Updates

(Posted 8 AM, March 28, 2017) The Camp Verde Pickleball Program is averaging about 180 players per month.  Sunday participation averages well over 20 players.  Week day participation average in the 12 player range with occasional bumps up to 15-16.

The creation of the Kiddie Kort has been well received and gives children a safe place to dink around without interfering with adult play nearby.

Volunteer Jerry P.'s last day will be March 29.  If you haven't signed his "Thank You" card, please do so.  We so appreciate Jerry's contributions and service to the program.

Camp Verde Park's and Recreation finally changed the door on our gear closet.  It is a HUGE improvement and we are very appreciative.

Donations have reached a very stable and steady pace and those dotions are definitely keeping the program free-of-charge to all comers.

Sixteen regular players have bought their own custom paddles and that shows us they are truly committed to the program.  Those 16 players are the core of our regular players and you all know who you are.

We have had quite a few travelers visit the program, some for only one session and some for a few.  Their energy and ideas are such a welcome and wonderful addition to the program.

The skill level of regular players has increased dramatically since the program began December 1st, 2016.  We are very impressed and often humbled by the excellent skill levels exhibited on the three courts.

Thank You for your support for the program!
-------end of March 28th update.---------

(Posted at 6 AM, February 27, 2017)  It appears that between various volunteers and Town of Camp Verde Parks & Recreation Staff the Camp Verde Pickleball program will be conducted as scheduled while Parsons and McCulla are on vacation.
-----end of Feb. 27th update---------

(Posted @ 9 AM, February 20, 2017) Sunday Pickleball continues to be the program's busiest day.  Tuesday's are generally the lightest day.  Action picks up a little bit on Wednesday.  Eight players have now purchased their own paddles and that's a real compliment to the program.

We have been successful in fine tuning the Kiddie Kort on the gym stage and it is working out  very well.  Also, we have started taking beginners outside into the grass field to help them practice their serve.  This has been particularly effective and helpful for them.  Donations have ticked up a little bit and they are much appreciated.  On Sunday, February 19, we received $24 in donations, bringing the program total to well over $100 since its inception December 1st.

John & Susun are traveling down to the Chiricahua National Monument for an extended stay in early March.  Volunteers are needed to set up and take down the nets and gear while John & Susun are gone.

-------end of Feb 20th update---------

(Posted @ 10 AM, February 11, 2017)  Amazing how time flies.  It's been almost a month since we posted an update here.  We prepared a monthly report to submit to Camp Verde Parks & Recreation.  The report showed a total of 178 "court user days" were logged in January by over 60 different unique individuals.  First half January daily usage averaged 12 players.  Second half January daily usage averaged 17.5.  Total usage in the second half of January increased by 40% over first half January usage.  Usage so far in February is similar to the January averages.

We have staged three Sunday Sessions so far each with above average  attendance.  The Sunday Sessions  are proving very popular and will be continued for every Sunday during which the gym is available.  Some Sundays see a special event take place in the gym.  We will always send out a notice  each week as to whether the upcoming Sunday will be a Pickleball Day.

Total donations received since December 1, 2016, are $72.  Camp Verde Pickleball continues to be fee free.  However, donations DO help and are almost Most Welcome.  Thank You for your donations.   A few weeks ago, we started a GoFundMe campaign to buy a pickleball machine.  So far there are only three donors so it  is highly unlikely that the project will succeed.

On Sunday February 5, we set up practice hoops outside in the grass so four people could practice their serves.  It made a big positive difference  in the serving success of each of those individuals.  We plan to set up serve practice outside each Sunday when weather allows.

We are working on creating a "kiddie court" on the stage.  Also, we have a  plan to better protect and utilize the practice wall in the northeast  corner of the gym.

Camp Verde Parks & Recreation Division Director Mike Marshall listened closely and carefully to comments about glare from the north gym windows.  He is being pro-active and trying diligently to remedy the situation.  He appreciates your patience and is hopeful that a  solution can be found very soon.

Many Thanks to Ambassador Terri Clements to her gracious hospitality and assistance in getting Camp Verde Pickleball listed on the national USAPA "Places to Play" website.  To see the listing, go to this link, click on "AZ" and then scroll through the alphabetical listing to see Camp Verde's listing.

Many Thanks to Kevin Keller for publicizing the Sunday Sessions to Cottonwood players.  Cottonwood players now account for about half of the participants in each Sunday Session.

Many Thanks to Jerry Peasley for becoming an official Camp Verde Volunteer to help with coordination and administration of the Pickleball program.

