Super Senior International Pickleball
Association
READY
to serve
BY FORD ROBERSON , PRESIDENT / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR , SSIPA
After about a year of thought , several months of planning , and six weeks of hard work , a new pickleball association has come into being . The Super Senior International Pickleball Association ( SSIPA ) has been incorporated and met the IRS standards for a 501 ( c )( 3 ) tax-exempt organization . The website , www . SSIPA-PB . org , now allows pickleball players to join the association online with several levels of membership . Founder memberships are a lifetime commitment to the association and to pickleball . Temporary memberships start at $ 5 and a one-year membership is only $ 20 . Other options are available .
The main purpose to form a new association is to provide competition for super seniors ages 65 + in age groups of five years through 80 +. Someday it would be great to offer events for 85s and 90s if the demand arises as players continue to live longer , productive lives . For many older players , the problem has been to enter a tournament in an age group , travel across the country , sometimes over a thousand miles only to end up playing against others who are often much younger . As we age
gracefully , our strength and stamina diminish over time . Players 10 , 20 , and 30 years younger have a distinct advantage . For many older players , the most important issue is simply safety . Being highly competitive , we often force our bodies to push harder than we should to try to win these matches against the younger , stronger , faster , quicker opponents . Most 50-year-olds do not relish playing against people in their 20s , and the same applies for 80 vs . 50 , the same age gap .
By the time this article makes it into homes across America , hopefully the tournament circuit will be set . The leadership is currently working with tournament directors from coast to coast . At the present , tournaments are being planned in various stages in Arizona , California , Colorado , New Mexico , Texas , Georgia , Washington and Pennsylvania . Internationally , a tournament is planned for and posted on www . pickleballtournaments . com for September in Madrid , Spain . If all goes well , the final tournament of the year will take place back in Arizona , just before or after USAPA Nationals and be the SSIPA Championships for 2017 .
If your club or playing site is interested in hosting a super seniors tournament this year or in 2018 , contact us at SSIPA . PB @ gmail . com . You can keep in touch by joining our Super Senior International Pickleball Association group on Facebook , or you can see the tournament schedule and sign up for membership on our website at www . SSIPA-PB . org .
SSIPA complements and is fully supportive of the USAPA , requiring each tournament to be sanctioned by the organization . Sanctioned tournaments require that facilities meet established standards and that each match is refereed by a person who received training prior to the tournament . Safety is a top priority of the USAPA and SSIPA . Tournament directors for SSIPA tournaments agree to follow SSIPA guidelines for SSIPA circuit events , which are listed on our website for player review and general information . The SSIPA board and membership hope , if you are a super senior , to see you at a circuit event during the 2017 season . See you on the courts in 2017 . •
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