Did you miss seeing an invitation to past series? Check your junk mail or spam mail folder. Still not there? Ensure you have not unsubscribed to our emails. Want to know more about the topics below? Check out these webpages. How and Where to Play Where we play Play Types Making a Reservation Some Play Calendars Red Willow Community Church Gym Calendar – has play for various levels Bertha Kennedy School Gym Calendar – has play for various levels Holy Family School Gym Calendar – has All Play JJ Nearing School Gym Calendar – has 2.5 Play Indoor Calendar – shows all indoor play events in one combined calendar Rated 2.0 – 2.5 calendar – shows play for this level at various venues Membership Fees, Renewals and Credits Membership Fees–see the “Fee Summary–2023” article on our home page Renewing your membership for 2023–read this page, then click “Edit your member profile”, and then click the button “Renew to 2024-01-01” How to use a member credit (must log in to see this page) All these webpages and more can also be found via our website menu.website menu.

All of us who volunteer with our club, from the front-line captains to the many coordinators and teams behind the scenes, do so because we love the sport, the friendships, and the social interaction; we want to stay fit, smile and laugh; and we want to spread the joy to you and others.  These are all the same reasons you play and love this sport too. It is a real pleasure to be on the court with you!

Keep your paddle up and have a great indoor season!

The board of the St. Albert Pickleball Club

In this issue:

Outdoor Play

We have received notice from our public operations team that the nets at all tennis courts and pickleball courts will be taken down on Friday, October 21, 2022.  With colder weather setting in it looks like the last full day of outdoor play will be this Thursday.  As such, this will be the last week of outdoor organized play and it may be intermittent as many of our captains are now captaining indoor sessions.  Keep up to date on WhatsApp for updates regarding outdoor play at your level.

If you plan to go to the courts when the organized play session is cancelled, make sure you have your own pickleballs as there may not be a captain on site.  That being said, the outdoor courts are the Club's to use so continue to enjoy this week while this good weather continues!

There are no evening outdoor sessions planned for this week as it is getting dark before 7:00 pm, but, once again, feel free to organize play with your friends until the nets are take down on Friday. 

Indoor Play

Stickers

Remember stickers are needed for school venues (1 sticker) and registered play at Red Willow (2 stickers).

Calendars

Did you know that there are calendars which show all play sessions that pertain to each level of play?  You will find all of our Calendars on the SAPC website (click here).  For example if you are at the 3.5 level, just click on that Calendar (Rated 3.5 Calendar under the heading "Calendar by Rating and Training"), and you will only see the sessions that you are eligible to play in.  These Calendars do change from time to time, so it is best practice to verify the date, time and venue of your session before attending by quickly going to the appropriate website Calendar.

Level 1 Sports Venue

Everyone should check out the new sessions at the Level 1 Sports venue which begins this November - we need the sessions filled for them to be viable!   

You can register by going to the "Level 1 Sports Calendar" (click here) and clicking on the session that applies to your rating level.  These new sessions are for 4 games over four weeks at a very good price per session (if you cannot make a session that's no problem just arrange for a substitute). 

Until next time, keep your paddle up!  

In this issue:

Indoor Play

As we all prepare for indoor play, the Board feels that it is important to reiterate some recent messaging in order to refresh your memory and to avoid the questions that inevitably arise at this time of year as we transition from outdoor to indoor play.  We would even recommend that you print off this Newsletter as reference material that you can refer to as you plan your fall and winter play schedule and prepare to head to your first few indoor sessions. 

Membership Cards, Etc.

A reminder to everyone to bring their SAPC membership card to all our sessions and events.  The card can be printed or displayed on a member's smartphone and will indicate the member's date of membership and current rating level.  This is particularly important for new members and members who have recently achieved a new SAPC rating level.  This becomes important for all members come January or February at which time everyone needs to provide proof of their 2023 membership renewal.  As noted in previous Newsletters, don't forget to also bring your stickers and a pair of clean, indoor athletic shoes for your indoor play as well.  Finally, keep yourself refreshed by bringing a water bottle or two (no other beverages are permitted at our indoor venues).

