and local pickleball players to be a part of history and help make the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic a memorable and successful tournament. Sign up as a volunteer through SignUp Genius. We need you and want to share the experience and, yes, the workload of this fun event in our local pickleball community.

Visit the Facebook page for the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic tournament for up to date or breaking news about the event.

May Membership Drive

If we, the Board and members of SMPA, haven’t thanked you for your membership, allow us to do that now! As we close in on almost 250 members, know that your voice is critical to the work we do to get more play time, more painted courts, and ultimately, dedicated pickleball facilities in the Seattle Metro area.

You may be tagged by a membership committee member in May as we urge you to renew or join SMPA. Click here, enter your credit card and some limited personal information, and lend your voice to the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association family. You may notice when you join or renew that all financial transactions are managed by a secure third-party membership management app, that we reviewed and selected based on their list management and processing security tools.

Other Pickleball Happenings

Action Alert for Kirkland Pickleball

Your support is needed: speak up for plans for dedicated pickleball courts right here in Kirkland, Washington. The City of Kirkland is weighing the conversion of existing Everest Park outdoor tennis courts into three pickleball courts. Before they proceed, they need to hear from you. Who doesn’t want more dedicated pickleball courts? Now is the time to contact the Kirkland City Parks Manager, Jason Filan, by calling him at (425) 587-3341 or emailing him at jfilan@kirklandwa.gov. More details in our Action Alert page.

SPR June Play Fests at Green Lake and Yesler

SPR is hosting a Parks & Rec Fest at Green Lake Park and Community Center on Saturday, June 1st from 10 AM to 3 PM, and a week later on June 9th at Yesler Community Center. SPR plans to showcase various activities, resources and opportunities they provide to the community. The day features music, food trucks, games, activities, and booths to learn more about Seattle Parks & Recreation. Pickleball, too! Bring sunscreen (we hope) and your paddles. SMPA will be there to demo and play.

Give back to the sport? Become a referee!

In anticipation of the coming summer tournament season, including the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic tournament, Tom Grubb will be hosting free referee clinics (weather permitting) from 8 to 9:30 AM on May 25, June 8, and June 29, 2019 at the Green Lake Pickleball Courts. Get there early to find parking.

Playtime Scheduler

Want to get players on the courts for play at Yost, Shoreview, Green Lake, or wherever? Sign up at Playtime Scheduler. Choose Greater Seattle as your area and select, for example, Shoreview or Green Lake or SeaTac, and then simply create a session, indicate the level you’re looking to play with, and make a note about the game you’re organizing. Subscribed users receive email notification of the session. It’s free and very functional.

Eastside and Westside, all around the Sound

Mercer Island pickleball news includes concerns over the performance of the Onix Fuse ball, and a plan to reopen the indoor facilities after the failure of the levy last fall. Read about it here.

Eckstein court project, run by Kathy Schmidtke, is on track, and she has updates to share.

Annual SMPA Member Meeting
Sunday April 7, 2019

Check your email inbox for the invites, as we encourage all dues-paying Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA) members to come to Rainier Community Center for our first ever Annual Member Meeting.

A very short business meeting should take care of legalities, handing out the raffle prizes, a quick Q&A, and then we can get down the fun stuff of playing on the 6 indoor courts. We have the gym reserved from the meeting start at 12:20 PM until 4 PM, and are hoping to get in lots of play. In addition to vying for the raffle prizes (paddles, hats, balls), you can meet many of the other area pickleball players who’ve come together to move pickleball forward in the Seattle metro area. more pickleball venues created in the metro area.

Pickleball Activism

SMPA has yet to see a final SPR report on the 2018 Pickleball Pilot project. In addition to being an active member of SMPA, your persistent comments to those in the city who control our access to pickleball venues is part of the grand plan.

If you haven’t done so, send an email message to remind SPR that pickleball players in Seattle need their support. You can click the following links and from your email app or account send an email to Christopher Williams, acting Seattle Parks superintendent, and also to the Board of Park Commissioners.

