April 25, 2021

PPPA – WEEKLY EMAIL BLAST

WEBSITE ISSUES ARE RESOLVED!

In this week's blast:

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• 2021 PPPA BOARD ELECTIONS - NOMINATIONS DUE MAY 1ST

• NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION

• BEAR CREEK REGIONAL PARK UPDATE

• REQUEST FOR PIKES PEAK OR BUST PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
• PPPA STORE IS OPEN!
• PICKLEBALL CENTRAL'S REWARDS PROGRAM
• BUY ON AMAZONSMILE TO BENEFIT PPPA
• KING SOOPERS COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM BENEFITS PPPA

  2021 PPPA BOARD ELECTIONS - NOMINATIONS DUE MAY 1ST

APRIL is nomination month for PPPA Board positions!  This being an odd year, Vice President, Secretary, Education and Training Director and Membership Director are open for nomination. Next year being an even year, we will do the same for President, Treasurer, Tournament Coordinator and our Special Projects Director. Election results for this year will be announced to our Membership in early June. 

We will conduct our nomination search and vote for the open board positions of Vice President, Secretary, Education and Training Director and Membership Director whose job descriptions are attached below for your consideration.  Each Board position is a two-year term beginning on July 1^st.  The current incumbents for each of these positions, except for Education and Training Director, are currently serving their first term and are all eligible to run for a second term.

To nominate yourself or someone else please send the nomination no later than May 1^st via email to Charlie Rush, Nomination Committee Chairperson, at charleswrush@gmail.com.

A member of our Nominating Committee will contact anyone who is self-nominated, or nominated by another Association member, and ask for a short write up with your specific experience/qualifications to include in the formal ballot.  Note that the elected Officers and Directors of PPPA have a responsibility to avoid financial and organizational conflicts of interest that impact their objectivity, or appearance thereof, in the conduct of their roles as Association Board Members.  In accordance with “best practices” of the National Council for Nonprofits, the Principles & Practices for Nonprofit Excellence in Colorado, and the established policy of PPPA; each new or re-elected Board member will need to review and sign their individual annual Conflict of Interest disclosure in June of each year (see PPPA Policy 6, Part 1 & Part 2).

On the second Sunday in May (this year it’s the 9^th), the completed ballot (job description, nominee names, and their qualifications) for these four 2021 Board positions will be sent to ALL CURRENT PPPA MEMBERS WITH A LISTED EMAIL ADDRESS.  If you are sharing your email address (not recommended) you will have ONE vote from that address, and your vote will be due one week later on/before Sunday May 16^th for tabulation by the Nominating Committee and announcement to our Membership in early June.

Additionally, the following PPPA committees are in need of a lead and/or a co-lead: 

• Fundraising Committee Chairperson
• Silent Auction Committee
• % of Sales Committee
• Website/Blast Manager

Your time, experience, enthusiasm would be most welcome.  Our club now has 1067 active members and NEW AND EXPANDED PROGRAMS CANNOT BE OFFERED WITHOUT YOUR VOLUNTEER HELP.  The more hands the better; the task then becomes smaller.

Job Descriptions:

• Vice President (Incumbent is not running for re-election)
• Secretary (Incumbent is not running for re-election)
• Education and Training Director (Incumbent is term limited)
• Membership Director (Incumbent is not running for re-election)

Thank you for your support in this election cycle.

Roslyn Block, PPPA Membership Director

Please Click the Balloon!

  NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION

PPPA New Member Orientations will resume on Thursday, May 13, at 4:30 PM at the pavilion at Monument Valley Park Pickleball Court. The goals of the orientation are as follows:

To incorporate our new members into play at MVP and the Pickleball community

Gain an understanding of how the PPPA organization works and introduce new members to our governing board

To sign up for organized playing opportunities which include those with guided instructions to help improve your PB game

Of course, you will also meet other new members!  Anyone who is struggling (new and old) to get connected in our 1,000-member group should come and find the perfect place to join in.  Going forward these orientations will take place on the first Thursday of each month during our outdoor playing season.  Keep your eyes posted on the website calendar for upcoming events.  If you have your name tag, please wear it. All new members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

If you have any questions, contact Ros Block, Membership Director at blockparty.ros@gmail.com

  BEAR CREEK REGIONAL PARK UPDATE

I am very happy to announce that we have a date for the grand opening for our beautiful new courts!

The grand opening ceremony will occur on June 26, 2021 at 9am and all are welcome to attend!

I should also note that the courts will be opening the same weekend as the Regional tournament, so there will be a place to play while MVP and CC are closed for the tournament.  It wasn’t planned that way, but it should work out well; especially for those looking for a place to warm up during the tournament.

Many things will be happening between now and then, not the least of which is the surfacing.  As I have written in previous updates, we need to have a solid 3 days with night-time temperatures above 35 degrees in order to properly apply the acrylic surface coating.  Worry not, we have enough time in the schedule to ensure that we will meet the opening date.

Work will also be taking place on the landscape, the electrical system, and various other smaller checklist items.

On to an important topic, the Paddle-Up system.  I am pleased to announce that we are going to be using a paddle-up system that is custom made by one of our own; Kevin Gardner of “The Warehouse”.  Kevin and I have modified a system that is in use at hundreds of facilities throughout the country and should work perfectly at Bear Creek.

Let me take a moment to explain how it will work.  If you look at the included picture, you will see a similar paddle-up system that we are modifying.  Although the system shown is for a different facility, the idea is generally the same.  More on that in a moment.

At BCRP, we have 12 courts in total.  Those twelve courts are effectively in 4 different sections, with each section having 3 courts each.  Using our new paddle-up system, we will have four different paddle-up stations; one station for every three courts.  Each paddle-up station will have 12 paddle slots, so three groups can paddle-up for the three courts that are adjacent to the station.  Please note that each station is only for the three courts that are adjacent to a particular station.  To state it another way, whatever station you paddle-up on is only for those three courts.  If you wish to play on a different set of courts, you will need to paddle-up on the station that is adjacent to your desired courts.

Back to the picture.  Again, this is not the exact system that we will be using, but it is very similar.  The picture shows 20 paddle slots and ours will have 12 slots per station.  3 courts x 4 players = 12 paddles.  You get the idea. 

This system should resolve some of the inherent issues that facilities experience angst with and should definitely cut down on the amount of yelling that takes place across a large parcel of land.

Colorado Springs Pickleball is growing and it has been wonderful to work with El Paso County to bring this idea to fruition!  Please come join us at the grand opening! If you have any questions, please email info@pikespeakpickleball.com.

Jim McMahon, Special Projects Director, PPPA