Calendars

Did you know that there are calendars which show all play sessions that pertain to each level of play?  You will find all of our Calendars on the SAPC website (click here).  For example if you are at the 3.5 level, just click on that Calendar (Rated 3.5 Calendar under the heading "Calendar by Rating and Training"), and you will only see the sessions that you are eligible to play in.  For new members especially, please note that the school venues are drop in sessions requiring 1 sticker and the Red Willow sessions are for pre-registered play requiring 2 stickers.  These Calendars do change from time to time, so it is best practice to verify the date, time and venue of your session before attending by quickly going to the appropriate website Calendar.

Arrive on Time

It is important for members to be at the school venues on time as we are not to disturb the school caretakers by ringing the school bell.  Instead, the captain will assign someone to "man the door" at the start of the session.  No one will be allowed to enter the school once ten minutes has passed beyond the scheduled start time for each session.

Play Type

Depending on the numbers of members playing at the school venues, the play type may be paddle play or round robin as determined by the play session captain.

No Playing Up or Down

While rating clinics may be scattered through out the winter months, there will continue to be no playing up at any sessions.  This is due to the fact that such exceptions are difficult to manage and maintain, especially with limited spaces at each venue.

Furthermore, members should read the "Levels of Play" article on the Play Types page (click here) as "playing down" is no longer available for play designated at a particular level.  New members in particular should read the updated "Indoor Play, 2022-23" article on the same page to learn about the venues that are drop in versus reserved play and the cost to play at each venue.

School Venues

Entry to the schools is by the main door.   Members will place outdoor shoes just inside the foyer.  All other belongings are to brought inside the gym.  There is no leaving the school gyms to wander through the schools at any time.  Washrooms are accessible within all of the gyms except for Holy Family.

Please note that past Covid-related protocols will no longer be in place.  For example, we will not be asking members to be distanced apart .   That being said, please feel free to do what you feel is comfortable for you.  If you want to mask between games, social distance, etc., you are absolutely encouraged to do so - we are leaving this up to each individual.

Reserved Play at Red Willow

All Red Willow players should note that we are taking advantage of technology to decrease some volunteer/administrative burden.  We will now let our systems automatically open reserved play events for registration rather than opening them manually on Friday afternoons. 

We found that the manual approach was quite a bit of work and, while some of us seemed to enjoy hovering around the computer or our devices on Friday afternoons to be the first to register, the elimination of that perk now means that Red Willow registered events will generally open the Friday before at 12:00:01 am (in case you're wondering, this is just after midnight at the end of Thursday)  Note:  We wish our system allowed us to specify a time of registration opening in addition to a day, but it currently does not.

Please note that registration play and attendance is capped at 12 members - 11 members who register and 1 spot for the session captain.  Members should not hesitate to go on the waitlist if the session is full; there are often cancellations.  If there is a cancellation, the first person on the waiting list will receive an email - please respond quickly so that the open position can be filled if you are no longer interested or available.

You will note that there are a few days where there is All Play as well as play for various rating levels.  Please only register for one session per day.  If you see that a session is not full the night before the event, then you may feel free to register for another session on that same day - it is only under these circumstances that you would be able to participate in 2 play sessions on the same day.

As noted above for the schools, please be advised that past Covid-related protocols will no longer be in place at Red Willow.  For example, we will not be sanitizing after each session nor distancing the chairs.   Once again, however, members should fee free to do what they feel is comfortable.  If you want to mask between games, social distance, etc., you may certainly do so as we are leaving this up to your personal discretion.

Please help out the captains who are starting the first and last sessions of the day.  Kindly, assist in the set up and taking down the nets, putting away the chairs, etc.

You may now enter the Red Willow foyer a few minutes early and wait for your session to begin.  This will allow you to remove your shoes and otherwise prepare for your session.   However, please stay to the side in the foyer allowing the group that is leaving space to collect their coats/shoes and to easily leave the venue.  Do not enter the church gym until everyone in the previous session has left.   Members should not leave any valuables in the foyer as the Church and Club will not be responsible for loss nor theft.

