Retreat attendees, many
of whom traveled a great
distance to participate in the
event, had nothing but great
things to say about their
experiences--
"I may not have found the love of
my life here, but I did find the love
of my life in this sport."
-Valerie Weinstein,
Palm Desert, CA.
"The planning committee did
such a good job, they hit the ball
out of the courts!"
-Jones Wong, Merrick, New York.
Pickleball is a sport that has captured
the hearts, minds and imaginations
of its players for so many years, and
none are as passionate about the five-
decade-old game as the ambassadors
of the USAPA. Now numbering more
than 1,600, these dedicated volunteers
and lovers of the sport spend countless
hours espousing the virtues of
pickleball and its many rewards both on
and off the court.
Each year, the USAPA invites these
ambassadors to share in the excitement
of the sport they dearly love at an
annual retreat. This year’s event was
held at Club Med-Sandpiper Bay in Port
St. Lucie, Florida. The sport’s paradise
and all-inclusive resort provided the
perfect backdrop for the nearly 300
ambassadors who made the trek from
all points north.
The six-day, five-night extravaganza
featured a lot of fun, a lot of pickleball,
and also provided a lot of valuable
information. Special sessions and
USAPA presentations were held
throughout the week, with numerous
topics including membership services,
referee certification, new ratings
system, using Facebook Live and its
streaming feature, membership benefits
and access rewards, rule changes for
2018 and more. Also included was a
three-hour training session that’s a
prerequisite for referee certification.
Away from the meeting rooms,
Club Med extended its world-famous
welcoming hand with sumptuous meals
morning, noon and night. Ambassadors
and USAPA regional directors unwound
at pre-dinner cocktail parties before
embarking on delectable dinners
followed by evening shows and for
those who can shake, rattle and roll, a
few dance competitions. Pickleballers
are a lively bunch! And, a friendly or
competitive game of pickleball was
always ready and waiting, as courts
were open for daily play.
One of the highlights of the week-
long festivities was "Clinic Capers,"
coordinated by Kalamazoo, Michigan,
ambassadors Yvonne and Jim
Hackenberg. Each player was assigned
a starting court and the pickling
ambassador would guide them through
skills, drills and fun. With nine clinics
in all ranging from pin-point serve to
drop-in-the-bucket to staying grounded
to shooting for the moon, players would
move to the court to their right after
successfully completing their "caper."
One of the favorite capers of all--Pass
the Stick--is a no-points, hilarious
activity where each team has only one
paddle that must be passed to each
teammate after each hit. Many of the
retreat attendees enjoyed this endeavor
the most and made the exercise their
own personal playground.
Karen and Terry Long, ambassadors
in Santa Cruz, California, led the very
first League Team Challenge at the
Retreat. Creators of team pickleball,
"I'm attending for the third time
and they just get bigger and
better. Pickleball play, meeting
fabulous people, sharing great
stories and always learning
something new."
--Lisa Brochetti, Kittanning, PA.
"It is so wonderful coming to
these to get to know the other
ambassadors and learn some
new tips and information in the
classes. Attending the retreat has
confirmed how friendly and what a
happy sport pickleball is because
of the openness and friendliness
of the people."
--Celeste and Tony Horpel,
Costa Rica.
the Longs offered up some valuable
information that attendees could
take home for a new and improved
way of pickling in their respective
communities.
As always, sponsors were an integral
part in the overall success and fun of
this year's retreat. Sponsors included
Franklin, Engage Pickleballl, Paddletek,
Pickleball Central, Pure Pickleball,
Gamma Pickleball, Head, Onix,
California Sports Surfaces and Selkirk
Sport.
As the saying goes, “All good things
must come to an end,” but another
retreat is around the corner. Keep
your eyes and ears open for that next
adventure—it might just be coming to a
fabulous venue near you! •
MARCH/APRIL 2018 |
MAGAZINE
55