Church will be online, contracted with a fundraising student group to do my snow removal, won't have jury duty on Monday, the larder and fridge are stocked, a gym workout in today so now it is a matter of waiting to see what shows up on our doorstep.  Sounds like the perfect time to be catching a cold.  Perhaps I can make some lemonade out of the lemon that is trying to whack me in the head.  There are always odd jobs to do around the house or binge watching some new (to me) show.  I hope you are prepared for the snow storm, or maybe some temps in the 40s for our snowbirds.  Kick back and stay safe above all else.  Off to a quick trip around the Pickleverse.  

1. The Centre - Factors like when the snow hits, how much we get, and when does it end will have a large impact on whether or not The Centre is open on Monday.  I should know by late Sunday if they plan to open on time, half day or if they need a full day to clean the parking lot and sidewalks.  As soon as I get word I will send out a blast on the Pickle Jar frequency.  I have the SignUpGenius set up for business as usual, so cross your fingers if you need you Monday morning fix.

2. C3 Sports - The best I can tell you about C3 is to give them a call on Monday morning.  (814) 234-0711 (EXT 402).

3. Holbrook Pickleball - As most of you know, I am a brand ambassador for Holbrook Pickleball.  They have started to release their 2026 product line.  I have attached the PDF with the descriptions and specifications for is out and what should be released soon.  Right now, I only have the ZONE paddle in my demo kit.  THe ZONE is one of the lightest paddles I have hit with and has some pop to it.  I have toyed with switching but decided to wait until the FUZE is released.  If you are fan of any of the MAV paddle line, you make like some of the upgrades they made.  So if you want to do some window shopping on a cold winter's day, check out the PDF at the bottom.

4. The Centre (Drop-in Players) - The Centre has been very gracious about giving some wiggle room on start and finish times.  One of the results of the grow at The Centre is that the reserved court session at 11:00 AM is really popping.  So the goal is to make sure folks have time to begin their games as close to 11:00 or 1:00 (slowly seeing more group playing then also) as possible.  Please consider not starting a game in the last few minutes until you have surveyed the scene.  Perhaps go to rally scoring or may the game first to 5 or 7, win by 1.  Additionally remember that if you are staying for a second session, you are responsible for that sessions fee.

5. Tournament - I did a quick search and the only upcoming central PA tournament I saw was in mid-April in Johnstown at the YMCA.  As I get more information on that I will let you know.  There are usually some Valentine's Day events somewhere.

6. A Different Kind of Skinny Singles - one of the pro pickleball leagues is toying with the idea of reducing the the width of the court from 20 to 17 feet.  The concept is to create even more dynamic rallies.  The PPG is trying it out in a 4 upcoming pro events. 
   
   

Stay safe as always but take extra care with the post snow clearing and the cold AND the wind.  I hope to see you on a court soon.  Peace.

The Centre:  Indoor At The Centre

C3 Sports:  Indoor At C3 Sports

Randy S. Hoffman

Pickleball: The art of keeping your eye on the ball…mostly.