No one is permitted to enter Red Willow for the first session until 8:50 am.  - this is a strict start time.  As such, we ask that if you are registered for the first session of the day that you please be on time in order to help get the session started on time.  We will plan on each session having cleared the gym a few minutes before the end time of the session; that will allow the gym to be cleared of players before the next group goes in.

Visitors

Members may invite guests, but those guests are only allowed to play as visitors twice each indoor season (this is to be based upon the honour system as tracking would be too difficult and cumbersome).  The following would apply to members wishing to host a guest:

1.  Ask them to ensure that they have not been invited by other SAPC members more than once (as noted above they may only play as a guest twice per indoor season)

2.  They are your responsibility so make sure that they follow all of our rules, procedures, safety policies and code of conduct

3.  Guests may only be invited to school venues, not registered play sessions

4.  Advise the captain that you have invited a guest and indicate as such on the play session paperwork

4.  The member is responsible to ensure that the guest has stickers to pay for their session; the rate is double that of SAPC members, so two stickers would apply for each guest 

Level 1 Sports Venue

We have raised the registration limit for Series A and B from 24 to 26. It’s always nice having a couple extra players, especially in the event of no-shows.  Note:  We still recommend that people who are going to be absent try to find a replacement.

Members can arrive at Level 1 Sports 30 minutes earlier than the start time of their session.  There may be someone else in the gym at that time  so members are asked to wait in the entrance way.  If the venue is empty, the captain or captains can start organizing the play. 

Please note that the construction outside this venue should be completed within a month.  We recognize in the meantime that access to this venue is limited, so please allow time particularly for your first visit.

Thanksgiving

Given that we are now celebrating Thanksgiving weekend, I believe that it is a good time to reflect on the many things that we should be thankful for.  Each of us, of course, have our own list of items in this regard, but here are some that you may share with me:

• This great autumn weather that we have been experiencing that has allowed us to extend our outdoor play season while enjoying the company of our friends as we play a game we love

• The SAPC Board and our President in particular who has secured us many indoor venues allowing us to continue to enjoy pickleball during the cold fall and winter months ahead - great work Eileen!

• The volunteer spirit of our Club and the hard work that is put in by so many: 

- the folks who work on our website allowing us to register for play sessions, pay for stickers and memberships, etc. (you know those behind the scenes administrative and accounting types!)

- our tournament and special even teams led by Ken,

- those members who volunteer to train and assist other      members

- our indoor and outdoor captains,

- the folks who clean the outdoor courts,

- those who set up and take down the indoor nets

- the list goes on....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE AND...

Until next time, keep your paddle up! 

In this issue:

Open Position - Reserved Play Coordinator

Your club has another great opportunity to join one of the many fun teams that keep our club humming.  Are you ready to volunteer a few hours per month? 

We would like to begin by thanking Carol Peabody for her dedication and hard work as our retiring Reserved Play (aka Registered Play) Coordinator.  If this sport were hockey, we would be retiring Carol's jersey number!  Carol has occupied this key volunteer role for the last two years while also fulfilling many other volunteer roles and pursuits.  We wish her all the best and know that Carol will continue to play as much pickleball as her busy schedule allows! 

With Carol's departure, we now have an opening for our Reserved Play Coordinator.  No prior experience is needed as we can teach you this straightforward job from square one; we'll always be around to support you - providing coaching, backup and more!

The duties of this vacant role include the following:

1.   Setting up reserved play events in our reserved play calendar (based on instructions from our venue manager and Red Willow venue coordinator),

2.   Monitoring  events and cancelling sessions if and when required,

3.   Using our e-mail account regplay@pickleballstalbert.ca and responding to e-mails sent to that account, and

4.   About once every month or two, you would be setting up several reserved play events.  This is just a matter of duplicating a previous similar event and adjusting a few settings like the start date and time

This work can be done from any computer with access to the internet; interested parties should be aware that backup resources are available to take over in cases of illness, holidays, etc.  Further, Carol advises that she found the software used for this purpose to be easy to use.

Once again, no previous experience is needed although an affinity for using computers and software is an advantage.   If you are interested or have any questions, please email Ray Keroack by clicking here.

