Happy New Year, Pickleball Players!

We had a record number of tournaments in 2018, with at least 32 tournaments in Illinois! Once again we closed out the year with the NYE Smash Tournament at the Sports Factory! We had a great tournament turnout and we a wonderful lunch afterward at Owly Oop Sports Pub. It is always a great time and thank you to Derek Papich for putting on the tournament!

We started off 2019 with an open gym fundraiser for the Rockford Park District. Pickleball players were asked to give a minimum $5 donation for the Help Me Play program to help local youth participate in the swim lessons, summer camps, after school programs, and sports. Last year we raised $450, and this year we raised the bar and donated $1,037! Thank you to all the players who donated to our community!

The 2019 tournament season is already kicking off this weekend in Charleston, IL. There are tournaments all over Illinois and there are already ten tournaments scheduled, including three in Rockford. Please see the 2019 Tournament Schedule for links to the tournaments listed below here. 

2019 Tournament Schedule

• January 4-5, Charleston, Midwest Pickleball Indoor Championships at EIU 
• January 5-6, Decatur, Pickle at the DISC 
• January 26-27, Lockport, Snow Bowl 
• February 9, Rockford, ProLite Winter Classic 
• February 15-16, Lake In The Hills,  Crystal Lake Racket Club Inaugural Pickleball Open 
• March 30-31, Bloomington, B-Town Throwdown 
• April 5, Rockford, Senior Open 
• April 6-7,  Rockford, Rockford Spring Swing 
• April 26-27, Rock Island, Paddlewheel Pickleball Tournament 
• July 4-7, Springfield, Scheels Capital City Pickleball Classic 

   I would also like to draw your attention to the other ways in which pickleball is growing in Illinois in 2019. You can help grow the sport by introducing friends, playing in tournaments, becoming a coach, or being a referee!

Professional Pickleball Registry
   Professional Pickleball Registry is hosting a one day workshop in Skokie, IL on March 23rd to gain certification in teaching pickleball to adult players.  PPR certification workshops illustrate how to deliver quality individual and group lessons for adult beginner and improver adults, while attending to individual needs. 

Referee Clinic
   There is no doubt that tournaments help grow the sport, but tournaments require a village of volunteers! One of the ways to help a tournament is by being a referee for sanctioned events. There will be a Referee Training Clinic in Moline, IL on Friday, May 10th. The clinic includes three hours of classroom training and four hours of court training. Who Should Attend? Those who want to know the rules better and those who want to know the basics of refereeing to help make pickleball tournaments successful. The number of sanctioned tournaments is increasing and every match needs referees. Becoming a referee not only will help give you an edge in your personal game, but will give you an opportunity to give back to the sport to help it grow.

Net Rule Clarification
   When I am on the courts, I get a lot of questions about the rules. The most frequently asked questions are about the net. Please read the following for clarification.

• 11.K. The Net Posts. The net posts are positioned out of bounds. If a ball contacts the net post, it is a fault and a dead ball is declared.
• 11.L.3. The player is allowed to go around the net post and cross the imaginary extension line of the net after the ball is hit, so long as the player or any item he or she is/was wearing or carrying does not touch the opponent’s court. If the player goes around the net post and crosses the imaginary extension line of the net but does not make contact with the ball, a fault will be declared.
•  11.L.5. When net systems have a horizontal bar that includes a center base: If the ball hits the horizontal bar or the center base before going over the net, it is a fault. If the ball goes over the net and hits the center base or the horizontal bar or the ball gets caught between the net and the horizontal bar before touching the court, it is a let and will be replayed.

Thanks for reading the latest news and I'll see you on the courts!