Pickleball Scheduler App

Little by little, court by court, game by game, Seattle pickleball players are exploring and using the game-scheduling tool that we introduced this winter, Playtime Scheduler. Modified by the California developer for Seattle and select other regions, the Playtime Scheduler tool lets you register, then after you choose Greater Seattle as your area, schedule a game. You can use it to indicate that you’ll be playing at one of the existing Community Center play times, or set up a game outside the programmed times when you select Shoreview or Green Lake or SeaTac, for example. You simply create a session, indicate the level you’re looking to play with, and make any notes (advanced, all levels welcome, and so on.). Subscribed users receive email notification of the session.

Playtime Scheduler’s real value should be apparent this summer when Green Lake Pickleball courts and Shoreview Pickleball courts battle for which can book more players in on a daily basis. SMPA members already fill those courts on the weekends, despite the cold and wet mornings. Still, the play is hot, and the Playtime Scheduler should help players set up and use the courts all day long. Give it a try – and no, SMPA is not associated and makes no money off the service to our local pickleball community. Let’s get out and play!

International Indoor Pickleball Championships

The last week of March brings us to the International Indoor Pickleball Championship (IIPC) to be held at the NW Sports Hub, Centralia, Washington. The tournament runs from Tuesday, March 26th through Sunday March 31st.

This very fun, challenging tournament serves as a qualifying event for those who plan to play in the 2019 USAPA National Pickleball Championship in 2019. You can sign up until March 12, 2019 by going to Pickleball Tournaments. Join your local and Canadian pals for this great indoor event.

Register now for summer Classic Tournament – and Volunteer, Too

Registration for the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic opens Saturday, March 2nd so jump on now and register. SMPA members get a $5 discount on the registration fee. The tournament committee is hard at work on building out the Seattle Metro Classic Pickleball Tournament. From lining up sponsors, arranging for referees, pro participants, housing for visiting pros, the committee is working to make sure that the largest Seattle area pickleball tournament will succeed. Prize money, great play, engaged volunteers, this opportunity to present the first large pickleball tournament in metro Seattle (Shoreline) can only help to put Seattle, next door to the birthplace of pickleball, squarely on the map of pickleball destinations.

Visit the Facebook page for the Seattle Metro Classic tournament for up to date or breaking news about the event.

And in other news…

Spring Outdoor Play

Looking for a game? As the weather improves, you’ll find players starting up early at Green Lake Pickleball Courts and Shoreview in North Seattle, Miller in central Seattle, Delridge in West Seattle, Perrigo Park in Redmond, and Bellevue International School. Want to play Pickleball Station? Be sure to call first, as they’ve been running great tournaments all winter long. Let’s hit the courts!

Facebook Pickleball Groups

If you follow Pickleball Forum on Facebook, you already know that pickleball players have lots of questions about rules, play, and places to play. When you’re traveling, the USAPA app Places2Play is your best guide, as the Places2Play displays a map and provides the best known info about times and locations.

And if you’re lucky enough to travel internationally, FaceBook can be a great resource for locating local pickleball groups and contacts. Use the search feature in Facebook to look for the name of the city or country you’re visiting, or search for city+pickleball to locate a local pickleball club or group. Go to interesting places, make new friends, play pickleball. Have paddle, will travel.

Renew or Join SMPA Today

February 2019 marks the first renewal emails on their way to encourage our association members to re-up their membership. We’re Seattle METRO Pickleball Association because we promote and assist the growth of pickleball all around the Seattle area.

You can help us grow. Renew or join SMPA by clicking here, and with your credit card and by supplying some limited personal information become a member of the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association.

SPR Surveyed – You Answered

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) published a survey in November 2018 regarding pickleball in Seattle. More than 240 pickleball players took the survey, and they released the results in early January 2019. The survey doesn’t cover much territory, and there is no result that indicate SPR departmental plans for pickleball. You can click here to review the survey in Adobe portable document format (PDF).

SAVE THE DATE: Annual SMPA Member Meeting Sunday April 7, 2019

Yes, the SMPA Board plans to be out in force, paddles in hand, with a short meeting agenda to tell you about where we are and what’s ahead. The fun event is expected to include a couple of vendors, a raffle, food, and importantly, some play time for all who attend. Stay tuned, and with the March and April newsletters we’ll fill in the blanks and send out evites to all dues-paid SMPA members.

