December 28, 2021
Good afternoon everyone,
JOHN ERICKSON
I am sorry to report that John Erickson lost his battle with cancer on Sunday, December 26. John and his wife, Sue, were two of the original pickleball players in Loveland. Those of us that knew John remember that he always had a big smile on his face and was always happy to see you. He will be missed by everyone that came in contact with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sue and the family as they go through this difficult time.
END OF THE YEAR
I will send my final end-of-the-year report to the membership next week. It has been another amazing year and it has been great to get to know you all and enjoy our time together on the courts.
SUMMER CLINICS
We will begin registration for summer clinics within the next few weeks. We are nearly finalized on plans for three separate sets of clinics again this year. Wendy Rexroth and Daniel Smith will be leading the initial pickleball camp the weekend of April 30 – May 1. Sarah Ansboury is planning to come back in 2022 and we hope to have her in June this year. Justin Hamel will bring his championship-winning style in late July or August.
All of our camps and clinics typically sell out very quickly, so be watching for the details when they come out. Remember, your membership must be current to be able to register for the clinics!
USED PADDLES
I know that Santa brought some of you a new paddle for Christmas and that you might now have an extra paddle. There are always new people learning to play the game that are in need of gently used paddles. If you have one of those and would like to sell it, please let me know.
PICKLEBALL CLASSES
Registration is open for people interested in learning how to play the game. Level 1 – Basic Pickleball Skills and Level 2 Mentored Play classes are now open for enrollment through the Chilson Center. Classes consist of four, two-hour sessions and cost $40 per person. The January classes are nearly full, but there is still plenty of room in the February Level 1 classes. February Level 2 classes are full.
Contact the Chilson front desk at 970-962-2386 for more information.
SUMMER PICKLEBALL LEAGUES
The Parks Department is currently working on putting together plans for pickleball league play again this summer. If you have any thoughts and ideas for a format that you would like to see, please contact me as soon as possible. We’re planning to run three separate sessions again this summer, each session will be five weeks long.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
The first renewal notices began going out to members on December 18. You will receive a notice two weeks prior to your expiration date and again 24 hours prior. Your membership will lapse on your membership date if you have not renewed by then. You will receive one final notice thirty days past your lapsed date and will be dropped from the membership roles after that. Please be sure to get your membership renewed on a timely basis so that you don’t miss out on any of the news from the Club.
NEW YEARS PICKLEBALL RESOLUTIONS
By Frank Cerabino
- I will not blame the wind every time I hit a drop-shot into the net – especially when playing indoors.
- I will call kitchen-line foot faults against myself at all times during rec play (until the score reaches 8.)
- I will not hit a hard smash directly at a vulnerable opponent who hasn’t already left a red mark on me during the same game.
- I will avoid taking issue with an opponent’s line call, and if that’s not possible, I will avoid saying something like, “Even Stevie Wonder would have called that in!”
- I will be kind to new players learning the game, because you never know: One day one of them might be your orthopedic surgeon.
- I will not pretend to inspect the ball for cracks after I muff an easy return.
- I will not judge a book by its cover, but if I find myself playing against somebody who has one of those suction cups on the end of the paddle handle, I will keep the ball low.
- When playing pickleball with somebody who stops play to answer cell phone calls on the court, I will not derisively refer to that person as “Prime Minister” for the rest of the session.
- I will spend less time watching YouTube pickleball videos while on Zoom calls at work.
- I will not buy more than three paddles this year, unless I win the lottery or improve my skill rating by more than half-a-point.
See you on the courts!
Bob
RobertMMonroe@gmail.com
