Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley
Names City’s First Ambassador
for Pickleball
P
ickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in
America. The game looks familiar since it incorporates
elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. It’s
what Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley plays at “Pip”
Moyer Recreation Center regularly. His love and appreciation for
the game are one of the reasons he named Annapolis resident
Sara Aiken as the city’s Ambassador of Pickleball.
“I know I try to get everyone I know interested in playing,”
Buckley says, “but when it comes to recruiting people and
cheerleading the sport, nobody comes close to Sara.”
Aiken learned the game in the Bahamas in 2015. By 2016, she
launched Eastport Pickleball. In addition to being a trained
instructor, Annapolis Pickleball Club member, tournament
director and US Open competitor, she’s also a USAPA
Ambassador for the area.
“Being named an ambassador for the city is an honor,” she
says. “This designation makes it easy to advocate for the
sport and showcase the economic importance and health
advantages of the game.”
Already, the city has received more than $3,250 in revenue
from tournament play. Aiken hopes to get the city of Annapolis
recognized as the Pickleball Capital of the Mid-Atlantic.
Mayor Gavin Buckley and Sara Aike
n
In August, Aiken will travel to France to play in the
Pickleball French Open. Later this year, she’ll lead a group
of players across Ireland visiting pickleball clubs on the
Emerald Isle.
For more information on playing pickleball in Annapolis, visit
www.annapolis.gov/189/Recreation-Parks.
PPR Collaborates on USAPA Youth Playbook
P
rofessional Pickleball Registry (PPR) has
announced a collaboration with USAPA on its
newly released Youth Pickleball Playbook. PPR
provided the layout and design for USAPA Let’s
Play Pickleball Playbook. Printed copies, along with a set of
laminated station signs for large-
group instruction, are available for
purchase at www.usapa.org/recplay-
resources/.
The playbook is designed to help teachers, coaches,
recreation leaders, after-school staff and ambassadors
implement pickleball in any recreational setting,
including schools, parks, youth centers and racquet/
paddle facilities. This resource provides pickleball
leaders with fun games, skill activities, play rotations
and play manager tips for offering a dynamic
program. Also included are recommendations regarding
equipment, space and resources necessary to offer a
successful pickleball program. A free electronic downloadable copy will be offered as
a benefit of the new USAPA Youth Pickleball Provider
Registration, which will be available in the upcoming
months.
“We are proud to partner with USAPA to help create an
easy way for kids to learn the sport we love,” says Nicole
Hobson of PPR. “We’re excited that the USAPA Youth
Playbook can be used to teach younger generations, and
is adaptable to teach people, even those with very little
sports background, no matter the age.”
JULY/AUGUST 2019 |
MAGAZINE
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