Health & Safety Committee

Please be advised that the SAPC would like to rebuild it's Health & Safety Committee.   We would love to have one or more individuals with a background in health to volunteer to be on this Committee and supplement the efforts of Jeanine who is ensuring that our health/emergency aid kits are kept properly stocked at all venues.  The Committee would help us with the following:

1.  Reviewing our current health and safety policies and practices while making recommendations for improvement, 

2.  Assessing the adequacy of our health and safety procedures and the aforementioned safety kits as well as related training and making recommendations regarding same, and

3.  Providing and advice and counsel to the Board, play captains and other Club volunteers related to health and safety matters and related questions that may arise

Interested parties should contact Eileen by clicking here. 

Indoor Play

Membership Cards, Etc.

A reminder to everyone to bring their SAPC membership card to all our sessions and events.  The card can be printed or on their smartphone and will indicate the member's date of membership and current rating level.  This is particularly important for new members and members who have recently achieved a new SAPC rating level.  This becomes important for all members come January or February at which time everyone needs to provide proof of their 2023 membership renewal.  As noted in previous Newsletters, don't forget to also bring your stickers and a pair of clean, indoor athletic shoes for your indoor play as well.

Arrive on Time

It is important for members to be at the school venues on time or, if unavoidable, within TEN minutes of play session time as we are not to disturb the school caretakers by ringing the school bell.  Instead, the captain will assign someone to "man the door" at the start of the session.  No one will be allowed to enter the school once ten minutes has passed beyond the scheduled start time for each session.

Play Type

Depending on the numbers of members playing at the school venues, the play type may be paddle play or round robin as determined by the play session captain.

No Playing Up or Down

While rating clinics may be scattered through out the winter months, there will continue to be no playing up at any sessions.  This is due to the fact that such exceptions are difficult to manage and maintain, especially with limited spaces at each venue.

Furthermore, members should read the "Levels of Play" article on the Play Types page (click here) as "playing down" is no longer available for play designated at a particular level.  New members in particular should read the updated "Indoor Play, 2022-23" article on the same page to learn about the venues that are drop in versus reserved play and the cost to play at each venue.

Reserved Play

All Red Willow players should note that we are taking advantage of technology to decrease some volunteer/administrative burden.  We will now let our systems automatically open reserved play events for registration rather than opening them manually on Friday afternoons. 

We found that the manual approach was quite a bit of work and, while some of us seemed to enjoy hovering around the computer or our devices on Friday afternoons to be the first to register, the elimination of that perk now means that Red Willow registered events will generally open the Friday before at 12:00:01 am (in case you're wondering, this is just after midnight at the end of Thursday)  Note:  We wish our system allowed us to specify a time of registration opening in addition to a day, but it currently does not.

Visitors

Members may invite guests, but those guests are only allowed to play as visitors twice each indoor season (this is to be based upon the honour system as tracking would be too difficult and cumbersome).  The following would apply to members wishing to host a guest:

1.  Ask them to ensure that they have not been invited by other SAPC members more than once (as noted above they may only play as a guest twice per indoor season)

2.  They are your responsibility so make sure that they follow all of our rules, procedures, safety policies and code of conduct

3.  Guests may only be invited to school venues, not registered play sessions

4.  Advise the captain that you have invited a guest and indicate as such on the play session paperwork

4.  The member is responsible to ensure that the guest has stickers to pay for their session; the rate is double that of SAPC members, so two stickers would apply for each guest 

Level 1 Sports Venue

We have raised the registration limit for Series A and B from 24 to 26. It’s always nice having a couple extra players, especially in the event of no-shows.  Note:  We still recommend that people who are going to be absent try to find a replacement.

Please note that Series A (3.5 rating level) still has two spots open. 

Paddle Advice for Pickleballers

An informative Article from "In a Pickle" - Sean and Leslie:

We are often surprised when we come across people at the courts who didn’t know that we are in the business of selling paddles (in addition to being the Club raters for which we are most well known).   Anyway, we thought we would share some insights on your choice of paddle for pickleball play.

