PickleBallFix:June26 ,2020
Hooray! We’re back to six (6) courts, and we've just about completed our first week of the summer play schedule. Four (4) courts are available daily from 7am to 11:30am and all six (6) courts from 11:30am - 8pm. Sign up on the Den for the time slot(s) you prefer up to six players/court. Remember that Court 4 is the Beginner/Novice Court, and it has been well used this week. Thanks again for those who have signed up as mentors to help some of our newer players. The summer schedule can be found at the following link: http://www.tppickleballclub.org/spring_schedule_june_22_2020rev1.pdf. The schedule is also posted on the Lodge Bulletin Board.
Court Sign-up
Here’s a quick review on signing up for courts. When you sign up on Den for the day/date and time slot when you want to play, note that each court is now listed on Den and on the Courts with a specific number.
--Court 4 is the only one that has a special focus of Novice/Beginner.
--Courts 1,2,3,5, and 6 are not numbered by level of play.
--Courts 5,6 are available after 11:30am.
--Court 2 may be set up with the ball machine.
As with some time slots being most popular (e.g., 9-11am and 6-8pm), some courts have advantages too. For example, an end court has only one side where balls from another court may interrupt play; some courts have sun at particular times making it difficult to see an oncoming ball; and some have more shade than others at certain times of day. These issues are all part of playing the game especially outside. When you sign up, let’s all try to share so that all players have opportunities to sign up for different courts. Also, if players sign up for a particular court and another they would prefer is open, it is okay to move. Or, if you see a player without a court or a court with only 3 players, invite them to play on your court, if possible. The current setup is temporary until we see where the pandemic takes us. Let's encourage sharing so that all can have fun and enjoy playing pickleball.
From TPPCP Marie Knowlton: Safety Precautions
Although we are moving forward to resume a full schedule of pickleball play, we must still continue to be cautious. The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA.org) has a guide to a safe return to playing pickleball (https://www.usapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/COVID-19-RETURN-TO-PLAY_USAPA.pdf). Some are suggestions that have already been adopted here in Timber Pines.
As the TPPC continues in Phase 2, it is important to emphasize safety as we play pickleball. Ralph Van Dusen, President of the TP Tennis Club, sent a notice to Tennis Club members in which he emphasized that when playing tennis, players should use common sense and act responsibly. I also thought his suggestions on how to move forward cautiously were well taken, and I wanted to pass them along to our pickleball players as follows.
- Experts say that it's possible, but not common, to contract COVID-19 from a contaminated surface or from quick encounters with people outdoors. That's why maintaining a social distance is so important during play. On the Lodge Courts tables are more than six feet apart, some chairs are available and players can bring their own chairs. Sanitizer and towels are also available to disinfect chairs, balls and other surfaces touched.
- It appears that close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods in crowded events are responsible for spreading COVID, and crowded events maximize the risk. For these reasons Timber Pines hasn't opened up any social events for clubs yet and the Country Club bar stools have been removed.
- The recent average age of someone testing positive for COVID in Florida is 37. That doesn't mean that we are more resistant to the disease, it simply means that we have made better decisions than some younger Florida residents.
Overall, Timber Pines has been taking the right steps. As Ralph mentions, we must continue the good work, be respectful of others, be sure to maintain social distancing whenever possible and wash our hands often. As we travel outside of Timber Pines, we need to be careful so that we do not bring back an unwanted virus to our community that can easily spread to our friends and neighbors. We must all do our part to keep everyone safe.
Thank you, Ralph, well said.
PARC
For the latest update on progress at the PARC site, click the link on the TPPC website at https://timberpines.com/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fMember-Central%2fPARC_Construction_Progress that goes directly to PARC photos on the TP website and just log on with your TP user ID/password.
Posted by the USAPA, an interesting article in the New York Times, “Is Pickleball the Perfect Pandemic Pastime” emphasizes the growing popularity of pickleball and some of the reasons we enjoy the game so much (https://www.usapa.org/usapa-news/new-york-times/). The article reports that the pandemic has increased the number of pickleball fans/players because the game is easy to learn, players can create their own makeshift courts and exercise with their friends and colleagues.
Let’s get together and play pickleball here in Timber Pines! Happy TPPC 10th Anniversary!
Stay safe,
Marie Knowlton, TPPCP