Lincoln Park Pickleball Complex dedicated

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper made a great speech July 24 and cut a ribbon to dedicate the  newly-named Lincoln Park Pickleball Complex.  Twenty four players immediately filled all six courts.  It was a milestone day for Idaho Falls Pickleball.  Mayor Casper was joined by Parks & Recreation Division Supervisor Greg Weitzel, Parks Superintendent Brent Martin, Recreation Superintendent PJ Holm and Public Information Officer Kerry Hammon.

Island Park Pickleball

(Editor's Note:  As a  service to our Idaho Falls players, we are going to do a series of posts describing pickleball possibilities in neighboring communities.  These posts will probably be aggregated into a stand-alone blog.)

Yes, Island Park Pickleball is alive and well...and poised to get bigger and stronger than ever before.  In early July, Lorne Koch's crew put down permanent pickleball court lines onto the two tennis courts located at the private Island Park Village Resort Clubhouse.  Koch used the correct stripe color and line width and the shared use of the tennis courts works perfectly.

The court surface is in great shape and there's a great view in all directions.  Regular public drop-in pickleball takes place every Tuesday and Friday from 9 AM to Noon.  Even though the facility is private, the public is welcome for pickleball.  There is a $5 fee but that's very reasonable considering the facilities and the beautiful location in Island Park's northern area.

Marianne Reese is the contact person for Island Park Pickleball.  You can contact her at 208-558-0234.  We do not have her email address.

We met Marianne on July 14 and she and the other players were happy, gracious people.  They were all excited about having permanent stripes after a few years of "make-do" chalk, tape and other informal ways of marking courts.

Basically, Island Park Pickleball is located in the Northeast quadrant of the US 20 intersection with North Big Springs Loop Road.  Below are graphics showing the location of the courts.

 The above graphic is for general reference to West Yellowstone and other landmarks.

 The above graphic shows well known landmarks Big Springs and I P Bills Island for reference.

And, finally, here's the nitty gritty of getting to the courts of US 20.  Note that Sawtelle Peak Road is comprises the other leg of that major intersection with US 20.

Lincoln Park courts finished and curing

 The Lincoln Park courts were finished Friday, July 14.  However, they won't be available for play until at least July 24.  Why?  Well, the chemicals in the new coating had to "cure" for at least a week before the surface can be used.

In the meantime, the courts are locked up to keep them safe.  A tentative ribbon cutting has been planned for July 24.  Details will be posted  here and emailed to all those on the distribution list.

Full House at city indoor courts

With  the Lincoln Park courts unavailable because of the curing of the new surface, attention has turned to the two indoor courts  at 510 Memorial Drive.  On Monday, July 17, both courts were full and quite a few people were waiting.  The indoor use fee has been waived while the Lincoln Park courts are unavailable.

FUN @ SE Idaho Senior Games

The blog author (left) and his partner, Dick From Victor, earned a Bronze Medal at the 15th Annual South East Idaho Senior Games in Pocatello's Mountain View Event Center.  What made the day even more special was that Rena and Kathy from APPLE Athletic Club came all the way down from Idaho Falls it visit, observe, cheer and even play some spirited pickleball.  Thank You, Rena & Kathy!

City waives use fee for indoor courts

The City of Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation Division today graciously agreed to waive fees for usage of two indoor pickleball courts at 520 Memorial Drive beginning Monday, July 10 through Friday July 21.

Open drop-in pickleball play will be available at 520 Memorial Drive from 8:30-10:30, Monday through Friday for the next two weeks.  Both nets will be set up and loaner paddles and balls are available.

The lunch time basketball players start trickling 11 AM so there will be plenty of time to wrap up games-in-progress that may be underway at 10:30 AM.

This is a unique opportunity for people to utilize the city's two indoor courts for free during the next two weeks.  We hope that numerous local players take advantage of the kind offer by the city.

We will send out additional email(s) as we learn more about the actual refurb project once it gets underway this coming Monday or Tuesday.

Lincoln Park project gets underway July 10th or 11th

Contractor Lorne Koch sent an email about noon Friday and said, "Hi John.  I'm finishing up a project this weekend and hope to start the pickleball project on Monday or Tuesday of this coming week. Thanks!"

That means Lorne is aiming to begin the project on July 10 or 11th.  He has previously said the repair, resurfacing and striping of the courts would take about a week.

We met with PJ Holm at Parks & Recreation this morning to affirm that the two indoor courts at 520 Memorial Drive would be available while the Lincoln Park Courts are closed to pickleball play.

Please realize that you might show up Monday (or any day next week) and the Koch's Tennis Court Service crew might be at work on the Lincoln Park pickleball courts.  Please be prepared to drive downtown to the 520 Memorial Drive location.

Meanwhile Mayor Casper said she wants to do a ribbon cutting.  We'd anticipate that might take place as early as July 14 and possibly as late as July 17 or 18.  It would be great if we could get as many players as possible to attend the ribbon cutting and swarm the new courts immediately thereafter.  We will keep you posted on the ribbon cutting.

This is a major milestone in Idaho Falls Pickleball history.  Having six professionally refurbished pickleball courts here is huge.

Blog thoroughly updated July 4th

All of the  Page Tab contents have been thoroughly checked and updated as of July 4.

Pocatello Pickleball Palooza

The Pocatello Pickleball Palooza is truly a milestone for South East Idaho. The tournament will be staged in the sparkling new Mountain View Events Center (MEC).  Ten pickleball courts can be set up inside that large venue next to I-15 at Pocatello Creek Road.