No News for Now on Pickleball Pilot Report

While we await the final SPR report on the 2018 Pickleball Pilot project, the Seattle Parks department’s planning process is underway. We expect there to be a period for public comments on the plan in the Spring. Meanwhile, if you want to let SPR know what you want for pickleball in Seattle, send an email to Christopher Williams, acting Seattle Parks superintendent, and also to the Board of Park Commissioners. While no single email is going to change their stance, the more they hear from pickleball players, the better.

So What if it’s Winter? Green Lake Plays On

SMPA has been organizing drop in play at the Green Lake Pickleball Courts throughout the winter from 9 AM – 12 PM every Saturday and Sunday. As luck would have it, the weather has been somewhat cooperative most weekends, despite our typical rain-filled winter months. The Green Lake players don’t really let a little rain get between them and a few rousing games of pickleball. Braving cold early morning temperatures and, at times, dense fog, most weekends have seen between 20 to 50 people enjoying the Green Lake outdoor pickleball courts. The high point to date came this past January 26th when a rare blue sky day and unseasonably warm temperatures drew more than 70 players out to the courts, the most ever for a single day at the Green Lake Courts.

To help ease the congestion at Green Lake, SMPA members Dorrena Ortega and Tim Williams started organizing drop in play Saturdays beginning at 9 AM at Shoreview Park in Shoreline. Shoreview Park has 6 pickleball courts lined out without nets, but Dorrena and Tim are committed to bringing nets and balls each Saturday, weather permitting. They had 5 courts going the first two Saturdays with about two dozen folks turning out to play.

There is no cost to play at either location, although we accept donations onsite to help defer the cost of reservations and supplies (think line tape and chalk and balls).

Register in March – Play in July in our SMPA Classic Tournament

Sunshine, blue skies and majestic Mount Rainier on the horizon are all summer staples in Seattle. Against this backdrop, join us for the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic, the largest outdoor tournament the greater Seattle area has ever seen. Set in a gorgeous park along the shores of the Puget Sound, this tournament features 16 courts, two practice courts, cash prizes for OPEN divisions, and competitive skill divisions ranging from 3.0 – 4.5 for ages 19+ and 50+.

This three-day tournament, celebrating our dedicated local pickleball community and benefiting SMPA, welcomes first-time participants, tournament veterans and our top local players and pros from across the northwest. Registration opens March 2, 2019 on Pickleball Tournaments website.

And in other news…

Eckstein Middle School Pickleball Update

URGENT: Community Meeting Wednesday, January 30th, 2019 from 6:30 to 8 PM at the Eckstein Middle School Library – 3003 NE 75th Ave NE, 98115

Seattle Schools Self Help office and Friends of Eckstein MS Pickleball urge Seattle pickleball players to attend a community meeting and design workshop for the proposed build out of pickleball courts on the Eckstein Middle School grounds. The landscape architectural firm and project leaders encourage local pickleball players to bring ideas and questions. They expect to have 1 or 2 final court layout scenarios at future meetings in March and April. Enter only through the school’s front door that faces NE 75th. Join their SMS mailing list for updates by texting the keyword EMSpickleball to 22828.

International Indoor Pickleball Championships

Registration is still open for the International Indoor Pickleball Championship (IIPC) at the NW Sports Hub, Centralia, Washington. This tournament draws players from US and Canada, and runs from Tuesday 03/26/19 through Sunday 03/31/19. This very fun, challenging tournament is a qualifying event for those who plan to play in the USAPA National Pickleball Championship in 2019. You can sign up by going to Pickleball Tournaments website until March 12, 2019. Join your local and Canadian pals for this great indoor event.

Now’s the Time: Join SMPA

If you haven’t joined SMPA yet, you can do that here, and with your credit card and by supplying some limited personal information become a member of the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association.

What’s with the Pickleball Pilot Program?

