WOW, this was a nice Spring day!  Let's hope for many more like this.  I was feeling pretty positive so I put the snow shovels and ice melt in the shed.  Watch Mother Nature bite me in the posterior now.  It is a transition period with the temperatures being more kind to outdoor play so keep an eye on the SignUpGenius links and TeamReach to see where folks are playing.  So, thrusters on, let's explore the Pickleverse.

1. Johnstown YMCA Tournament - Last call to register if you want to play in this tournament.  Follow this link and then click on the QR code that pops up with the rotating banner ad from the Y's web page.  Once you click on the QR code it will take you to Pickleball Den which facilitates registration for the tournament.  Besides being able to register for the tournament you can get more details including what other players have registered so far.  So far, Women's 4.0, Mixed 16+, Mixed 53-99, and Mixed 4.0 are the most populated brackets.  The deadline to register is APRIL 22, here is the link:  https://www.johnstownpaymca.org/

2. Bernel Road Park Pickleball Courts - As many readers have discovered, on a nice day the evening hours at Bernel are swamped and most players are not familiar with traditional pickleball etiquette on sharing courts.  I have not checked to make sure the signage is still there but the rules are spelled out.  The issue is then how comfortable are you with confronting groups and attempting to politely educate and bring others into compliance.  I have no good solutions to provide.  Even if I did, every situation varies and can require a slightly different approach.  If you go in the evening, anticipate crowds.  If players are camping out on courts, is someone willing to be the voice of education?  The one suggestion I would offer is that if you approach groups, do it with a partner.  Only one needs to do the talking.  Speaking from experience I usually got compliance with less push back when I worked with a partner.  Another thought would be to get started before the masses arrive and point out to them about sharing courts if the there is an overflow.  Good luck.

3. Warriors Mark - Is anyone from the Warriors Mark area and give me the lowdown on the condition of the basketball court at the park.  I know one of the township supervisors and I was pitching him the concept of a court of two on what I was told was an underused basketball court.  I will eventually drive out there on a trip to Tyrone in the next few weeks but if anyone can give me a heads up I would appreciate it.

4. State College YMCA - There are still spaces available for the Intermediate Pickleball Lesson on Saturday the 26th.  Follow this link for details and to register:  https://operations.daxko.com/Online/2025/ProgramsV2/OfferingDetails.mvc?program_id=TMP130531&offering_id=SES3173890&location_id=B89

5. Bernel Briners - I finally got around to attaching the Bernel Briner plate to the Central Pennsylvania Pickleball Cup.  Word on the street is the Blair County PC will be gunning to get it back.  The matches are all mixed doubles.  It is a good time to start thinking about getting teams lined up to defend the cup in 2025.

6. Centre Pickleball - While the Pickle Jar gives you a current events look at the local pickleball scene, the place to go for regional information and past issues of the Pickle Jar is Chris S.'s Centre Pickleball website.  It has a ton of information about where to play and such topics.  Here is the website:  https://CentrePickleball.org

7. Tip Of The Week - As I went through the photographs I captured at the Westmont Hilltop tournament I found a few that demonstrate some good and smart form.  The one included in this blog shows Saralee and Tina in a hard fought match with the team that took the silver medal behind Saralee and Tina's gold.  There are 3 points I highlighted in the image.  The first is that except for intentional lobs, winning teams kept the ball at 2 feet or less over the net.  That is where victory lives.  Point 2 is look at how SaraLee is bending at the knees to get low to better handle the shot from the opponent.  When the ball is low, the better strategy is to bend the knees (if you are able) to get in a good striking position.  If you stand straight up and down and just bend at the waist and/or have your paddle head at six o'clock there is a good chance you will elevate the ball and it will come zipping back at you.  The final point I noticed was how Tina was locked in and watching the ball and tracking it with her eyes.  I have been not only tracking with my eyes but also moving my paddle and following the ball as if my paddle was a laser pointer.  The paddle tracking also helps me if my mind starts to wander.  Once again congratulations to them and best of luck to those playing at the Johnstown YMCA next weekend.
   
   

I hope you have a great weekend and the weather is kind and you can get out for some pickleball or whatever your groove is that day.  I had thought about playing in Johnstown but the weather has me thinking some bike rides would be a sweet option.  Looking at prior information I am about on par with previous years.  The 23 miles I did last week has me feeling a bit sassy.  I'm getting close to pulling the trigger to up my ride goal to 500 miles.  If you would like to donate to support me in the Great Cycle Challenge, you can find a link in my signature below. 

Here are the links for indoor play for the coming week:

C3 Sports:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-56394404-c3pickleball

The Centre:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-56394406-nvsc 

Randy Hoffman

Please consider donating: https://greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/RandyHoffman