Golden Gate Pickleball January 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the Golden Gate Pickleball Newsletter. Within its digital pages you will find information about upcoming events, results of past events, and a little bit of entertainment, too.

GGP's mission is to facilitate the growth of pickleball in the San Francisco Bay Area. We offer organized recreational and competitive play for the enjoyment, health, and social engagement of all players in a collegial and sportsman-like environment. We are also working to expand facilities and programs to meet the growing needs of our pickleball community.

We are an all volunteer organization. Ninety-five percent of your donations will go directly to program and community activities.

You may donate here: https://www.goldengatepickleball.org/donate

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What to look forward to in 2025

NEW NAME

We have an exciting update to share with you—our organization is getting a new name! We're still the same at heart, but we're now officially known as the Golden Gate Pickleball Foundation.

We are more than just a club; we are an organization dedicated to supporting “Pickleball for All” and “Pickleball for Good”. Our mission remains unchanged, and we will continue to foster a welcoming community where everyone can enjoy the benefits of this fantastic sport.

Golden Gate Pickleball Honor Board!

Are you a member of the Golden Gate Pickleball Foundation and a tournament warrior? Then we want to see your victories! We’re creating the Golden Gate Pickleball Tournament Honor Board, and we need YOU to be a part of it! Whether you’re taking home gold, silver, or bronze, we want to celebrate every hard-fought win.

🎉 What’s in it for you? At the end of the year, we’ll host a Gala Celebration to honor all our dedicated tournament players. There will be medals, memories, and maybe even some wild dance moves (because who doesn't love a good party?) don’t miss out!

📸 How to participate:

Snap a pic of your tournament medals.
Send it to us at goldengatepickleball@gmail.com.

We’ll proudly display your accomplishments on the Honor Board and celebrate your achievements at the Gala. So, get out there, play hard, and don’t forget to send us your victories — because no one’s ever too humble for some pickleball bragging rights!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Golden Gate Pickleball Tournament

Unfortunately, GGP could not secure a venue for February, so we have moved the tournament to April 25-27, 2025. Sign up begins January 10, 2025 on Pickleball Brackets.

🏓 The Golden Gate Pickleball Spring Showdown Tournament! 🏓

Get ready to chase glory at the Spring Showdown Pickleball Tournament, hosted by the Golden Gate Pickleball! Whether you’re a seasoned player or just in it for the laughs, this is the event for you. Expect fierce competition, fun vibes, and maybe even a few magical moments!

📅 Date: April 25, - April 27, 2025

📍 Location: Willow Pass, Concord, CA🕘 Time: 8:00 am

Tournament Format:

Open Division: Got the skills to catch the gold? Players must have a DUPR rating of 4.0 or higher to compete in this Double Elimination battle for cash prizes! 💰

All Other Divisions: Dive into our Round Robin format, where everyone gets their fair share of games and fun!

Events Include:

Men's Singles & Doubles
Women's Singles & Doubles
Mixed Doubles

Prizes:

Open Division: Cash prizes, eternal bragging rights, and the honor of being crowned the Champion! Total cash prizes $5,000!!
Other Divisions: Fantastic awards and all the bragging rights you can handle!

Whether you're chasing the gold ball or just out for a good time, this tournament is packed with excitement, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments. Don’t miss out—come join the fun and support the Golden Gate Pickleball!

ON GOING ACTIVITIES

Drill and Play

Huy will be out of the country teaching and playing pickleball in Vietnam, he will keep us all updated on his shenanigans on our website, facebook group page and Instagram. Make sure you join and follow his adventures.

The drill and play will be back when Huy returns. In the meantime, grab a partner and go drill.

We need everyone’s support to keep Drill and Play going. Drill and Play sessions are held at Louis Sutter from 7:30 to 9 am, Monday through Thursday. You may sign up at www.playtimescheduler.com. Levels are 3.0 on Mondays, 3.25 on Tuesdays, 3.5 on Wednesdays, and 3.75 on Thursdays.

At the Golden Gate Pickleball Foundation, we’re proud to offer free, expert-led pickleball classes to our community. But we need your help to keep them going!

💖 Keep Pickleball free for all by Supporting Our Mission:

$20/month: “Pickleball Enthusiast”
$30/month: “Pickleball Supporter”
$40/month: “Pickleball Champion”

Your monthly donation directly funds instructor fees, ensuring that anyone — no matter their background — can learn and love pickleball for free.

👉 Make a difference today click here to donate: https://www.goldengatepickleball.org/

Together, we can grow the game and keep our community thriving. Thank you for being a part of this journey!