The City of Seattle completed the Pickleball Pilot Program that ran officially from October 2017 to October 2018. During that period, they painted 24 courts at 7 different tennis courts around the City.

What we know is this:

• Green Lake rocked, and continues to rock pickleball, what with 45+ players showing up on the weekends. That’s pretty incredible, considering that the Green Lake northeast tennis courts were painted for only two pickleball courts. Ever resourceful, the SMPA guys, Sean and Frank, who reserved the courts and managed them all summer and into the fall, simply taped out more courts as needed. We “built” ’em, and players came.
• Miller Playfield had four pickleball courts painted out, and now have a semipermanent net there as well, and hosted a steady stream of players for Thursday night play under the lights. Yes, lights. Outside. Fun times, and as soon as the winter weather abates, we expect it to be a popular Central District pickleball hotspot to supplement their indoor play.
• Soundview Courts in the Olympic Hills/Crown Hill area of northwest Seattle let us run a summer pickleball league as a pilot program. And we’ve heard anecdotally from players that live in that area that the courts have been a great addition to the park there. Quiet now, you can check out nets and start playing there on dry winter days.
• Discovery Park was the site for our Seattle Metro Classic tournament, a fun couple of weekends that let us cut our teeth on running a tournament. Don’t let the lack of nets stop you: let the Parks Department know that we need more nets. Semipermanent ones would be great.
• West Seattle, too, saw a steady stream of players making use of their outdoor courts to help manage the overflow at Delridge Community Center and to enjoy the lovely summer weather. Fun games, good friends, hot pickleball.
• Georgetown drew some local players, and South Park is just too unhealthy to play at. Between basketball posts too close to the back line and Highway 99 trucks dumping diesel exhaust right onto the court, outdoor play there is not an option. However, indoors, Monday-Wednesday-Friday play is hotly competitive. Having outdoor courts for the overflow would be great. Someday.

And what the city of Seattle Parks knows now is that the demand for pickleball courts grows weekly and will only increase. If there are any limits at all, it’s the lack of courts. Indoor, outdoor, pickleball deserves a permanent place in their budgeting and long-term plans. SMPA meets with the project planners to stay on top of their plans, and to continue to press for courts.

Seattle Pickleball Players at USAPA National Pickleball Championships

For all who went to the desert to play or simply watch the Pickleball matches at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the consensus is that it was a complete blast. The intense heat of the first few days was a sideshow to some really great pickleball. Imagine being at summer camp where all the cool counselors are the best pickleball players in the country, if not the world. Top professionals, local legends, players of all ages (amazing pre-teen players from Southern California), and abilities, with play starting at 3.0 level up to the professionals made for great games from dawn until the lights shut down around midnight. There were no losers here, as the USAPA created and managed a spectacular tournament.

Seattle and the metro area were well represented up and down the age and skill spectrum at the USAPA National Pickleball Championships in Indian Wells, California this past November. This isn’t a comprehensive list, so if we missed someone, please let us know.

• Senior pickleball locals Gil Middleton and Yim Lee competed in the 80+ division men’s doubles, and Yim took home bronze in singles.
• David Park and John Lui competed in the Men’s Doubles 3.5 and 35+, and while they didn’t win a medal, John took home Gold for his singles play.

USAPA deserves many kudos for a well run tournament that showcased the sport for a national audience and with free entry, let local fanatics fill the stands and crowd around the courts every day to take in the non-stadium court play. Stadium court, reserved for medal matches and celebrity play, sold out for the last few days of the tournament, and the fireworks on the court helped offset the cool night air. If you weren’t among those who took to the desert for the event this year, book your hotel now for next year. USAPA has a few registration changes in store, but there’ll be plenty of time to let that settle while those who want to play with their counterparts from across the US can start working on their pickleball games. You’ll want to be there.

Fran Myer inducted into the USAPA Pickleball Hall of Fame

Fran Myer likens her induction to the USAPA Pickleball Hall of fame to a Forrest Gump moment, because she feels like she’s been running around, learning how to play pickleball, dragging others onto the courts, building out a pickleball sales business, playing tournaments, organizing the first National Pickleball Tournament, and is still surprised to be honored for her work.

