Columbus Pickleball Club
March 2024 Newsletter (#1)
What can I find out about in this newsletter?
In this newsletter I have numbered each section, hoping to make it easier for you to find what you are looking for:
1-CPC Board information
2-CPC Membership
3-Upcoming Events
4-CPC Members have Fun
5- Volunteer Opportunities
6-News to Know
7-Pickleball Schedules and Venues
8-PIckleball Tip Video
Newsletter tip: Be sure to click on gallery image expand arrows to view a small image completely.
Thank you! Jennifer Villiger
Mission Statement of the Columbus Pickleball Club
To promote the sport of pickleball as a fun, healthy, recreational activity for all skill levels in Columbus and the surrounding area.
February Words From the President - Nancy Conner
Wow…March is here and outdoor play is already happening on the courts at Donner and CERAland.
*****I received NO RESPONSES from players willing to teach beginner clinics. Needless to say this is very disappointing!!! The mission of the club is to expand the game in the area and CPC has felt that it is best to do this through clinics so that when players begin play, they know the basics. If we stop teaching the clinics, CPC will lose income we receive from teaching the clinics and most players will show up on the court knowing little or nothing about the game. We have one clinic in May, June, and August…each two evenings (6-8 at Nexus). We are always blessed with volunteers to assist…thank you. If anyone has a change of heart, please email me at connern46@gmail.com . If no one steps up to volunteer to teach one, discussion at the annual meeting will need to occur on how to address CPC’s mission without clinics.
CPC continues to target more courts for outdoor play as we move towards spring/summer. Donner has been our home base for 7 years now, but CERAland offering 18 courts will certainly allow players court time with no waiting. CPC is eager to see what CERAland will offer in regards to leagues, etc. Dean Layman will be running a late spring tournament there.
Dunn courts are a go and we eagerly await the 12 courts, but have no time frame for completion at this point….stay tuned. Thanks to Charlie Day for working diligently on the development of Dunn courts.
CPC has not given up on lobbying for courts at Lincoln. Harrison Ridge may also be a possibility.
A meeting with Parks and Rec has been scheduled for March 11th to discuss various topics. Please email me with any topics you want addressed. connern46@gmail.com Some have expressed interest in leagues at CERAland and/or Donner.
Love new players appearing and mixing in so nicely. Thank you to all of you who are so welcoming! We want everyone to love this great game like we do!
--Nancy
Latest Board Meeting Minutes - December 5, 2023
Next board meeting will be April 30, 2024 at 5:15 pm at Mill Race Center
E-mail Nancy Conner at connern46@gmail.com with any suggestions
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Please Renew your CPC Membership!
If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to renew your CPC membership for 2024. Members who have already renewed are listed in the membership roster below.
Dues are $12 per member for the year. We ask that each member sign up individually so we can gather better contact information. Any dependent children can be added as CPC members at no charge. Please just let us know their names.
Please use this link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040444A5AD2EA5FA7-46761601-2024#/ to renew online. There will be a $1.10 transaction fee added by Sign Up Genius for each member, bringing the total charge to $13.10. If you prefer to pay by check or cash, please email Cindy Rutan at CPCINTreasurer@gmail.com to get a copy of the membership form emailed to you.
Thank you for your continued support of Columbus Pickleball Club!
Membership Statistics
As of February 27, 2024, there are a total of 176 members with 7 new never before joined (4%) and 169 renewed CPC members (96%). We had 19 members join or renew this month. So far 61% of previous 2023 CPC members have renewed. We are at 64% of last year's total number of members (In 2023 we were at 277 members).
As a member, you will be able to attend member-only social round robins, for women members you will be able to attend the Ladies bi-monthly Birthday Luncheon, and for all, the end of year Holiday Social. All membership fees go towards approved miscellaneous expenses, equipment needs, training, or socials . For more information, email Floyd or Cindy Rutan, CPC co-Treasurers at CPCINTreasurer@gmail.com.
