Winter in Paradise- Pickleball at Kings Point

We're always surprised when we visit Louann and her pickleball group at Kings Point in Sun City Center.  She takes such great pride in putting on a fun day of pickleball for everyone of every age and every skill level.  She is such a creative lady and that is most evident in the pickleball goodie bags and the pickleball awards she puts together for winners.  Today, the weather was exceptionally cold so how appropriate that the  goodie bags complete with juice, breakfast bars, crackers, cookies or chocolate bars also came with little note pads cleverly attired in colorful sweatshirts . Trophies awaited the first place winner, paper weights the second place winners, and bronze medals for those finishing third. Every item displayed either the Winter In Paradise Logo and/or the pickleball paddles.

Everyone arrived bundled for the blast of cold weather that set in over night.  Last night we were playing in our shorts and t-shirts, but this morning we welcomed the low 40's and wind!  Below at the check in table is Nate, Hedy, Art and Buddy.

How cold was it?  Hedy's face tells it all!  In the lower left corner is Scott Nelson, our fellow USAPA ambassador who drove all the way from Satellite Beach ( near Melbourne) on the east coast!!  That's his son Joshua with him.  And in the lower right is Pat, Zachary and Chris who drove down from our home community in Wesley Chapel along with Pat's wife Suzi and Zack's mom, Karen.  Don Bass, also from our home community was supposed to be with them, and playing with me today..........but he tore his hamstring playing pickleball two nights ago.

 

As the day wore on it became a little more bearable; the sun came out and people started shedding layers of clothing.  They call me a Polar Bear..... but check out Karen and Nate!!!! 

Pictured  below in the top four pictures are Karen, Hedy, Buddy and Nate.  On the bottom row left is Jean who drove over from Torrey Oaks, and on the right is Louann and her partner Nadine.   Congrats to Nate and Buddy on their Second Place finish!

Rich partnered up with Chris from Wesley Chapel.  Art was supposed to play with Don Bass - so when he could not play, Rich stepped in and played with Art.   They played off the medal match for 3rd and 4th place against Zachary and Pat - and Art and Rich brought home the Bronze Medal!!   Below are pictures of Rich playing with both Chris and Art.

Karen, like Rich played with two partners today.  She played with Hedy and she played with me.   We started off pretty bad - and I'm just going to blame it on the wind, and a little nerves, despite the fact that we had some pretty tough competition.  We were sure we were not in the running for a medal, so Rich and I took off for home.  About 1/2  mile down the road, Nate called to say Karen and I were due to playoff for the Bronze.  We Kicked Butt!!!  Not really.........our competition was late for another engagement and had to leave.  So by default we take home the Bronze! 

And below - the rest of the gang from home.  That's Karen and Suzi (in the blue) and Pat and 12 year old Zachary.  Don't let his age fool you.  He's really a very talented young man, and plays a mean game! 

Rich and I did not play in the mixed doubles in the afternoon - but most of our friends did.  So we're still waiting to hear the results.

The weather could have been a little more accommodating today - but it was a fun day with our pickleball family.