“I wasn’t an athlete,” says the height-challenged player, “and my background was in ballet from the age of 5 until 12, piano throughout high school. I had a lot of music in my background.” Fran attended the University of Washington, where she met her PE requirement by taking a swim test, which when she failed, meant she had to take swimming. Fortunately for the pickleball world, she passed up swimming post college and found another passion, pickleball.

“I was working at UW and they had a pickleball court at the IMA (intramural sports facility),” and Fran took to dragging her coworkers from the Urban Horticulture Center, now the UW Botanical Gardens) to play, “and I brought the paddles and the balls and got these people to come.”

Not much later, she gave in to the allure of tournament play. In fact, that’s where she met her husband Barney. Another Hall of Famer, Sid Williams, tagged Fran to play with some guy needing a partner. They played together, and then several tournaments later, played again. They met in 2000 and married in 2002. Together, they took Fran’s early work on PickleballStuff.com and grew what she started as a website to offer up rules, how to build courts, and so on. “People would email me and ask me where to buy this (pickleball) stuff, and I’d send them to Pickleball Inc. This kept happening over and over. Eventually, I just started selling pickleball stuff myself.”

We went on to talk about the long nights packaging up equipment to ship around the globe. “We wound up selling to people all over the world, Guam, Singapore, Cypress, and even Fiji. And all the states.”

By the time Fran’s husband passed away in 2014, Fran and her pickleball venture, and her reputation as a teacher and organizer, were already Hall-of-Fame worthy. The first National tournaments existed because of the efforts of Fran and the handful of Seattle players working to grow the sport. But the bright lights of Indian Wells not only dazzled the 2000-plus players there, but shone brightly on Fran Myer as she was recognized for her work to develop pickleball.

When asked what she wants for pickleball moving forward, Fran said, “Where it’s headed, given the fact that it has grown so fast, it’ll become an Olympic sport. It won’t be very much longer before people will start lobbying for including it in the Olympics.”

Fran acknowledged, “The thing is, pickleball grew so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with it. Before we could even say we needed a computerized program to manage the tournaments, we were already getting so many people signing up for them, you just have to run to keep up.” She said that personally, she “wanted there to be pickleball no matter where (she) went…Hartford, CT, Ashland, OR, and California.”

She concluded that “I totally believe in this sport for the health benefits. You’re a winner because you’re out there playing.”

Registration is open for International Indoor Pickleball Championships

Calling all indoor pickleball players. Registration opened this weekend for the International Indoor Pickleball Championship (IIPC) at NW Sports Hub, Centralia, WA, Tuesday 03/26/19 thru Sunday 03/31/19. This excellent tournament is a qualifying event for those who plan to play in the USAPA National Pickleball Championship in 2019.

In the opening hours of registration, the tournament drew 160 players of what will likely wind up being around 500 or more participants. You can play, volunteer, referee, and otherwise meet and enjoy pickleball with an international crowd. This tournament tends to pull some of our Canadian pickleballers across the border, so come and join the fun, eh? See PickleballTournaments.com and navigate to the registration page to sign up for this great indoor venue.

And in other news…

Looking for games during the winter?

Seattle evening and weekend pickleball is being preempted by the children’s basketball season. There are still some options available, and here’s what we’re suggesting. send an email to Christopher Williams, the Parks superintendent, and also to the Board of Park Commissioners. No single email is going to change their stance, but the more they hear from pickleball players, the better.

Eckstein Middle School Pickleball Update

The organizers for this project to resuscitate the existing school courts for pickleball have scheduled a meeting for December 3rd (Monday) at 6:30 – 7:30 PM (meeting room open at 6:15) in the Seattle Public Library NE Branch (35th Ave and NE 68th St). The purpose of the meeting is to provide general information about what is coming in the months ahead, solicit initial project feedback and answer any questions.

Still More Seattle City Planning on the Horizon

Seattle Parks department’s planning process is underway. There should be an opportunity for public comments on the plan in the Spring. We’ll keep you posted if we learn anything new on this.

