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December 16, 2024, Sequim Picklers' Update







Here's the Dill

President Tim Williams


By now, you’ve all hopefully seen the announcement of our tournament lineup for next year. I’m extremely proud of the work the Tournament Committee did to come up with innovative approaches to help us stand out in an increasingly crowded array of pickleball tournaments across the region. We are continuing to work with local hotels and entertainment venues to reduce the overall cost for out-of-town registrants and to create off-court activities that will offer communal social opportunities for players, volunteers, and spectators. Our hope is to create a truly memorable celebration of Sequim and the significant impact pickleball has upon the community. 


Another goal of that planned celebration is to raise awareness of the Picklers and our contributions to the health and welfare of the community. With talks to build new courts ongoing with several partners, we know at some point we will need to raise additional funds for their construction. To that end, we are looking at numerous ways to bring attention to our group and the benefits new courts would provide to Sequim. One way we will pursue that next year is by entering the Irrigation Festival Grand Parade with a Pickleball Drill Team. If you’ve ever seen a Lawn Chair Drill Team you know how irreverent, fun, and attention-getting something like that can be and we think it will be the perfect way to drum up some excitement for our cause. Look for details in the spring on how to join in on the fun but please feel free to raise your paddle now if you want to help bring this idea to life. 

 

Cheers to an amazing 2024 and here’s wishing all your pickleball dreams come true in 2025!




Membership News

Char Reeves


Happy Holidays Sequim Picklers

🎄 Spread the joy and give the gift of our Sequim Picklers Club membership this Holiday Season! 🎾Looking for the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one? How about the gift of community, fitness, and fun? This holiday season spread the word and join our Sequim Pickleball Club and experience the joy of playing one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Whether you're a seasoned player or a complete beginner, our club offers something for everyone. Click here to join: https://www.sequimpickleball.com/jointheclub



Laura Hogan had never even heard the word “pickleball” until about 2 years ago. After moving to Sequim, she saw that there were free beginner lessons at Carrie Blake Park and decided to give it a try. In the summer of 2022, she began taking lessons. Goose and Richard were pivotal in teaching her the game. Laura would attend the lessons every Sunday afternoon, but she was not initially comfortable coming up to the courts on her own, so she never played other than the lessons on Sundays. In the fall of 2022, she took the leap and began playing at Carrie Blake and the YMCA. When you ask Laura “What do you love about pickleball?” She will enthusiastically respond by saying “What’s not to love?!! Honestly, what I love most about pickleball is that it incorporates physical fitness, mental acuity, and socialization all in one package! All three of these attributes are critically important to healthy aging…being active, keeping your mind sharp (what’s the score? who’s serve is it?) and being socially connected.”


What Laura loves about our club is the opportunity for social connection. She moved to Sequim knowing NOBODY and this club has been instrumental in making meaningful connections. She also loves how generous so many of the club members are with their time and talent. Having high-level players willing to play with her and give her feedback (according to her, she needs a lot) has been surprising and is SO appreciated!!


Laura’s pickleball goal for the future is to stop hitting balls out !!! Ha. She has a rare visual condition which has resulted in complete peripheral blindness which obviously makes judging out balls a challenge. She has no future “rating goal” and plays to get better and have fun, not to up her rating.


Family life…. Laura has been married to her husband Joe for 30 years this January. They recently relocated from Los Angeles to Sequim and are enjoying the slower pace of life. They have 2 children together, Ally (a graphic designer in Manhattan) and Joseph (pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Utah). Laura also has a stepdaughter Marla who has blessed them with 2 grandsons. She recently retired after a 39-year career as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. Outside of pickleball, she enjoys traveling, cooking, power walking, and learning about financial planning/retirement planning.Fun Facts about Laura Hogan:

  • Laura can ride a unicycle

  • She was a rebellious teen and managed to get kicked off all 3 sports teams she played for in high school

  • She is the author of a textbook

  • She is a total insomniac

  • Most recent Netflix binge—Blacklist

  • Favorite food—anything Thai


Laura’s journey with pickleball and her vibrant personal life are truly inspiring!



 Hit me with your Best Shot


BIGTHANKSto Christine Goodson for sharing this extremely helpful You Tube gift for the holidays! Video contents: 95% of Pickleball players make these incredibly easy-to-fix mistakes. Today we're giving our friend Carol a lesson on how to identify and fix these mistakes so that she can improve much faster!



If you have any tips, videos & helpful Pickleball information, please email me atcharsequimpickler@gmail.com


As we wrap up this fantastic year and head into the holiday season, I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. Your enthusiasm and dedication have made our Pickleball community truly special. We've shared countless rallies, lots of laughs, and have created memories that will last a lifetime.


May your holidays be filled with joy, love, and, of course, a little bit of Pickleball! Here's to more thrilling games and camaraderie in the coming year.


Happy Holidays and see you on the courts soon! Char


Save the Date!


Board of Directors Meeting

Saturday, January 11 at noon.

The Clubhouse at Cedars Ridge

321 Lofgrin Rd, Sequim, WA 98382, USA


Agenda coming soon



Courtside News

Hi Everyone!