After much experimentation, we are using the widely-accepted "paddle line up" for player rotation.  If  you have any questions about this method, please do ask John, Jerry or Susun.
-----end of February 11th update----------

(Posted @ 1:30 PM, January 13, 2017)  Hard to believe it's been almost 2 weeks since we've posted an update.  First, The Camp Verde Parks & Recreation Staff of Mike Marshall and Shawna Figy continue to be incredibly helpful, gracious, accommodating and down right FUN!  They are wonderful to work with and we are so grateful for their support for Camp Verde Pickleball.

Everything is running very smoothly thanks to Mike & Shawna.  They set up the program January 5th and had it working perfectly when Vyto Starinskas dropped in to take photos.  Vyto got a great shot of Jerry P.  You can see how Vyto's photos looked in the January 6th Camp Verde Bugle by going to this link: http://campverdepickleball.blogspot.com/2017/01/cv-bugle-news-article.html

The program is averaging over a dozen players for each session.  All three courts are generally kept busy throughout each two-hour time period.  The newspaper article has brought in a lot of newcomers, including some folks with experience and some eager beginners.  We're making sure any beginners are given as much hands-on instruction as they wish and, so far, we've received positive feedback for how we are working with newcomers.

One of new players in January actually built a pickleball court in Cornville in 1995!  Dave G. is very excited about the possibility of volunteering to expand the pickleball hours in Camp Verde--hopefully to Sunday mornings beginning in February.

On January 12, we put together a "crowd funding" project to see if there's any interest in pooling funds to buy a pickleball machine.  You can read all about that project here:  https://www.gofundme.com/verdepickleballmachine

We are thinking about the possibility of conducting a "skills drills" day once or twice a month on Mondays.  Such a day would be for practicing various shots such as serves, etc. and not specifically for drop-in pickleball play.

When we told Mike and Shawna about the success of Cottonwood's first pickleball tournament, they both expressed immediate interest in staging a tourney in Camp Verde, possibly soon.  Mike and Shawna think it would be a great way to raise money for one of their summer camps for youth. The first "Dink For Pink" tournament held January 8th raised over $1400 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Here's a link to the tournament news release and some photos:
http://arizonapickleball.blogspot.com/2017/01/1st-annual-dink-for-pink-tournament.html

We are very pleased at the progress to date regarding Camp Verde Pickleball.  It's beginning to look like we have a good, solid core of about a dozen regular players.  Not all of that dozen plays every day but about a half dozen of those regular players generally show up on any given day.

As always for forever, we welcome your suggestions and ideas on how to improve the program.
Thanks for reading.  Have a Wonderful Day & Many Happy Cheers!  jp


(Posted @ 5 PM, 1/1/17) The 1st Annual Camp Verde Pickleball (CVPB) New Year's Day Event was a Great Success.  A total of 17 players attended and all three courts were kept busy during the 11 AM to 2 PM time period.  Several players new to CVPB were on hand, including four Snow Birds from the Zane Gray RV Park on West Clear Creek.  Two veteran players traveled to Camp Verde from Cottonwood and brought a Friend to introduce to the sport.  Two 1st time players came over from Clarkdale to give the sport a try.  Another  player came from Flagstaff.  Donations of $40 and a box of candy were received and much appreciated.  Some scenes from the 1st CVPB NYD event are shown below.
 Three courts were used for the very first time on New Year's Day 2017.  They worked great.  The netting between each of the courts really helped a lot.
 Camp Verde resident Nancy (left) and Lake Montezuma resident Curt (right) were tough to be NYD when they play as a team.
 Susun (right) make a great return to Clair (left) and Pat on Court #2.
Marsha (left) and Hugh from Clarkdale easily won the NYD Pickleball Mannequin Challenge!

(Posted @ 8 AM, 12/22/16) Camp Verde Pickleball utilized a second court and net for the first time on December 21.  Fourteen players attended the 12/21/16 session, the most yet during four weeks of play.

Camp Verde Parks & Recreation Division Director Mike Marshall announced after the 12/21/16 session that he is buying a 3rd net and three courts will be taped into the gym by the 12/28/16 session.  Mike also indicated he intends to put pickleball court lines on an outdoor basketball court near the gym.

In other Big News, Mike thinks going to two days a week is a good idea.  Tentatively, play will be stages on Tuesdays & Wednesdays beginning January 3rd.

Meanwhile, Mike discussed the evolving community park  on Hwy 260 near the USFS Verde Ranger Station east of town.  The draft master plan for the park to date has included six tennis courts and no pickleball courts.  After seeing the early success of pickleball, Mike thinks two tennis courts and eight pickleball courts would be a much better mix for the new park.  However, nothing in that regard is set in stone and still must be decided in the future as the park site planning and design process begins.

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