It has been great weather for flying kites hasn't it.  Hopefully the winds will calm at least some degree and not be as much of a factor in outdoor play.  Although a session of crazy ball can be entertaining.  Along with better weather for outdoor pickleball it also opens up for a number of other recreational opportunities.  For some it is golf or fishing, for me it is biking.  In preparation of a new riding season I purchased a new bike AND it is my first e-bike.  I really caught the cycling bug when I spent a few years on bike patrol.  When I moved to an office job I relinquished my spot on the patrol team but by then I was also biking recreationally.  I did a little mountain biking but my favorite rides are rail trails.  Pennsylvania is blessed with a number of outstanding rail trails.  The e-bike is a begrudging acknowledgement to age so I am looking forward to a more comfortable riding position and when I hit a hill or the trail gets a little long and my legs are feeling dead the e-bike will give me a bit of a boost to get that extra mile. I am already considering bumping up my Great Cycle Challenge ride mileage goal up to 500.  With that said, let's pedal with our paddles around the Pickleverse.

1. Tournaments - there is still time to jump on board the Westmont Hilltop and Johnstown YMCA tournaments.  John R. and I are playing men's doubles and SaraLee and I are playing mixed doubles at Westmont.  At a number of tournaments there is a flurry of registrations at the last minute but at this time Westmont is concerned by the smaller number of entrants at this point.  I wonder if having those two tournaments so close to each other on the calendar has them cannibalizing each other for teams.  See the flyers below for more information and instructions on how to register.

2. Congratulations -  to Ron K., Donna R., Saralee and Michael F. for their scoring medals at the tournament in Murrysville earlier in the month.  See the photo below.

3. The Centre - during the Home Show the floor was damaged on court #5 closest to the passage from the turf side courts.  The damage is a small area near the NVZ.  The day I played on it we decided to play it as is.  If a ball bounces on it we play it regardless as to how it would bounce.  We never hit.  Basically we treated it like we would play a bounce off of a volleyball net pole hole cover. 

4. Kudos - Many thanks and kudos to Ron and Janie K. for the special sessions they ran the week prior.  If you have an idea for a special group activity, discuss it with some others and put together a plan.  I would be happy to promote it in the Pickle Jar if needed.  Chances are someone else has been thinking about something similar.

5. Skinny Singles - OK just lit a fire in my mind after the last bullet point.  Is there interest in a skinny singles session?  I would want to run this indoors at The Centre at 11:00 AM or 1:00 PM on a day where we can get all 7 courts.  That would be 14 players and we could probably add a couple more for rotations.  It would be great to try at Bernel, but per court regulations, all courts must be doubles play when people are waiting to play.  Let me know if you would be interested in trying something like this.

6. Freshman Class - Another idea that just popped would be for those that have just begun their pickleball journey and need some help making connections with other freshman players.  Mmmm, work that with a ladder to help players find similar skill levels.  Let me know if this would work for you.

7. Out Of Town - The courts in Lock Haven and Tyrone have started to pick up.  Let me know if you need more information about either.

8. Tip Of The Week - The past two weeks my game has been a trash heap.  Granted there were some distractions in the personal side of things but still I was showing up for pickleball just to play pickleball. I don't know about you but if I don't do some physical activity I start to feel like the Tin Woodsman before he's been oiled.  So my head was not in the game and I often felt like I was that Little League kid that is put in right field and I"m out there picking clover flowers.  I took a day off yesterday.  My wife and I took a drive to my hometown county and ended up buying my new bike.  Today, at times, I was on fire!  I was watching the ball, taking my time to set up shots and just plain loving the game.  I'm not saying you need to go buy a new bike to get out of a funk but I want to share that if you stay the course, work on fundamentals and find a good frame of mind the game welcomes you back.  I will also share that I had been travelling a bit during this time and when I travel, I am a nutritionist's nightmare.  Eating better this past week may have contributed also.  Some of that may for you, it may not but think about what are your happiness triggers.
   
   

The sign-ups for indoor play are below.  We survived the Ides of March. Now we just need to pass the test on April Fools Day.  Good luck. See you on the courts soon, except for April 1.  Weather permitting I will be out on a trail.

C3 Sports:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-55984499-c3pickleball

The Centre:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-55984509-nvsc