SMPA turns One

Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA) continues to work to grow pickleball in the wider Seattle metro area. We meet monthly with the City of Seattle to address the issue of outdoor court venues and access, and work where we’re needed to help surrounding areas as they, too, work with their local parks departments to develop access to more courts.

Meet our Board and check out the Action Alert page for ways to get involved and speak up when we need to show force and numbers of players. And consider joining! For a mere $20 a year, your annual membership will help us in our quest to drive pickleball as a sport to be reckoned with when we deal with local Parks folks.

Semi-Permanent Pickleball Nets

October 2018

Delivered just in time for the rainy season, SMPA applied for a grant from the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhood’s Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) to the tune of $5,000. With this money we ordered three sturdy, high quality Douglas pickleball nets and distributed them between Green Lake Pickleball Courts (2) and Miller Playfield outdoor courts. Yes, we know dedicated courts would be even better, however we also know that where there are nets up already during the playing hours, pickleball players will come and they will play. Check out this photo from the first games on Green Lake courts. Have paddle, will play. Are you with us? The last Saturday in October had 55 people at Green Lake vying for 6 courts.

Summer in the City: Teens, Leagues, Tournaments, and Pickleball in the Park

SMPA had a busy summer, offering the first of league play, a couple of tournaments, more Pickleball in the Park events, and a pickleball shootout on the 4th of July.

Pickleball in the Park

Following on a very successful Pickleball in the Park event at Green Lake pickleball courts in May 2018, SMPA held additional events at Miller Playfield and Delridge Courts (West Seattle). Pickleball players old and new turned out for the instructional clinic, skills contests, and open play. The SRO event helped grow the membership, introduce the game to some new players, and let some of the current players hone their skills. Overall a success, the Pickleball in the Park events showed that the work SMPA did with the city to get courts painted is paying dividends by giving us venues to showcase the sport.

League

Sixteen avid pickleball players turned up at Soundview courts in the Olympic Hills area of Seattle to play a weekly league in July. This first league event let the SMPA Play committee assess interest and work out the details of renting and using the city-painted pickleball courts in the shared-with-tennis world. Great play, improved skills, new friendships, and a determination to expand the offering resulted, so stay tuned to our SMPA website (and FaceBook) for more. Erin O’Rourke and Jeff Dye captured Gold, Stephanie Leeper and Frank Chiappone took silver and the Bronze went to Justine Park and Aaron Gooze. Thanks to all the participants for a fun summer event. And many thanks to Frank Chiappone for his hard work on organizing and managing the nascent league play.

Seattle Metro Classic Pickleball Tournament

This classic in the making was SMPA’s first step in providing tournament play in Seattle. Held at Discovery Park, the tournaments, with 3.5 and 4.0 skill level events, faced challenges from weather and last-minute signups to fill the brackets, but was a great success for all involved. Want more? Consider joining the Play or Events committees and help us do more of these. Oh, and you want to know the winners, too:

• 3.5 Tournament:
  • Mixed Doubles: Gold: Justine Park and John Lui; Silver: Heather Carter and Mike Givens; Bronze: Ying Zhao and Frank Chiappone.
  • Women’s Doubles: Gold: Heather Carter and Cynthia Concannon; Silver: Ying Zhao and Erin O’Rourke;Bronze: Margo Huang and Patty Vanderhoeven
  • Men’s Doubles: Gold: Scott Smith and Jason Pauley; Silver: Mike Givens and Paul Matthewson; Bronze: John Lui and David Park
• 4.0 Tournament:
  • Mixed Doubles: Gold: Karen Arango and Oscar Montes; Silver: Christie Gestvang and Seth Caswell; Bronze: Heather Carter and Walter Wiedeman
  • Men’s Doubles: Gold: Jason Pauley and Ryan Shipman; Silver: Paul Matthewson and Maurice Parobec; Bronze: Jeff Dye and Frank Chiappone

July 4th Pickleball Shootout at Green Lake

What a great way to work out before the holiday picnics, with a full morning of competitive pickleball play. A happy dozen or so players showed up at Green Lake Pickleball courts to play a shootout format. The winners and losers agree: a fun morning and a good template for future holidays. Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Labor Day…you name it, and the Play committee will consider.

