A Message From The Director
May 14, 2024
Hello my fellow pickleballers, we are getting very close, 10 days, to our Grand Opening of all eight courts on Saturday the 25th. Festivities will kick off at 10AM and go till 2, with food, music, dedications, round robin play, clinics for newbies, exhibition matches with some of the area's best players, raffles, and just plain fun. There will be open play after 2PM. Whether you are a member, a prospective member, or just curious about the game with the silly name, please all feel free to come out. You don't need a paddle, just sneakers and a positive attitude to check out the fastest growing game in America. If you are a newbie, I'd suggest spending 6 minutes on You Tube checking out a 3 -part video by Pure Pickleball entitled How to Play Pickleball. Really basic but it will give you an idea of the rules, scoring, and how the game is played. For my local PB friends if you are around the day before and are handy, we have many things that will need last minute assembly. Let me know if you can make it.
Cheers everyone, can't wait to see as many of you that can make it. And please reply to Ilene Winter's invite for the Grand Opening.
“Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes”.
As a dedicated Jimmy Buffett fan, also known as a Parrot Head, for over 40 years, I’m adopting this quote in his memory and for the spirit of the new Southern Vermont Pickleball Club at Farm Road Estate. My first pickleball paddle, pictured below, helped me enter this silly world of the game called Pickleball. Buffett was one of the original pro Pickleball Tour sponsors thru his Margaritaville brand and I believe his all inclusive and addictive aura of positive energy should be the dominant theme of what we are trying to create here in West Dover, Vt. Whether you come to us locally, from the flatlands, as a snowbird, or just visiting for a while, when you enter the property at 161 Route 100 in West Dover, Vt. I’d like you to know you are in a safe space, where you won’t be judged based on your paddle abilities instead by your propensity to just have fun. To my present pickleball friends, I am truly blessed to have you all make such a huge difference in my life. I thank you for accepting and tolerating my enthusiasm towards growing this game and hopefully encouraging you to learn skills for you to enjoy the game even more. To my new pickleball friends to be I promise to do my very best to run the best recreation facility you have ever participated in and to live up to and surpass your expectations. Please don’t ever be shy about letting me know how I can make things better as we grow together.
As someone who has been in the racket/paddle sports for over 50 years as a competitive player, a teaching pro, a coach, and as a mentor to 100’s of those who understand how wonderful it can be to embrace these sports not just for the exercise, competition, camaraderie, and memories but for your mental and spiritual health I want all those to be in abundance at SVPC. Our club will have league play, clinics, private lessons, round robins, open play, and tournaments. We will also have monthly social events such as barbeques and parties and we WILL have music. We are so fortunate to have our benefactor, Mike Levesque, be a world class musician and he is followed in his foot steps by Mike Levesque Jr., and his beautiful daughter Kelly who is also a world class vocalist. So there will be a great sound system and music will be playing in the background for those playing and just sitting watching to enjoy. I can’t wait to hear what they will be creating for us to listen to.
The space surrounding the courts will have tables, chairs, umbrellas, and a fire pit. A great place to hang with your present pickleball friends but equally important to meet new ones. We are inventing a wheel so all of your suggestions will be appreciated. My next post will have all membership categories explained and priced. I will routinely be reaching out to members and prospects through this website. Feel free to respond, ask questions, complain, or just say hello at my email; trip@svpbc.com.
Cheers, Trip Morse