Women’s Drill and Play

GGP offers a free all-female Drill and Play on Wednesdays from 12:00 to 1:30. The skill level is 2.75-3.25, and Lisa Shaw leads the sessions. We are doing round robins, with strategic lessons as we go. Lisa will be back later in January, but until then come out and play and drill. Suzy will be out watching and critiquing a couple of times while Lisa is gone.

Challenge Court

The Challenge Court continues at Louis Sutter on Saturday mornings at 8:00 am. GGP provides donuts, coffee, and other snacks on the last Saturday of the month. Join the coffee clutch, be there or be square.

Youth Program

Guess what? Golden Gate Pickleball has made its way to Lowell High School! Our dynamic Marketing Director, Ryan Blanton, boldly stepped into the school, ready to spread the pickleball love. "Where's the pickleball teacher?" he asked with a smile, eager to kick things off!

Now, with the incredible support of Huy Le, Jonas Satuito, and Ryan himself, we’re igniting a pickleball revolution at Lowell!

But here’s the scoop: Lowell needs three Joola pickleball packages to get fully equipped, and we’re calling on our amazing community for help. Each package costs $500, and every donation brings us closer to our goal. If you can chip in, please note “Lowell Packages” in the donation comment box.

Know a school ready for pickleball? We’re on the lookout for more schools to join the pickleball movement. If you know a school that’s interested in adding pickleball to its PE classes, reach out to Jonas Satuito at ggp.jonassatuito@gmail.com or Tanya at ggp.tanyaslesnick@gmail.com.

Together, we’re not just teaching pickleball, we’re creating a community. Let’s rally together and make pickleball a staple in schools across the city!

Paddle Tales

Hey, That Was *My* Ball!

by Twila Slesnick

“I got it! I got it! I got it!” you shout as you leap high into the air and swat at the ball, landing deep in your partner’s side of the court … and on her arthritic toe. Worse, the ball flies two feet beyond the opponent’s baseline.

“Sorry, partner,” you say meekly.

“Look,” your partner says, “not only are you taking my balls, but your acrobatics aren’t winning us any points. See this white line? You need to stay on your side of that line, and don’t even think about hitting any balls on my side of the white line.”

Your partner has a point. She wants to play, too. And by hogging most of the balls, you send a clear message that you don’t trust her. Of course, if all the balls you poached were winners, she might be inclined to forgive you.

But there’s another side to the story. Many many times I have wanted to drop to my knees and kiss partner’s feet in thanks for a blessed poach. And there have been an equal number of times when my brow creased in disappointment because my partner failed to poach a ball that was begging for it.

Why would your partner ever want you to poach, you might wonder. Here are a couple of reasons:

You are at the net and your partner is still at the baseline, struggling to come forward. The opponents are sending every ball in her direction and she’s absolutely stuck. She’s also starting to look a little frustrated. If the opponents send a ball to your partner that’s just a bit lifted, you can sprint over to your partner’s side of the court, intercept the high(ish) ball and put it away, thereby protecting your partner and winning the point, too.
And second, the more quickly you can send the ball back to your opponents, giving them less time to react or prepare a shot, the better your chances of winning the point. Instead of waiting for the opponent’s ball to go all the way to the baseline for your partner to hit, you can swat it down the minute it crosses the plane of the net, surprising your opponents and becoming a hero to your partner.

I can already hear some mutterings that sound a lot like, “poaching isn’t always right.” Indeed. So, when are the most opportune times to poach?

Perhaps the most obvious situation is when you are closer to the net than your partner is and the ball is popped up, even just a bit.
But my favorite time to poach is when my partner and I are executing a “shake & bake.” There are many examples of a shake & bake but one of the most common is when your partner drives the third shot hard while you run like a cheetah (i.e. as fast as you can) to the net. Partner’s hard drive causes the opponents to pop up the ball and, lo and behold, there you are, already at the net, waiting to put the ball away. That’s a paddle-tapping play if ever there was one.

Of course, there are plenty of times when it is not a good idea to poach. Generally, you don’t want to be poaching balls that are not only on your partner’s side of the court, but also low over the net. Your goal with a poach is to put the ball away and that’s easiest when the ball is high. If you poach and don’t manage to put the ball away, the opponents are likely to send the ball to the empty side of the court, and you will be mumbling yet another “Sorry, partner.”

Most importantly, you don’t want to poach a ball if it involves body-checking your partner into the cheap seats, even if you win the point.

If you like what GGP is doing for pickleball and community, you may donate here: https://www.goldengatepickleball.org/donate