Pickleball Magazine 2-3 | Page 4

FROM THE PUBLISHER Welcome back to another issue of Pickleball Magazine. Much of this issue is dedicated to coverage of the US Open Championships which, along with the USAPA National Championships, is a pinnacle event of the season. For people new to the sport, or those with a long history in it, the success of the US Open cannot be understated. This year, there were 1,300 players and thousands of spectators who all converged in Naples, Florida. We were fortunate enough to have a booth there and I was blessed to meet many of you. You relayed to me nothing but stories of how much fun you were having and how great the atmosphere surrounding the sport is. On top of all that, the event was broadcast on CBS on May 19 to an estimated audience of 6 million people—giving our sport the largest audience of spectators for a single event to date. I was fortunate enough to spend that night in Madison, WI, alongside gold medal winner Dave Weinbach, his wife and three sons, watching the finals on big screens with 60 of his closest friends. Earlier in the day, we played pickleball for seven hours. I say fortunate because not only was I able to share in the celebration of victory of someone who has made pickleball history, but I was able to go home with a new friend. And that is really what makes this sport so much fun and so addicting to all of us. This summer, I hope to make more new friends, like Dave, as I tour the country and play in as many competitions as I can find. And, I hope to meet even more of you, play alongside you and go home at the end of each day with a few more friends. Together, we are growing the sport in a way that other sports can’t do—from the bottom up, with the love of the game in our hearts and the ability to see everyone we meet on the courts as friends. Congratulations to all of the medalists of the Second Annual US Open. We’ll see you on the courts this summer! Wayne Dollard, Publisher Dollard Publishing Company, Inc., 11 Mayview Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317 412.833.8805 (cell) | [email protected] | www.ThePickleballMag.com A Publication of Dollard Publishing Co., Inc. 11 Mayview Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317 www.thepickleballmag.com PUBLISHER Wayne Dollard [email protected] 412.833.8805 DESIGN Michael Miller ADVISORY BOARD Kevin Curley Dennis Dacey A.J. Fraties Irene Fraties Alex Hamner Rusty Howes Lynn Laymon Linda Laymon Jennifer Lucore Bob Nibarger Steve Paranto Paul Porch Brian Staub INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF Sarah Ansboury Christine Barksdale Rob Davidson Rob Elliott Wes Gabrielsen Jennifer Lucore Christine McGrath Tyson McGuffin Steve Paranto CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Judy Aron Khevin Barnes Mark Berton Richard Bevevino Steve Boone Ramona Boone Joe Borelli Dr. Alan Bragman Anne Breghero Prem Carnot Joe Dinoffer Gary Feneley Barbara Fox Brian Hendrickson Michael Hess Rusty Howes John Jermstad CJ Jermstad David Jordan Justin Maloof Carolyn Milazzo Alan Neff Bob Nibarger Dick Osman Desire’ Osman Karen Parrish Ray Pereyra Peter Phelps Audrey Phillips Jay Reddinger Ed Remen Diane Reynolds Kevin Richards Seymour Rifkin Nancy Robinson Jeff Ross Chris Thomas Alice Tym Shirley Waterhouse Dollard Publishing Co., Inc. publishes six issues of Pickleball Magazine per year. Subscriptions are $24 per year. To subscribe, go to www.thepickleballmag.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IS PROHIBITED. © 2017 Please recycle this magazine when you are through enjoying it. 2 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM