Minutes of the SCF Pickleball Club
General Club Meeting
January 17th, 2019
Prior to the meeting member(s) of the Social Committee had obtained snacks, coffee and water for the membership to enjoy during the meeting.
Paper tablets were circulated for Members who attended to print their names.
Call to Order: Dave Pike called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Board Member Attendance was taken:
Dave Pike, President – Present
Bill Klein, Vice President - Present
Darrel Spiczka, Treasurer - Present
Lori Denault, Secretary - Absent
Ernie Jerome, Player Development - Present
Members in Attendance – 108 of the 756 Members were present. 152 would make a quorum.
Dave Pike, Club President, kicked off the meeting by welcoming everyone. Dave mentioned that this was not the Club’s business meeting. Dave gave special thanks to the previous Board Members, Bruce Burgess and Bill Baptista for their efforts in managing and growing the Club over the previous two years.
Dave went on to introduce the Board Members present. Specifically, the new Board Members: Darrel Spiczka (Treasurer) and himself (President), as well as continuing Board Members Bill Klein (Vice President), Lori Denault (Secretary) who was not able to attend and Ernest Jerome (Player Development). Dave also introduced the webmaster & communications person, Brock Taylor.
Dave next discussed the latest email blast (Court Safety email). It was pointed out that the AED at the Wagner Courts is located in the Men’s Room and the AED at the Sage Courts is behind the water fountain. Dave also pointed out where the court addresses are located in the event 911 had to be called. Both the Wagner and Sage Courts have had a first aid kit in the past; the one at Sage has walked away and the one at Wagner needs replenishing. Both will be addressed. Larry Spingola is the chair of the Safety Committee (unable to attend this meeting) but will be working on these and other safety issues.
Dave took the time to recognize a number of local players who were recent winners:
Happy TrailsTournament
Debbie Krebs & Russ Bishop Gold Mixed Doubles 4.0 60+ (Gold)
Rusty Adams Mixed Doubles 4.5 70+ (Sliver)
Sue Fox Womens Doubles 5.0 60+ (Silver)
Playing on the 17th:
Russ Bishop and Burt Bothell 4.5 70+ (Bronze)
Stan Dilley and Dennis Fox 4.5 70+ (Gold)
Craig Palermo 5.0 60+ (Gold)
Joe Pojman and Bruce Burgess 4.5 60+ (Bronze)
Playing on the 18th:
Brad Angle & Glen Graff 3.5 60+
Paul Pelnar and Bill Fisher 4.0 60+
Pat Hoon and Dave Pike 4.0 70+
Oxendahl & Mark Comer 3.5 60+
Dave went on to provide a little history on the club and its explosive growth over the years. Current Club demographics: 756 strong with over 70 tournament players. The sheer growth and multiple venues have created unintended consequences. When we only had 8 courts at Sage, we put our paddles on the rack and socialized while we waited our turn to play. Those days seem to be gone. The new Wagner Courts are are wonderful and we are lucky to have them. However, the sheer size of this venue naturally lends itself to more segregation. Dave asked “is there anything we can do to lessen its impact on the social side of the club?”
Some of his thoughts/ideas for everyone to consider. More involvement by more members. Specifically:
A) More social events/programming (Judy Kuczek & Sharon Daniels have volunteered on the Social Events side). They are already on the move. More volunteers are needed in this area. Dave would like to see more socially related programs throughout the year. And along those lines the National’s in Indian Wells would be a great social event for Club members. Dave mentioned renting a bus for a day to go the Nationals. Nationals are held in early November (2nd-13th). Quite the event and quite the venue. More information will be forthcoming.
B) New Member Welcome: A more personal welcome. In addition to the
welcome email, a personal call from a volunteer welcoming them to the
club and try to answer any questions they may have. Then a follow up a
week or two later.
C) Court Concierge Program during drop in: New members come to the
courts and many are intimidated by what they see. Where do I go, How
do I get in a game. You can tell them by the “Deer in the Headlights” look
on their faces. This is also an opportunity to meet and greet visitors to
the complex (future members and friends). Need volunteers for this program too.
D) Orientation Program for new members. A monthly or bi-weekly meeting off the courts where we go over the website and how to best utilize it. Go over schedule, Club Roster, Reserve a Court, Reserve the Ball
Machine, Ladder SignUp, etc. Need volunteers for this program too.
Dave reminded everyone that the Club runs on Volunteers and that we can do more – if we have more volunteers. Dave discussed some local communities where every member is required to volunteer or pay triple annual dues in place of volunteering. Dave pointed out the contributions of the rotational coordinators and coaches who are making a difference. Dave believes if the volunteer positions are defined and supported, that most members will choose to volunteer.
