PIKES PEAK AREA COURTS OPEN FOR PLAY

For those PPPA members who played in The Great Plains Regional (GPR) tournament at MVP, what a wonderful weekend of weather and we hope you all played your best!

For those PPPA members who didn’t play in the tournament, we hope you took advantage of the other pickleball court opportunities in our local area.  These “Places to Play” can be found on our website at https://pikespeakpickleball.com/where-to-play.

The Bear Creek Regional Park pickleball courts remained available for open play thanks to your PPPA Board engaging with El Paso County Parks (EPCP).  GPR requested the use of the Bear Creek Park Pickleball courts in addition to the MVP courts.  Due to the strong relationship PPPA has with EPCP, their management asked for our thoughts.  Less than 10% of our PPPA membership play in such major local tournaments and it is important that we and our local government agencies ensure court resources are available for the other 90+% of non-tournament local and visiting players.  Therefore, the PPPA Board provided EPCP with the attached letter, recommending these courts remain for open play.  This would allow our members and other casual, local players to use this Bear Creek facility while the GPR tournament utilized MVP. 

You may have noticed that MVP is hosting numerous tournaments this year.  The PPPA Board encourages you to look for other local opportunities during those times when MVP may not be available for open play.  It is our goal to continue working with Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services and EPCP to balance tournament play with open play, while also advocating and financially supporting the construction of new courts.  Both Bear Creek Park and the new Coleman Park have plans for additional pickleball courts.  PPPA will continue to advocate for additional courts, to support our ongoing membership growth and the local community.  Thank you for your continued support!

PPPA Board of Directors

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    PPPA VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC PARADE JUNE 5^TH
  

  Fellow PPPA Members,

  We are asking some of our members to volunteer to march in the Olympic/Paralympic Hall of Fame Festival Parade on Saturday 6/25.  The parade will start at 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 25, 2022, to honor the inductees to the Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.  Several other local sports clubs and coaches will be walking in the parade. Their website is https://usopm.org/hof/

  The route begins at the Pioneers Museum and ends at the plaza in front of the Museum.  This would be a great opportunity to show our support for Olympic/Paralympic Museum. 

  Please contact Dan Lovelace to volunteer for this parade.  We need your help and responses by Tuesday June 15, 2022. 

  Regards and thanks in advance, 

  Dan Lovelace

  Education and Training Director

  Dano1@q.com

  
  

  
  

  

  Please Click on Balloon

  
  

  
  

    AN UNTAPPED FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR PPPA
  

  As you know, part of our PPPA nonprofit mission is to help develop new Pickleball court resources for our local community.  Consistent with that mission, PPPA has been very successful over the last several years in partnering with our local City and County governments in delivering 31 new dedicated community Pickleball courts at Monument Valley, Venezia and Bear Creek parks.  This is in large part due to the co-funding that our PPPA organization has provided to encourage and facilitate such partnerships for the advantage of our local players.  For example, PPPA contributed $101,000 in cash and materials along with a $20,000 grant that PPPA received from the El Pomar Foundation toward the Bear Creek Regional Park Pickleball venue.  Our cash contribution came from PPPA member dues, tournament proceeds, corporate sponsorships, and "passive fundraising" from our membership's participation in programs like King Soopers Community Rewards. 

  However, relatively few of our PPPA households have taken advantage of this King Soopers "free money" to PPPA.  Please see the attached data from April of this year that shows less than 8% of our PPPA families are enrolled in this PPPA court funding resource--that alone could generate the equivalent of nearly ONE Pickleball court a year in revenue for new courts. The King Soopers link on the attachment will also show you how to set up your digital account with linkage back to our PPPA nonprofit organization.   

  We very much encourage your family to take advantage of this and the other passive fundraising opportunities that are listed on our website

  Your PPPA Board of Directors

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    NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS AT COLEMAN PARK PUBLIC FORUM

  WHAT - We need as many of you and your pickleball friends and family as possible to attend a Community Forum on Thursday, June 16 @ 5:30-7:30pm where the public will have the opportunity to provide input and influence the design of the Coleman Community Park, an undeveloped 70-acre future park on the east side near the area of Barnes Rd & Tutt Blvd.  This area will eventually become a multi-faceted outdoor recreational destination and sports-minded hub for eastern Colorado Springs. It’s expected that the park will be comparable to Memorial or John Venezia community parks, with sports fields and a playground.  Invite your neighbors as well.

  The event will include guided or self-guided creek tours; learning opportunities to highlight project goals, site opportunities and constraints; public input stations; vouchers for free food; and a survey opportunity where we will individually advocate for pickleball courts to be included in the park Master design plan.

  WHEN - Thursday, June 16; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

  WHERE - Coleman Community Park, located near Barnes Rd and Tutt Blvd adjacent to UCHealth Park, home of the Rocky Mountain Vibes, and Martin “Ed” Ragain Field, the Switchbacks former training field; parking will be available in the east side lot (enter from Barnes Road and Charlotte Parkway).

  Visit ColoradoSprings.gov/ColemanPark for more information about the event, Master Plan, and to sign up for project updates.

  PLEASE COME AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS….

  
  

  
  

    COLORADO OPEN - PIKES PEAK OR BUST TOURNAMENT

  PPPA has partnered with the USSP for this "NEW" Tournament in the Colorado Springs Community

  Please see the attached flyer for details on how to sign up!

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 THE PPPA ONLINE STORE IS OPEN 

 
Looking for gifts for yourself or pickleball loving family members or friends? Look no further! We have restocked our shelves and PPPA logo merchandise is now on sale with most sizes and colors of tee shirts, pullovers, hats and visors currently available in limited supplies online at the PPPA Store (pikespeakpickleball.com). Simply go to the website, click on the “Store” link, and follow the prompts to search for available colors, sizes, and styles.

Payment can be made through PayPal or with your own credit card. Your purchase will be mailed to you for an additional charge, or you may choose to pick up your item(s). Pick up instructions will appear on your confirmation if you choose this option. Supplies are limited so log on and shop today!

Erica Roberts, Merchandise Manager

 PICKLEBALL CENTRAL'S REWARDS PROGRAM

Save 5% and 5% comes back to PPPA in an annual Pickleball Central gift card!

Interested in saving 5% on pickleball gear, clothing and training aids?  PPPA is now enrolled in Pickleball Central’s Club Rewards program.  Here are the details for you and PPPA to benefit from:

When purchasing any items from www.PickleballCentral.com, enter CRPikes and you will receive an automatic 5% DISCOUNT and PPPA will earn 5% of every purchase that uses the code in an end-of-the-year gift card to purchase anything that PPPA needs – balls, extra paddles, nets, whatever we need!    (The code is not case sensitive.)

Here's more about the ClubRewards program.