Here's the latest happenings within the Club.


Boys and Girls ClubPickleball at the Boys & Girls Club is up and going full throttle. We are open Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 - 12:00, and Wednesday from 6:30 - 9:15 pm. for the low low fee of $3:00. For those with options, we tend to have more court space later in the session.  

Depending on the mix of players, we can set up a beginner and/or advanced court. This can be a bit tricky as we are also trying to share court space as evenly as possible. Please be considerate of wait times and ability when selecting courts. 

Check the Pickler’s calendar for any upcoming closures.


MiLP Challenge League

Are you thinking of forming an MiLP team for the Spring Fling? Now is a great opportunity to get your feet wet in a MiLP challenge. We currently have seven teams that are looking for some competition. Current teams range in skill between 3.0 and 3.7. Form a team of two women and two men and let the duels begin! For more information contact Chris Jafay, Warren Mecca or Lettie Flerchinger.


MiLP Draft and Go!

Wednesday, January 15th. Boys and Girls Club  - 6:30 pm 

'Wanting to try an MiLP format without the hassle of forming an ongoing team? The Draft and Go is for you! Sign up as an individual and the Pickleball Court and Operations Committee (PCOC) will create up to eight teams, for a one-and-done night of fun!

The PCOC will draft on January 7th and announce teams and alternates shortly thereafter. Due to the fact that we are working in units of eight, not everyone will be drafted. We will prioritize any undrafted players in future Draft and Go events. 

 

Youth Program Volunteers

The City of Sequim and the YMCA are coordinating with the Sequim Picklers to form a summer youth program. We are hoping to offer two separate week-long camps. We are still in the beginning stages, but I am looking to get a feel for a potential volunteer pool. 'No need to be an expert pickleball player, and we are not expecting people to volunteer all day/week. We are looking for a commitment of a few hours. The YMCA will process any necessary background checks and will provide some training in working with kids. 

If you are interested, please click here to complete a short interest survey.


And finally, Joy Jay has joined our PCOC committee! She has already helped log inventory and can be found helping with the Advanced Beginner classes and at the B&GC. Please give her a warm welcome!


Happy Holidays!

Lettie



A festive time was had at the Boys & Girls Club on December 11th! 


Thank you to everyone who showed up in their holiday garb, played, and celebrated with good food and friends. A special thank you to the PCOC Committee for organizing the event.



Members-only Links 

PCOC Minutes, 12/03/2024




Why not delve deeper into the Sequim Picklers website? Here are a few tips:

  • The SP Member Community is a GREAT place to connect with other members. By joining this add-on, you are able to directly contact other Sequim Picklers who are also on the Community page and chat online. To join, click the Log In button in the upper right and sign up with any one of the options available. Once your membership is approved (which entails simply being recognized as a current Sequim Pickler, not as a Bot or Spam), you will receive an email with further directions. Please remember, this feature is for Sequim Pickler Members ONLY. 

  • Click “My Profile” and then “edit profile.” You choose how much you want to share. When you are done, be sure to “Update Profile.” If you prefer NOT to be a part of this Community, click the three dots in the upper right of your profile and choose "Make Profile Private."

  • You can also change your profile picture, which may help others know it’s you they are looking for.

  • Now you have all the basics. Play around, send a chat message, AND if you have MULTIPLE accounts, please remove the ones that you don't want active. Finally, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.

  • Are you aware that there is a webpage on our site called Events? You will find information about upcoming activities in this area.

  • The Member's Only page password is DayDinking2024 (please note this changed on August 10th). Save this for future use, but please don't share it with non-members.



IF YOU'RE THE LAST PICKLER TO LEAVE THE COURTSplease put away all balls and toss abandoned items (water bottles, sweatshirts, paddles, sunglasses) into the Lost & Found box in the shed. Lock up the shed and have a great evening. 

NO DOGS ON THE PICKLEBALL COURTS by order of the City of Sequim. Dogs are also prohibited from hanging out in the center alley between the courts. (Apologies to our canine friends...)

WEAR YOUR BADGELet the world know who you are — a proud Pickler. Carry your badge in your pickleball bag to snap on when you hit the courts.

WHITELISTING. Add "sequimpicklers@gmail.com" to your Contacts list and avoid having to search your Spam, Junk, and Trash mailboxes for the latest Sequim Picklers Update and other Club communications.


The Sequim Pickler Update comes out each month on the 16th. If you would like to contribute an article, picture, or link, please send your submission to Tanya Baumgardner no later than the 11th of the month. 



Board Members

Tim Williams, President

Lynda Schroeder, Vice President

Jennifer Perdue, Secretary

Katinka Nanna, Treasurer

Lettie Flerchinger, Director of Court Operations

Tanya Baumgardner,  Director of Communications

Char Reeves, Membership Chair

Pickleball Court Operations Committee (PCOC)

Lettie Flerchinger, Director of Court Operations (DOCO)

Kendal Wake, Assistant to the Director of Court Operations

Abigail Berg

Sage Chandrasoma

Rodney Diseker

Chris Jafay

Joy Jay

Sara Laughlin

© 2023 by Sequim Picklers, a 501c3 

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