He introduced Ann Purvis as the Volunteer Coordinator. Ann spoke about not being shy about calling on folks and both Dave and Ann mentioned volunteer sign-up sheets in the back for the members to peruse and signup for.
Dave discussed these following “Volunteer” areas:
Sign Up sheets were available for attendees to volunteer for specific positions. Everyone was encouraged to participate. We are Powered by Volunteers.
Club members were invited to share their thoughts.
One suggestion was to use of Ball Machine for small groups organized by the Club volunteers. Basically, it would be on a reserved court for several hours for members to rotate through. There were some comments about issues with this idea.
A suggestion was made to have more organized play (2.0, 2.5 rotationals) which helps never folks get into the game. Such as 3 sessions of 2.0 each week. Bill Klein spoke about the issues such as needing more volunteer coordinators, plus availability of courts for additional play, plus all users tend to want to play at the same time, were discussed. The Club already has several 4.0 and 3.5 rotation each week, as well as having additional “hard” groups (requiring ITPTA / IAPATA ratings).
Question about getting on Wagner Courts. Players not knowing or ignoring paddles in racks. Suggestion for new signage regarding person waiting rule (1 person, 2 person, etc.). Intended to remind the players, not the person trying to get on the court. Dave mentioned that the HOA has rules about type of signage on the courts and that the court concierge program should help with getting on the courts.
Is there a way to know what local tournaments are coming up? Dave said that info is on pickleballtournaments.com and if we wanted specific SCF player info added to our website that we would need a volunteer to help. Several Festival players, including some in the audience, were playing in a local tournament the following day.
A suggestion regarding balls: leave the good balls on the court (Franklin), putting the old ones (Onyx) away. Another person mentioned that the Onyx seem better on windy days.
A suggestion was made about having a mentoring program (one person watching 4 players, providing suggestions, feedback as the quartet plays).
Policy regarding guests who are playing on the courts was explained. Technically guest can only play three times, members have priority on the courts.
Bill Klein (VP, Programs): Bill discussed TrackItHub, it’s used by hundreds of PB clubs, so we can’t make changes that only benefit us. TrackItHub can be hard to get registered, but once in it’s pretty easy to use. Schedules: New schedules are always posted and sent via email blasts. Willing to introduce new ideas and events. If the new events are not filled, then event is dropped. Current schedules provide more availability for different levels. Bill is always open to suggestions.
Bill was asked: “what happens when someone lower level plays in a higher rotational?” Another coordinator talked about hard rated play versus “more open rotation”. One member suggested using a list of rated player for the coordinators to refer members to. Another member said coaches always encourage people to play with better player. Dave said that drop in play is for you to challenge yourself, not to practice with your partner.
Ed Anthony (Facility/Asset Management): Lots of balls, Franklin is their choice, Onyx is a great training ball. Eventually, only Franklin will be used.
Dave: Reminder to sign up for volunteer jobs.
Sharon and Judi (Social committee)”: We’re going to plan some volunteer celebrations. What would you like to see at the Courts? Parties, socials, coffee/donuts?
Dave: Reminder about signup sheet in the back.
Safety Committee: Larry will be leading this.
Ernie Jerome (Player Development): Half-way through January modules, 120 members in current group. Limiting factor is the number of available coaches. Email blast on Friday asking for more coaching volunteers. Then signup info for February modules will be sent later in the month.
Dave: Discussed the two free 3.5+ clinics in February. Over 50 members are registered for the 24 slots, so a lottery will be used.
Dave turned it over to John Woollums to talk about the upcoming In-House Tournament, to be held March 18th – March 22nd. Most growth is in the 2.5 to 3.5 levels. John was to encourage all the new folks, especially the 2.5’s and 3.0’s to sign-up. Members can now sign-up on Pickleballtournaments.com; members will be able to sign-up on our website on February 1st. Volunteers can now sign-up on our website. The Board has set the cost of the tournament at $15.00, which should be break-even for this year. If you don’t play you can come and volunteer. A 70+ group was added for this year. There was a question about mini-tournaments again this year as preparation for newer players prior to the Tournament. The Board will decide if there will be mini-tournaments (need volunteers!).
Will there be a Blind Draw again this year? Yes, for up to 128 members and it will be co-ed. There will also be a blind draw group for 70+ players. John worked with Pickleballtournaments.com so that our In-House Tournament results will not reflect on players rankings.
Dave reminded members that the volunteer sign-up sheets were in the back of the room.
The meeting was adjourned.
Paper tablets were circulated for Members who attended to print their names.
