T
he Coeur d’Alene Classic
tournament team has a recipe for
success. It probably doesn’t hurt
that the venue location is in such
a beautiful area of the country; Coeur
d’Alene is located on the west side of
northern Idaho, and its views of the lake
are breath-taking. This year, the tier-2
USAPA-sanctioned tournament hosted
by Northern Idaho Pickleball Association
(NIPBA) brought in over 300 people,
with about 80% being non-local players,
and some participants coming from as
far as Michigan and Indiana.
The tournament spans four days, with
the first day giving access to the courts
for all the players to practice and a referee
refresher to hone skills. The first day of
events started with Men’s Singles and
Women’s Doubles. After the play was over,
there was a Meet & Greet dinner, with food
provided and a local live musician playing
a variety of classic ballads and light rock
music. The atmosphere was light and the
music brought some people up to the dance
floor, while others chatted from their dinner
tables. It was a great way to get to know
some of the people from the tournament.
Day Two held Mixed Doubles and Day
Three was Men’s Doubles and Women’s
Singles, with the final day being reserved
as a rain day, if needed. Luckily there were
no rain-outs, and that day could be used for
Open Play, where the tournament director
coordinated mixed play for the people who
showed up. It was a nice way to give a little
more playing time.
John Rodriguez, the tournament
director, gives credit for the success of the
tournament to his team.
CONTINUED >>
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2017 |
MAGAZINE
41