PICKLEBALL COMES TO THOUSAND TRAILS CHESAPEAKE BAY, VA!!

We started playing Pickleball at Thousand Trails Rancho Oso, near Santa Barbara, CA in 2002. We have enjoyed playing all over the country, and have made many great friends on many Pickleball courts. We LOVE this game!!

Several years ago, when we came back to Virginia, we introduced our favorite game, Pickleball, to family and friends who are “seasonal campers” at our home park, Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay. We ordered Spike’s Paddles for them and taught them the rules and strategies of the game.

But, for years we could only get a very few people interested in playing.





Joanne and Rick

Wayne and his wife Linda

We presented all of them pickle pins at a pinning ceremony. Joanne is so proud of her pin that she wears it as a charm on her gold charm necklace!!

Ken and MikeE

Father and Son – an unbeatable combination.

PICKLEBALL BOOMS AT TT CHESAPEAKE BAY

This past summer (2008) a strange thing happened!! Suddenly, lots of people started playing Pickleball. They came out every morning – wanted paddles and balls -- wanted to know how to play. We ordered more Paddles and balls. We gave lots of lessons. The new players, of course, taught their friends to play. And now we have a really good group of Pickleball players at TT Chesapeake Bay!!!







Eddie, Ken, Keith and Mark















Tim, Gilbert, Scott and Julie (Tim’s wife)

Scott, MikeE (hidden), Gilbert and Mike

Players then began asking, “How can I get a Pickle Pin?” “I want a Pickle Pin!” So, Faye conducted Pickle Pinning Ceremonies for the new players who showed enthusiasm and an indication that they loved the game!!

Faye gives a rousing “O”vation before pinning for some of the local players.
Mike, Tim, Julie, Scott, MikeE, Keith and his daughter, Ashley.

Another ceremony for more local players (plus a couple of visitors).
Bill, Eddie, Gilbert and Mark squatting. Jack and Winzell were visiting at the time.

Delores, our newest player; Katelyn, Mike’s daughter and a very enthusiastic player; and Butch who came down from Hershey. (Notice my new Pickleball shirt!!!)

PICKLEBALL FRIENDS VISIT CHESAPEAKE BAY, SUMMER OF 2008!!

Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay is different from a lot of other Thousand Trails parks. It is a family oriented park. Most of the people who frequent the resort are local campers and their families. But, we do have a few transients who pass through and have joined us for Pickleball. You may recognize some of them.

What a thrill it was when our long-time friends Wayne and Nancy visited the park from Montana and Arizona. It just happened that two other couples, who are good friends, were visiting at the same time. What FUN!!

Wayne and Nancy took us under their wings when we were just learning about Pickleball; Karen and Harry visiting from Pennsylvania; and Ralph and Mary from Kentucky.



Lynn and Steve have traveled around the country. They know and played with many of our friends.

Bill’s first love is Tennis, but he joins us on the Pickleball court occasionally.

Mike (white shirt and hat) and his wife Jeannette came from Happy Trails in Arizona. They knew so many of our old friends out west that we felt they were “old friends”, too.

Tom and his wife Amy (next picture) learned to play this past July. That’s when they were camped across from the Pickleball court. Every day they watched us play. Finally we told them there was a fee to watch, but the fee was waved if they participated. The next morning they were on the court. Now, they are the first ones on the court when they are here. We gave their daughter, Tabatha a pickle pin as an official Pickleball Orphan.


We first met Jack on the beginner’s court at Thousand Trails Peace River, FL this past winter. He said he was afraid to play with me (Faye). Said I kept yelling at him in Florida. “Get up to the line!!” “Stay back; Stay back!!”“Let it bounce!!”

Vickie was a new, enthusiastic player. She also joined Faye for Water Aerobics, and was pretty card-smart when playing Hand and Foot.

Harry’s expression shows how we all feel about the game!!!

SO MANY PLAYERS – SO LITTLE COURT SPACE -- ADDING MORE PICKLEBALL COURTS

Suddenly, in the Summer of 2008 there were so many Pickleball players at TT Chesapeake Bay that one court simply was not enough. Sometime we had 15-20 people waiting to play. A year ago we had talked with the Assistant Manager, Ru a Pickleball player herself, about painting two courts across the ends of the tennis court, making two more courts available for play. That was agreed to, but it was a matter of getting it done. With so many players, we now had plenty of volunteers. Ru ordered the nets and we did the rest!

Billy is a member of the Maintenance Staff. He was a major player in getting the lines for the new courts painted, and in setting the poles for the nets.

MikeE tapes the corners before painting.

Keith paints the first lines.

Gilbert and Eddie untangle lines for the nets.

HAPPY VOLUNTEERS!!!

MikeE, Billy, Eddie, and Mike

Delores’ husband Jimmy (behind) and the man in yellow shirt don’t even play.

FIRST ANNUAL LABOR DAY PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT AT THOUSAND TRAILS CHESAPEAKE BAY, VA!!

As you’ve read above, we now have a lot of really enthusiastic Pickleball players at TT Chesapeake Bay!!! Believe me, when they are here, they are on the courts at 8 - 11:30 in the morning and again from 7 – 11 at night!! They have gotten their spouses to play, as well as their friends!! Well. They are young!!! What can you say?


Soon, they were asking, “When can we have a tournament??”

Monday, Labor Day, seemed the perfect time. So we organized and ran a tournament -- the first for most of the players. We explained to all participants that it would be a round-robin format, strictly Luck-of-the-Draw. We had FOURTEEN participants for the First Annual Labor Day Pickleball Tournament!! A Great Time was had by all!!










Tournament Participants: Delores, Butch, Faye, Ken, Joanne, Rick, Linda, Wayne, Jack, Julie, Tim, Keith, Katelyn and her dad, Mike.

Our WINNERS!!
(Right to Left) Rick, lst Place.

Keith and Ken tied for 2nd but Luck-of-the-Draw gave Keith 2nd and Ken 3rd Place.

Participants pose with our Winners!!