Call to Order: Dave Pike called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Board Member Attendance was taken:
Dave Pike, President – Present
Bill Klein, Vice President - Present
Darrel Spiczka, Treasurer - Present
Lori Denault, Secretary - Absent
Ernie Jerome, Player Development - Present
Members in Attendance – 108 of the 756 Members were present. 152 would make a quorum.
Dave Pike, Club President, kicked off the meeting by welcoming everyone. Dave mentioned that this was not the Club’s business meeting. Dave gave special thanks to the previous Board Members, Bruce Burgess and Bill Baptista for their efforts in managing and growing the Club over the previous two years.
Dave went on to introduce the Board Members present. Specifically, the new Board Members: Darrel Spiczka (Treasurer) and himself (President), as well as continuing Board Members Bill Klein (Vice President), Lori Denault (Secretary) who was not able to attend and Ernest Jerome (Player Development). Dave also introduced the webmaster & communications person, Brock Taylor.
Dave next discussed the latest email blast (Court Safety email). It was pointed out that the AED at the Wagner Courts is located in the Men’s Room and the AED at the Sage Courts is behind the water fountain. Dave also pointed out where the court addresses are located in the event 911 had to be called. Both the Wagner and Sage Courts have had a first aid kit in the past; the one at Sage has walked away and the one at Wagner needs replenishing. Both will be addressed. Larry Spingola is the chair of the Safety Committee (unable to attend this meeting) but will be working on these and other safety issues.
Dave took the time to recognize a number of local players who were recent winners:
Happy TrailsTournament
Debbie Krebs & Russ Bishop Gold Mixed Doubles 4.0 60+ (Gold)
Rusty Adams Mixed Doubles 4.5 70+ (Sliver)
Sue Fox Womens Doubles 5.0 60+ (Silver)
Playing on the 17th:
Russ Bishop and Burt Bothell 4.5 70+ (Bronze)
Stan Dilley and Dennis Fox 4.5 70+ (Gold)
Craig Palermo 5.0 60+ (Gold)
Joe Pojman and Bruce Burgess 4.5 60+ (Bronze)
Playing on the 18th:
Brad Angle & Glen Graff 3.5 60+
Paul Pelnar and Bill Fisher 4.0 60+
Pat Hoon and Dave Pike 4.0 70+
Oxendahl & Mark Comer 3.5 60+
Dave went on to provide a little history on the club and its explosive growth over the years. Current Club demographics: 756 strong with over 70 tournament players. The sheer growth and multiple venues have created unintended consequences. When we only had 8 courts at Sage, we put our paddles on the rack and socialized while we waited our turn to play. Those days seem to be gone. The new Wagner Courts are are wonderful and we are lucky to have them. However, the sheer size of this venue naturally lends itself to more segregation. Dave asked “is there anything we can do to lessen its impact on the social side of the club?”
Some of his thoughts/ideas for everyone to consider. More involvement by more members. Specifically:
A) More social events/programming (Judy Kuczek & Sharon Daniels have volunteered on the Social Events side). They are already on the move. More volunteers are needed in this area. Dave would like to see more socially related programs throughout the year. And along those lines the National’s in Indian Wells would be a great social event for Club members. Dave mentioned renting a bus for a day to go the Nationals. Nationals are held in early November (2nd-13th). Quite the event and quite the venue. More information will be forthcoming.
B) New Member Welcome: A more personal welcome. In addition to the
welcome email, a personal call from a volunteer welcoming them to the
club and try to answer any questions they may have. Then a follow up a
week or two later.
C) Court Concierge Program during drop in: New members come to the
courts and many are intimidated by what they see. Where do I go, How
do I get in a game. You can tell them by the “Deer in the Headlights” look
on their faces. This is also an opportunity to meet and greet visitors to
the complex (future members and friends). Need volunteers for this program too.
D) Orientation Program for new members. A monthly or bi-weekly meeting off the courts where we go over the website and how to best utilize it. Go over schedule, Club Roster, Reserve a Court, Reserve the Ball
Machine, Ladder SignUp, etc. Need volunteers for this program too.
Dave reminded everyone that the Club runs on Volunteers and that we can do more – if we have more volunteers. Dave discussed some local communities where every member is required to volunteer or pay triple annual dues in place of volunteering. Dave pointed out the contributions of the rotational coordinators and coaches who are making a difference. Dave believes if the volunteer positions are defined and supported, that most members will choose to volunteer.
He introduced Ann Purvis as the Volunteer Coordinator. Ann spoke about not being shy about calling on folks and both Dave and Ann mentioned volunteer sign-up sheets in the back for the members to peruse and signup for.