Welcome to CPC - February 2024 Members
Be sure to introduce yourselves to new members who joined in February (never before a member of CPC), if you see them on the courts at Foundation For Youth (FFY), Tipton Lakes Athletic Club (TLAC), or outdoors at Donner Park or CERA pickleball courts. New members if you need additional information, please contact Juliana at ColumbusPickleballClub@gmail.com.
New February Members
- Bonnie Boatwright
- Angi Coursey
- Rui Xu
New and Renewed 2024 CPC Members
Ladies' Luncheon - Sophea Asian Restaurant - February 1st
Fifteen ladies met at Sophea Asian Restaurant on February 1st to celebrate December and January birthdays. The food was delicious and very economical and the service was top-notch! There was lots of good conversation and fellowship. It's always nice to spend time with "pickleball friends" away from the courts.
Valentine's Round Robin - FFY - February 13th
The Valentine Round Robin at FFY was a big success! Twenty-three participants had a fun time playing without recording scores. There was "regular" play but also some unique things Nancy made them do: play a dink game, serve with their left hand, etc. Nancy is always so organized and has interesting ways for people to score points!
Thanks to Harry, Mike, and Ann for setting up the nets and having the gym ready to play! Thanks to Ray for making cedar candleholders that were used as prizes. And thanks to everyone who brought food. There was a lot of it and we fed the office staff, custodians, swimmers, and anyone who walked by!
A great group of participants!
Superb dinkers
Dan V, Mike H, Ray A, Monica K
Winners of Many Acts of Kindness
Kathy R, Joyce O, Elaine M
BEGINNER CLINIC COMMITTEE - NEED
CPC is looking for volunteers to head up or help on a Beginner Clinic committee so one person is not doing it all by themselves. Here are some of the duties that would be required:
Schedule clinics with FFY, MRC, or other agencies
Have graphics design volunteer make flyers
Have social media volunteers post in Facebook, GroupMe, and other community outlets
Recruit instructors and assistants (CPC has a few instructors but could use more. Assistants are usually plentiful)
If you have interest in leading or helping with this task and to find out what else is involved, please contact Nancy Conner at connern46@gmail.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE COLUMBUS SPRING OPEN at TLAC
On March 15-17, 2024 we will have our annual spring tournament at Tipton Lakes Athletic Club. We can't offer a great experience without volunteers. Sign up for a day you can participate and activity you would like to assist with. If you are playing in the tournament, we won't schedule you during your event. For each 4 hrs minimum volunteered, you will receive a $5 credit to your TLAC account whether you are a member or not ($15 max per day). Thank you for volunteering! Click this link to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090C49A5AB2AA6FE3-47485180-2024
CPC GroupMe
Want to know where & when to play in Columbus - join CPC GroupMe :)
CPC has various chats:
- CPC News & Information (auto enrolled) - the latest news about CPC
- Schedules (auto enrolled) - current pickleball schedules for various venues
- Ladies Monday Night - Ladies only all skill levels on 3 courts at Donner Park
- Men's Monday Night - Men only all skill levels on 3 courts at Donner Park
- CPC Comp Group - Intermediate on up skill level play
- CPC Rec Group - Beginners to Recreational skill level play
- CERA Sports - All skill levels with play at Ceraland Park
- TLAC Pickleball - For those that have a TLAC membership and would like to play during TLAC's Open Play in the mornings on Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday.
- Volunteer Assistants - Volunteers to assist with Beginner or Promo Clinics
If you would like to receive the "How To Join CPC GroupMe" pdf, e-mail Julie Geilker at ColumbusPickleballClub@gmail.com, or if you already have GroupMe on your phone, just scan the QR Code to join.
USA PICKLEBALL 2024 OFFICIAL RULEBOOK
Click the link below to download the 2024 Official Rulebook (it's 88 pages!), read about significant rule changes, and commit to memory important information. For example, this is on Page 2: Players should not question or comment on an opponent’s call, although any player may appeal a rally-ending line call to the referee before the next serve occurs.