Teen Night at South Park

Led by SMPA member Dan McGee, with the able assistance from SMPA Board members Jerry, Frank, Sean, and Tom, we took over the Friday night teen play at South Park Community Center to introduce the game of pickleball. So maybe we had more fun than the kids, however we hope we showed them another way to make use of their gym time, and maybe there will be a future player or two who emerges from this group.

Pickleball in the National News Headlines

Pickleball is growing and growing and growing

The Outdoor Industry Association latest data (https://outdoorindustry.org/resource/2018-outdoor-participation-report/) shows that pickleball is growing at a rate of 10% or more per year, while tennis is flat or declining. If that trend continues, there will be about half as many pickleball players as tennis players in 10 years from now. We know it’s high time to start planning for pickleball complexes in the Seattle Metro Area! And we want your input, so please make any additions to our own growing list by sending a note to info@seattlemetropickleball.com and we’ll add to our list. Don’t worry, we’ll share that information as we develop our criteria, so check back in the next newsletter or check the Seattle Metro Pickleball site.

Can pickleball help you live longer?

We know it, and we work hard at our games, and now Loma Linda has picked up on the trend and offers their proof of pickleball as a way of living, and staying healthy, for longer. View their report:

We see it as another good argument for Seattle Metro area pickleball complexes!

Out of Utah: Dedicated pickleball courts reduces crime

Utah enjoys St. George as a pickleball Mecca. Their neighbor to the north, Orem, Utah is reporting crime reduction as well. https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/orem-pickleball-courts-reducing-crime/article_6deb4621-914b-558e-91d1-dc3d2deff735.html
Time for pickleball complexes around the Seattle metro area, don’t you think!

Around the Metro area

We adopted the name of Seattle METRO Pickleball Association for a reason, and that means we want to promote and assist in the growth of pickleball all around the area.

New pickleball courts in Shoreline

Shoreview Park has new play surfaces and with that, pickleball courts got painted. What’s next? You can haul nets there to play with a lovely water view. And, not to tip our hands, but there may be a major summer tournament brewing for that location. Stay tuned! And thank you to founding and former Board member Patrick Johnson for his work on developing this opportunity.

New pickleball complex in Sequim

Sequim’s pickleball community raised $216,000 to supplement city funding and took a couple of years to complete their beautiful pickleball complex. Their first tournament was hit by a rainy day, but they played anyway, as desperate pickleballers will do. Think it’s time for pickleball complexes in the Seattle Metro Area? We do!

And in other news…

URGENT – 4th Annual Pickleball Halloween Pickleball Play Day at Mercer Island

Mercer Island pickleball players aren’t always serious when it comes to court time. They can party, too! Mercer Island Community Center invites pickleball players to come to their Pickleball Play on Wednesday, October 31. They’ve scheduled:

• Parade of costumes at 11:15 AM
• Costume awards ceremony at 11:30 AM (Best costume, Best in play, Best pickle (people’s choice)
• Open play as usual follows

Help the Friends of Eckstein Middle School Pickleball

If you’re on our mailing list or follow our our Facebook page or view Time for Pickleball, you’ve seen the requests from the folks who are trying to get some old tennis courts repurposed as pickleball courts. These planned pickleball courts will be off limits during the school operating hours, although available after school and on weekends, and likely all summer, and allow the school to develop a pickleball component in their program. Please take their survey here.

Seattle Pickleball Pilot Survey

Survey closed October 31, 2018

Thank you to the 246 of you who answered the Seattle Parks Department’s Pickleball Pilot Program Survey. Given that they aren’t otherwise collecting usage numbers at the venues where regular play is happening, the high number of respondents helped let them know just how many of us are urging them to move faster to get us more courts and more court time. Thank you to all who responded to our FaceBook link and emailed requests! Numbers count.

More Seattle City Planning on the Horizon

The city of Seattle Parks department is starting a new planning process. There should be an opportunity for public comments on the plan in the Spring. We’ll keep you posted. If you hear of other planning activities going on in or around Seattle, let us know.