Dave discussed these following “Volunteer” areas:
- Daily on the Courts Events (Heart of the Club): Bill Klein
- Facility/Asset Management: Ed Anthony
- New Member Steward: Dave Pike
- Social/Special One Time Events: Judi Kuczek & Sharon Daniels
- Player Development: Ernie Jerome
- Safety: Dave for Larry Spignola
- Financial/Audit: Dave Pike
- Communications: Brock Taylor
- Administrative: Dave Pike
- In House Tournament: John Woolums
Sign Up sheets were available for attendees to volunteer for specific positions. Everyone was encouraged to participate. We are Powered by Volunteers.
Club members were invited to share their thoughts.
One suggestion was to use of Ball Machine for small groups organized by the Club volunteers. Basically, it would be on a reserved court for several hours for members to rotate through. There were some comments about issues with this idea.
A suggestion was made to have more organized play (2.0, 2.5 rotationals) which helps never folks get into the game. Such as 3 sessions of 2.0 each week. Bill Klein spoke about the issues such as needing more volunteer coordinators, plus availability of courts for additional play, plus all users tend to want to play at the same time, were discussed. The Club already has several 4.0 and 3.5 rotation each week, as well as having additional “hard” groups (requiring ITPTA / IAPATA ratings).
Question about getting on Wagner Courts. Players not knowing or ignoring paddles in racks. Suggestion for new signage regarding person waiting rule (1 person, 2 person, etc.). Intended to remind the players, not the person trying to get on the court. Dave mentioned that the HOA has rules about type of signage on the courts and that the court concierge program should help with getting on the courts.
Is there a way to know what local tournaments are coming up? Dave said that info is on pickleballtournaments.com and if we wanted specific SCF player info added to our website that we would need a volunteer to help. Several Festival players, including some in the audience, were playing in a local tournament the following day.
A suggestion regarding balls: leave the good balls on the court (Franklin), putting the old ones (Onyx) away. Another person mentioned that the Onyx seem better on windy days.
A suggestion was made about having a mentoring program (one person watching 4 players, providing suggestions, feedback as the quartet plays).
Policy regarding guests who are playing on the courts was explained. Technically guest can only play three times, members have priority on the courts.
Bill Klein (VP, Programs): Bill discussed TrackItHub, it’s used by hundreds of PB clubs, so we can’t make changes that only benefit us. TrackItHub can be hard to get registered, but once in it’s pretty easy to use. Schedules: New schedules are always posted and sent via email blasts. Willing to introduce new ideas and events. If the new events are not filled, then event is dropped. Current schedules provide more availability for different levels. Bill is always open to suggestions.
Bill was asked: “what happens when someone lower level plays in a higher rotational?” Another coordinator talked about hard rated play versus “more open rotation”. One member suggested using a list of rated player for the coordinators to refer members to. Another member said coaches always encourage people to play with better player. Dave said that drop in play is for you to challenge yourself, not to practice with your partner.
Ed Anthony (Facility/Asset Management): Lots of balls, Franklin is their choice, Onyx is a great training ball. Eventually, only Franklin will be used.
Dave: Reminder to sign up for volunteer jobs.
Sharon and Judi (Social committee)”: We’re going to plan some volunteer celebrations. What would you like to see at the Courts? Parties, socials, coffee/donuts?
Dave: Reminder about signup sheet in the back.
Safety Committee: Larry will be leading this.
Ernie Jerome (Player Development): Half-way through January modules, 120 members in current group. Limiting factor is the number of available coaches. Email blast on Friday asking for more coaching volunteers. Then signup info for February modules will be sent later in the month.
Dave: Discussed the two free 3.5+ clinics in February. Over 50 members are registered for the 24 slots, so a lottery will be used.
Dave turned it over to John Woollums to talk about the upcoming In-House Tournament, to be held March 18th – March 22nd. Most growth is in the 2.5 to 3.5 levels. John was to encourage all the new folks, especially the 2.5’s and 3.0’s to sign-up. Members can now sign-up on Pickleballtournaments.com; members will be able to sign-up on our website on February 1st. Volunteers can now sign-up on our website. The Board has set the cost of the tournament at $15.00, which should be break-even for this year. If you don’t play you can come and volunteer. A 70+ group was added for this year. There was a question about mini-tournaments again this year as preparation for newer players prior to the Tournament. The Board will decide if there will be mini-tournaments (need volunteers!).
Will there be a Blind Draw again this year? Yes, for up to 128 members and it will be co-ed. There will also be a blind draw group for 70+ players. John worked with Pickleballtournaments.com so that our In-House Tournament results will not reflect on players rankings.
Dave reminded members that the volunteer sign-up sheets were in the back of the room.
The meeting was adjourned.