CPC BRAND MERCHANDISE
CPC has partnered with Women Owned Business, Spotlight Strategies in Franklin. The CPC web store will be available all year round with lots of options as far as color, logo size, and placement of the CPC logo. You can also add personalization or a fun pickleball graphic.
No refunds or exchanges so please check sizing carefully (size charts available in product links). The Columbus Pickleball Club logo will appear on all items.
You may pick-up at their office, Juliana can distribute several orders at open play once a month, or they can ship to you (estimated shipping starting at $12). This is our Fall/Winter line and then when it starts to warm up we'll switch to a Spring/Summer line. In addition, CPC will receive 10% back on all orders. Get your CPC gear now :)
You can now purchase your items online in 3 easy steps:
1. Scan the QR code or go online to https://columbuspickleballgear.itemorder.com/
2. Choose your items and add them to your cart.
3. Securely check out with your credit card
Any questions? Contact Susan McCarty: 317-738-3434; orders@spotlight-strategies.com; http://www.spotlight-strategies.com
Go to the webstore for a closer look & options.
CPC Member Discount
PickleballCentral.com: Use discount code CRColumbus to receive a 5% discount on your total order before tax and delivery and help CPC receive a matching 5% towards an end of year gift card to use on future equipment purchases.
Indoor Venues
Foundation For Youth
- 2, 3, or 5 indoor courts on wooden gym floor, portable nets available, bring your own indoor balls.
- Recreational & Intermediate Open Play days & times.
- Refer to flyer for fees & check-in procedures.
- Please note days closed for special events and holidays.
March Schedule
Please notice start times during BCSC Spring Break and other changes to our "normal" schedule.
2024 FFY Drop-in Fees and Pass Pricing
Brown County YMCA
Round robin blind draw tournament the first Monday of each month.
Decatur County Family YMCA
3 indoor painted courts on gym floor - portable nets available, bring your own indoor balls.
Fees: Free YMCA Members or Drop-in fee $4, 10 punch card for $25, 15 punch card for $30
Beginner and Competitive open play times.
Mill Race Center
Greenwood Fieldhouse
411 S Madison
Greenwood, IN 46142
User Fees and Early Bird Pickleball
Greenwood Community Center
100 Surina Way
Greenwood, IN 46143
Tipton Lakes Athletic Club
Register online at https://tlac.clubautomation.com/. Create a TLAC account, if you don't already have one.
For more information on youth pickleball programs, pickleball events, leagues, or Beginner Pickleball lessons contact Sharon Guingrich: Email Sharon2k@hotmail.com Text cell 812-679-7477
TLAC Programs and Clinics
TLAC pickleball program additional information
Open Play
Register in advance to guarantee your spot!
Drills and Skills Schedule
Cardio Pickleball
Come enjoy a fun way to workout and play your favorite sport! Improve your overall skills, footwork, and endurance.
Winter Leagues
Outdoor Venues
Donner Park
Six courts free and open to the public.
Address: Located in Donner Park at the corner of 17th and Sycamore Streets
Recommended skill level play times at Donner Park
Skill Level definitions
Etiquette sign at Donner
CERA Sports Park
18 lighted pickleball courts. $5 gate fee per person
Address: 3989 S 525 E Columbus, IN 47203
They have lights!
Court rules
CERA Season Pass - Good April 1 thru October 31, 2024
Buy in person with a group of 4 or more and receive 25% off! Everyone in the group can be adults and do not have to be related.
Frustrated by hard-hitting opponents in pickleball? This video is your ultimate guide to outsmarting and outplaying aggressive 'bangers.' See the specific skills and strategies needed to turn the dynamics of the game in your favor, ensuring you're prepared to face any hard-hitter with confidence. From maintaining low and penetrating volleys to mastering the art of counterattack, all the bases are covered.