It is often difficult to watch people playing with a paddle that we feel is not the best choice for them.  So whether you purchase your paddle from us or not….here are some things you should consider when deciding which paddle is the right one for you.

We look for a paddle that is forgiving, easy to play with and easy on our body.  While thinner, hard hitting paddles may give you lots of power…they may also be less forgiving on the courts - and on your arm!  A thicker and softer paddle will usually be more forgiving and better dampen vibration.  Please note that you can still generate power from this type of paddle if that is your goal.

It’s a misconception that smaller and not so strong players need a lighter (7.6oz and under) paddle…when in fact, in our opinion, it’s the opposite.  A heavier (7.8oz and up) paddle will do more of the work for you, thereby taking less effort to accomplish the same result - that should help you make more controlled shots while being easier on your body.  Conversely, it is our experience that players with shoulder issues often are using a paddle that is too light. 

Players who develop elbow issues often get them from using a paddle with a grip that is too thin for them.  As a rule of thumb when you grip your paddle you should have about a fingers width between your longest finger and your thumb. 

How to know when it might be time for a new paddle…

If you have purchased a well made paddle, chances are you will get bored of your paddle and just want the latest and greatest before it breaks down.  But if it feels or sounds “off” check the edge guard - if it’s loose at all, the integrity of the paddle head has been compromised and the ball will no longer come off the paddle face like it should.  If you have a loose edge guard your paddle needs to be replaced. 

Other things to consider when choosing your paddle:

Head shape

Handle length

Colour choices

And, MOST IMPORTANTLY…how it feels when you play with it!   We recommend demoing a few models before making your choice!

Something you won’t get when you go to a sporting goods or hardware store is expert advice and the opportunity to try the paddle out first. 

Hope you found this information helpful. 

Thank you.

Leslie and Sean, inapicklepals.com

Until next time, keep your paddle up!

In this issue:

Mentoring Clinic a Success!

We had 16 members out for a mentoring session on June 11th who were either rated 2.5 or had no rating.  The session was 2 hours long which was split into doing drills for the first 1 1/4 hours followed by some game play. We split the the participants into groups of 4 and had them cycle through 4 different courts learning a new drill on each court (serving, returning, dinking, volleys, forehand/backhand ground strokes). This was our first time doing mentoring session in this fashion and it went very well and lots of positive feedback was received from the participants.  Thanks go to Ken Dentzien for organizing and managing this mentoring session as well as to our very capable instructors for their time and dedication to support these new members; these instructors were - Jeanine & Art Au, Kelsey Hennig, John Abrahamson, Brad Hurshoway and Bill Moyes. 

Watch the Calendar

Just a reminder to members to check the calendar for Alpine before attending scheduled play sessions as occasional changes are made based upon playing patterns and volumes of folks playing at each session. 

Please also be reminded that we do not have the courts on July 1st; you will note that those sessions have been removed in the Alpine Calendar.

Finally, a volunteer thank you is scheduled for Saturday, June 18th which is why there is no scheduled play for that day.  If it rains on the 18th, the volunteer appreciation will take place on the 19th and the calendar will be changed if/when that decision is made.

No Re-Booking of Cancelled Rating Clinics

Please note that we are not re-booking the rating clinics that were cancelled due to the recent poor weather until such time as we get a new date from our raters (which likely will not be until September); for those impacted by this, you will have more time to hone your skills before the next rating clinics are scheduled.

Upcoming Instruction Clinics

You may be interested in the following upcoming instruction clinics in the region:

  1.        June 25th & July 2nd - Steve Deakin Pickleball 

    3.5+ Players 

    Instructor - Zach Brown

    Location - Pickleball Hub, 25 Chisholm Ave, St Albert

    Register at - www.stevedeakinpickleball.com

   2.       July 19th & 20th - Pickleball Paddles Canada

    3.0, 3.5 & 4.0+ Players

    Instructor - Charles Neufeldt & Krysti Maronski

    Location - Pickleheads Courts; 400 South Ave, Spruce Grove

    Register at -pickleballpaddlescanada.com 

Until next time, keep your paddle up!

