Lesson learned this week, when you have your toilet leaking water in the bowl, just replace all the pieces in the tank at the same time.  Trying to fix it, one piece at a time, will often be more headache and money.  Off to Lowes or Home Depot tomorrow for the final piece, I hope.  In a week with a college graduation, sending a daughter off to hunt for an apartment in Philadelphia, 3 days of pickleball, 2 sessions of PT (hips),  mowing grass, and doing a toilet repair has taken a toll.  I am pooped!  In the grand scheme of things though, life is good.  If we could only get a nice consecutive string of low 70s and dry weather, that would be great.  Let's up the positivity and blast off to the Pickleverse.

1. Camp Send Off - safe travels and good luck to the local folks that are headed down south (North Carolina, I believe) for a pickleball camp.  When they get back, they probably will be so improved it will shift the whole central PA skill paradigm.  We look forward to seeing the new, improved you.  To those that are attending the camp, I would love that after you get back you send me a quick statement as to what was the one thing you learned that impacted you the most.

2. Tournaments - below you will find tournament flyers for Grantsville, MD and Portage, PA.  If you want to enter the Portage tournament here is the web link:  Portage Pickleball Tournament

3. Post Rain Event - remember to check both the SignUpGeniu and the TeamReach app if you want to play after a rain event the morning of or day before.  The front 3 courts are the ones to dry off first; however, the 3 back courts usually require rolling and sun/wind/time to be safe to play on.  Some players are double signing up with notes that if the courts are playable they will be at Bernel.  Looking at both will give you a better sense of who will be playing where.  Thanks again to the folks that check the courts early in the AM and post conditions via TeamReach.

4. 2024 Bernel Picnic - I had an inquiry by a player if there would be a 2025 picnic.  I did not organize that and was not able to attend so I do not recall the organizers.  If you were an organizer or know them let me know.  The person that asked was thinking of growing it and inviting players from surrounding areas to come down for pickleball with meet and greets.  No ladder or medals, just fun drop-in style of play.  Give me a shout if you have any intel.

5. Tip Of The Week - for this week I am providing a link to a 20 minute video of pro players warming up and playing.  The cool part is it was shot in 4K and the editor slowed the video down as the player would set up for their shot.  There is some generic elevator music in the background and no voice over, just video.  Your assignment is to watch the video and look for traits of what is making their shots SOOOOO good.  Where are their eyes, what is their contact point, how do they move to set up the shot, how do they get down for low shots, and at what kind of height does their ball cross the net?  While we may not possess the speed, reflexes, and mind of a pro, we do have the ability to apply all the same mechanics within our sphere of play.  Watch, enjoy, and learn:  Learn From The Pros.
   
   

The links for indoor play are below.  Have a great week and I hope to see you on the courts soon.

The Centre:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-56945611-nvsc

C3 Sports:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-56945653-c3pickleball

Randy Hoffman

Please consider donating.