So the other day I was eating a hotdog and after picking it up and bringing it towards my mouth I realized it was upside down.  I paused, flipped it right side up and took a bite.  As I chewed and enjoyed myself I started to think "why did I do that?"  What force in my personality or upbringing compels me to believe my hot dog has to have a specific orientation to be consumed.  I got brave and on my next bite I turned it upside down.  Guess what it tasted the same. Habits are funny things.  I gave up making New Year's resolutions years ago; however, if you are hoping to break a habit I will have much luck in your efforts.  After that little trip through the cobwebs of my mind let's blast off to the Pickleverse.

1. C3 Sports:  C3 Sports will be closed on Monday, the SignUpGenius has been adjusted.

2. Tournament Alert:  The State College High School Future Business Leaders of America will be hosting a pickleball tournament at The Centre on February 1, 2025. The tournament will run from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This an "open style" format where the only brackets are Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Within those groups there are no sub-brackets for age or gender. A nice twist to the awards is that should one group, say 3 male/male teams sweep gold, silver, and bronze in a bracket, a prize would be awarded to the top finishing female/female and mixed gender team. Here is a link to see more about the tournament and how to register:  https://sites.google.com/scasd.org/fbla-pickleball-tournament/tournament-details.

3. Holbrook Discount:  Just an update that Holbrook has reduced the ambassador discount rate to 15%. If you do wish to order something remember the discount code is now RANDYHOFFMAN15.

4. The Centre:  On Thursday, Ray at The Centre, advised me that he had set up THUNDERDOME on the main gym side of the building for us.  I had always just called it the corral but I like Thunderdome.  BTW - many thanks to the players the arrive early and come over and help me set Thunderdome up on days it looks like we will need the extra courts.  Today we had all 7 courts in use and one person waiting on the side.  All in all it was a very busy week on the courts.

5. Family Days:  One of the great things about holiday time pickleball is when family members join drop-in sessions.  If you had family play with us this past week please extend my thanks to them for making the experience even more enriching and we look forward to seeing them again in the future.

6. Rally Scoring:  When we switched to rally scoring at The Centre there was somewhat of a learning curve to navigate but everyone got the basic idea and ended up having fun and got a good deal of pickleball minutes.  There was some uncertainty regarding where the ball goes on a side out and how to manage winning the final point in close games.  I messaged the USAPA rules committee asking for clarification and when I get their response I will share that.

7. 2025 Rule Changes (USAPA):  A good document to review, especially for tournament players.  Follow this link:  https://usapickleball.org/docs/2025-USA-Pickleball-Rulebook-Change-Document.pdf.

8. Decertified Paddles:  The USAPA had decertified 7 paddles.  If you play with a Joola, Gearbox, or ProKennex you may want to check out this article:  https://usapickleball.org/equipment/paddle-certification-updates/#:~:text=Joola:%20Perseus%2014mm%20Mod%20TA,to%20new%20PBCoR%20equipment%20testing.

9. Tip Of The Week:  This week's tip repeats some previous points but it comes back around due to an actual live application of those principles.  On Thursday Ron K. and I were up against Sarah B. and Kelly S. on the main gym side of the building.  Arrogantly thinking, I asked Ron what kind of game he wanted to play.  Work on 3rd shot drops, set up for down the line shots, etc.  Ron's one word was "winning".  Unfortunately for us, they pickled us 9-0.  FYI - Sarah requested I put that in bold.  Debt paid.  Over the last two days I have rerun that game back in my head trying to figure out what they did to seize their victory.  The first thing that came to mind was they kept the ball low.  I don't think any of their shots after the serve crossed the net higher than chest high.  Keeping the ball out of the sky box zone took away easy smashes.  Secondly they were patient.  It was like playing against a wall.  The ball just kept coming back. I apologize if I am not remembering any awesome down the line or sizzling crosscourt winners, I just remember, OK here comes the ball again.  Thirdly, they attacked my feet constantly.  It was the last half hour so I was moving slower and did not compensate with shots that would give me more time to get the NVZ.  I was constantly knocking those balls at my feet into the net or feeding up to them for another attack shot.  Lastly, when they had their lead, they stayed true to their game and I failed to adjust.  Well done ladies, well done.
   
   

I hope you had a great holiday season and are excited for a new year of pickleball adventures.  Below are the links for indoor play, hope to see you on the court soon.

The Centre:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-54207655-nvsc

C3 Sports:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-54207656-c3pickleball

Randy Hoffman

Holbrook PIckleball Ambassador

https://holbrookpickleball.com/

Discount Code = RANDYHOFFMAN15