In this issue:

Tournament - Thank Yous

The amount of volunteer dedication and work needed to serve our members and facilitate a weekend of tournament play is phenomenal.  As such, we would like to publicly acknowledge the efforts of all those who organized, volunteered and played at the Summer Kick Off Tournament last weekend.  

First of all thanks to Ken Dentzien our Tournament Manager for all of his hard work in organizing the tournament, securing and assigning volunteers, answering tournament related questions in the weeks leading up to the tournament and during the day of, and so much more - Ken, you're amazing!

Special thanks also to James Porter who once again managed the technology for the tournament through Pickleball Brackets and did so masterfully and showed no signs of stress but rather a calm and pleasant demeanor throughout - great job James!

Other notables (with apologies to those whom we've missed):

Arlene - who spent two full days at the tournament helping out wherever needed and did not even play

Jeanine and Karen - for doing a great job getting the snacks and lunch together.

Karen - for her awesome announcing on Sunday - you kept us on track!

All of the referees - for their exemplary job of reffing our playoff matches (better than we can say for the recent NHL games!)  

It was a great weekend and everything ran smoothly.   Most importantly all the participants had a lot of fun! 

Shirt and Ball Sales

Thanks to Rosemary Pon and her team, the SAPC website now reflects all of the shirts and balls that are available to purchase.  Members, get your credit card ready and log into the web store!

Shirts

Check out the various style of shirts and selection of colors.    There is no limit on Club shirts…you are free to buy as many as you please - go crazy!

As many of us are aware, the global supply chain issue has impacted the manufacturing, sales, transportation and delivery of all consumer goods. That being said, our vendor will try their best to fulfill our orders.  We need to recognize that the inventory of shirts changes daily and it may be out of their control if your choice of shirts is not available in your size or colour. 

Balls

The Club is also selling a limited number of brand name pickleball balls to members at a great price that will be hard to beat, so why not buy a few new balls at a great price; please note that members will be limited to a maximum purchase of 3 packages of balls (3 balls per package).

The deadline for ordering is June 24, 2022.  A Member can access the web store by following these steps:

1. Use your user ID and password to login to the St. Albert Pickleball Club website

2. Locate the tab for Members and click

3. Click on Store and you will see the shirts and balls.

4. Choose the shirt style, quantity and color that appeals to you

5. Choose the type of balls you want and the quantity (as noted above there is a maximum of 3 packages of balls/member)

6. Before electing to pay by credit card, apply your remaining store credit first if you should have one (to do so, please follow the steps as outlined in the Finance and Technology FAQ section under the Members tab)

7. Enter checkout and then enter your credit card information to complete the purchase.

This is a great time to buy a few new shirts and pickleball balls for yourself, your family, your friends and, perhaps, your colleagues.  If you are planning to fly south this winter or if you need some gifts for graduation, birthdays, or Christmas - consider purchasing our high quality Club logoed shirts and balls.  Everyone can wear the Club shirts with pride!

It is our goal to have your purchases of Club logoed shirts and balls delivered to the Alpine Courts during the July Pickle Party Tournament.  You may pickup your purchases on the following dates and times:

The final date for purchased product pickup is scheduled for Friday, July 24 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.  We will notify you should there be any deviation from the pickup scheduled proposed.  Should you be unable to pick up your purchase at any of the above scheduled times, you can e-mail Rosemary Pon at mailto:rjpventures@msn.com  and provide a written consent to allow us to release your purchased order to a trusted family member, colleague or friend.  Upon presentation of a picture government ID, a Sales Team member will release your purchase to the authorized individual.

Member Profile Updates

If you have not done so recently, please log in to the SAPC website and update your profile information especially your contact information.   In trying to get hold of members, we have discovered a number of instances where member contact info was not up to date.  While you're there, make sure you update your volunteer interests as well.

Mentoring

Please note that there are still spots open for the upcoming mentoring session on Saturday, June 11th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Alpine Courts.  If you are a beginner and want to advance your skills and/or prepare yourself for a future rating clinic, this may be the opportunity for you!

Until next time, keep your paddle up!

In this issue:

Shirt and Ball Sales