THE PICKLE POST
PRESCOTT PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER - 5/1/25
UPDATES
What a great event and such a great group of women!!! It was such a fun night of line dancing, pickleball, dinner, and glow-in-the-dark play! Thank you to all that attended and made it such a memorable event. We will have much more like this in the future. Click here for some great memories from the evening.
SUMMER KIDS CAMPS
We are gearing up for the summer camp with The Boys & Girls Club of Prescott and Espire Sports. These camps will be held each Monday, June 23 to July 21 from 11:00-1:00. PPA will be providing paddles, volunteer instructors, and fun for these children. We are still in great need for volunteers to assist with the camps. This is such a great opportunity to help children learn the joy of the sport we all love to play. No experience necessary just a desire to teach the children the love of Pickleball. If you are interested in joining the team, please send an email to
prescottpickleball@gmail.com and we will get you plugged in.
LOST & FOUND
Lost a jacket? Contact prescottpickleballvp@gmail.com. All items will be donated mid-May
NEW NEWS
PLAYER EVALUATION PROGRAM
Pre-registration is now open
In preparation for our player evaluation program to kick off, our instructors will now be taking reservations for time slots starting June 1, 2025. In order to reserve you need to contact PJ Janik at 928-237-0452 and he will set up times for both he and Rick Bothell. Click here for more information. Our evaluators are Rick Bothell and PJ Janik.
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION
In our desire to offer more to our membership in the way of value and communication, we are holding the first ever new member orientation meeting. During this meeting we will explain how PPA works, including communication, courts, play, lessons, etc. We will be offering these meetings every month for new members. Since this is our first meeting we invite anyone who is relatively new to PPA to join us.
Date: May 3, 2025 from 9-10
Location: Pioneer Park Pavilion
GUYS NIGHT OUT!
Gentlemen mark your calendars for July 12, 2025. This will be a fun night of Pickleball, Corn Hole, Food, and more. If it goes the way Girl's Night Out went, it is going to be an epic night. Registration will begin June 1, 2025. Stay tuned.
EVENTS
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Come join us for the 2025 PPA Member Tournament at Pioneer Park on May 17-18, 2025. This tournament has various brackets and while not sanctioned will look just like a regular tournament format. One addition that will be added is a beginner bracket for those that are rated 2.5 and lower. Click here for more information and to register! Look forward to seeing you there.
A great tournament that supports the health and protection of animals while providing a great Pickleball experience. Registration is still open, so don't miss out. There are a great deal of brackets available and many have already signed up. You can sign up with a partner or request a partner. This tournament will be played at our own Pioneer Park so don't miss the opportunity to get in some good competitive Pickleball. Click here to register.
NEW COED LADDER
All levels welcome for this evening ladder. Just drop in and join us at Pioneer Park Tuesday's from 5:00 - 7:00 for some great Pickleball!
THE COACHES CORNER
Pickball Shoes 101
This week’s Coaches Corner will not help you serve, dink or volley, but it may help you
from getting injured. Also it may contribute to you being able to enjoy the game of
Pickleball better and safer! Do I have your interest yet???
How many times have you been out at Pioneer Park and have seen all sorts of footwear being worn? In the last month, I have seen “Flip Flops”, hiking boots and even bare feet! The most amazing one I saw a couple of weeks ago was the Roller Blades! But the more frequent shoe being worn out on the Pickleball courts is the running shoe! This is the shoe (next to the Flip Flops) that could cause you the most harm. Let me explain why.
First and foremost, I am a self admitted “Sneaker Head” person. But, don’t hold that against me! A Sneaker Head (at least in my case) has literally dozens of different types of sneakers (in a display case), follows StockX for sneaker prices that are going up and down like the Stock Market. A Sneaker Head wears one shoe to play on the courts and another shoe everywhere else (guilty!-but with a plausible explanation as I don’t want road contaminates on my pickleball shoes). I also make an annual trek to Las Vegas to attend “Sneaker Con”, but that’s another story! Where I became interested in sports footwear is when I become a certified physical fitness instructor. I noticed that when guys and gals who were getting back into running, started complaining of getting shin splints, which are those sharp needle like pains inside your lower legs. I later learned that one of the first things to look at was what type of running shoes were they wearing!
A running shoe is a shoe that is designed with a tread that enhances movement going forward. Period! Running shoes don’t do particular well going sideways or backwards (of course we never go backwards in pickleball-right?) As a result there is a lack of structural support for foot, ankle and knee that can lead to injuries.
So, what is the best type of shoe for Pickleball? Well, one that has will give your feet and ankles the support they need and the comfort for you to play endless hours of Pickleball! These shoes will need to accommodate forward, sideways and yes, even backward movement. A “true” tennis shoes that has a ribbed sole. Also, most high quality basketball shoes and believe it or not, there are now specific shoes designed for Pickleball, such as the Selkirk Court Strikes. There are many other brands such as “K-Swiss” and “Head” which are enjoyed by both tennis and Pickleball players as well. I don’t endorse any particular shoe as every person’s comfort and feel is different. But, I can definitely say that a quality shoe will allow you more comfort and hopefully keep you upright! Another thing, which I always recommend whether it comes to paddles or in this case, sneakers, is to ask other players what brand they are happy with. Once you have decided what may work for you, you can find just about any of these shoes on Amazon, Pickleball Central or even on the Selkirk websites to name a few sources. I like to support local business, so a trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods or the Nike Outlet Store in Anthem is another way to try on a shoe. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to call me or ask me! I probably have one of these shoes mentioned above in that display case!
PJ Janik is a certified Pickelball Coach through Pickleball Coaching International, a certified Player Skills
Evaluator and Selkirk Advocate. He can be reached at (928) 237-0452.