This will be a wonderful one day  event and we hope that many Idaho Falls Mixed Doubles players will participate.  If there is a strong turn out, next year's Palooza promises to be much bigger and better.  We've worked with MEC Staff to keep the price low and the fun factor high.  Please sign up!

Here's the registration link: http://meceventcenter.com/pickleball-league-registration/

Successful Clinic

The first City-sponsored "Intro To Pickleball" clinic conducted June 21 was a success.  Eight people participated including three adults and five youths.  Wendy Cavan and two of her Friends (Barb and Lucy) coached four of the youths through some energetic drills and spirited play.  Donna helped John advise the adults and one of the youths.  It's very likely all three adults will become regular local players.  Many THANKS are due to City of Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation Department Staff for their gracious hospitality and assistance in organizing and staging the 90-minute event. Many Thanks also to Wendy, Barb, Lucy and Donna for their awesome volunteer assistance.

 Donna and John (left) enjoyed coaching the adults and one youth who played really well.

Barb (left), Wendy (2nd from left) and Lucy (far right) helped the youth participants.
Here are some scenes from the event:

No pickleball in Memorial Gym until July

The City of Idaho Falls is conducting the annual Youth Basketball Camp in the gym at 520 Memorial Drive.  The basketball camp started June 12 and will run for the next three weeks.  These classes run from 8am to noon, Monday through Friday.  This means that the gym will not be available on Monday mornings until Monday, July 3rd.  Please pass that info around so no one is inconvenienced by driving to the Rec Center and being turned away.

Lincoln court restoration update

We received a note June 11 from the Lincoln Courts contractor stating he would perform the work "sometime in July".  Lorne Koch said onsite in May it the job might be done sometime in either July or August.  The June 11th note that it will be "sometime in July" is good news.

Thanks to Mayor & City of Idaho Falls

(l-r) Wendy Cavan, Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper and John Parsons

A letter of "THANKS!" was delivered in person June 9 to Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper by   Wendy Cavan, USAPA SE Idaho Ambassador, and John Parsons, USAPA Idaho Falls Ambassador,

"On behalf of both today's and tomorrow's enthusiasts, we wish to Thank You and the City's elected officials and staff for your collective support for Pickleball in Idaho Falls," Cavan and Parsons said, adding, "The City of Idaho Falls Mayor and Council deserve a special commendation for their support for a 2017 budget item which will allow the six Lincoln Park Pickleball courts to be repaired, resurfaced and restriped this summer.  Restoration of these courts will underscore the desirability of  Idaho Falls as a regional “Pickleball Destination”.  (Full letter shown below.)

Mayor Casper expressed much interest in Pickleball and stated she would like to learn to play.  She even asked several questions about how to buy her own paddle.  The Mayor was very quick to realize why pickleball is a fast growing demographic.  She was excited to begin to understand why the restoration of the six Lincoln Park courts is such a huge development for local and regional pickleball players.  Mayor Casper suggested a ribbon cutting ceremony take place after the restoration of the courts is complete.  She quickly agreed to cut the ribbon herself!

Wendy and John are very appreciative that Mayor Casper made time in her busy schedule to meet and "talk pickleball".   THANK YOU, Mayor Casper!

Intro to Pickleball June 21

The City of Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation Division will conduct the city's first "Intro To Pickleball" June 21.  We are very proud of the City and the Parks & Recreation Staff for their long-standing, multi-faceted support for "all things pickleball".

City Beginner Workshop scheduled June 21

We had a Great meeting Tuesday with Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation Staff. Recreational Superintendent P.J. Holm (on right) and Recreation Specialist Chris Horsley (on left).The duo met for 70 minutes with IFPB blog Editor John Parsons and Wendy Cavan, the USA Pickleball Association Southeast Idaho Ambassador.

Every aspect of the meeting was a success. The primary topic was enabling P&R beginner workshops. The first such workshop will be June 21 from 2-3:30 PM. Cost will be $5. It will be conducted in the city's historic WPA-era gym at 520 Memorial Drive beside The Snake River.

Many other topics were also covered. Holm agreed to work to get the Lincoln Park courts resurfaced earlier than the contractor's July-August time frame. Holm was very interested in and supportive of the idea to stage a tournament this season at Lincoln Park.

Holm also said he will work to better "brand" the courts and provide a locked informational display there to help users better understand local and regional pickleball news.

Holm and Horsley said they would try to get the Lincoln Court night lights checked and working again. Holm agreed that city pickleball news was appropriate content for this blog.

Finally, both Holm and Horsley agreed it's time they learned to play pickleball. Wendy and JP will be meeting the duo on the city's indoor courts Thursday (May 25) morning at 8:30 pm to provide their "Intro To Pickleball".

Pickleball books at IF Library

Surprise! The Idaho Falls Public Library has two pickleball books on their shelves!

Last September, we put in an inter-library loan request for these two books.  Months passed before we heard back from the library.  By that time, we were in Arizona for our Snow Bird Season there.  We had a hunch the library actually purchased the books rather than get them on loan.  And so it is.

Here's what Barnes & Noble has to say about "Pickleball Fundamentals".  It gets a 4 star rating from 6,726 reviews.

"Fast, fun, and competitive: Simply step onto the court and it will be clear why pickleball is booming in popularity.

Pickleball Fundamentals is the first book written and endorsed by the USA Pickleball Association. It will teach you the basics of the sport so that you can join the fun on the court right away.

Learn proper execution of the sport’s essential skills and tactics. All the shots—groundstroke, serve and return, volley, dink, lob, overhead smash, and drop—provide a base for solid technique.

More than 40 drills and gamelike activities will speed your learning while improving performance. You’ll also find competitive tactics for various scenarios and strategies for both singles and doubles play.

So whether you are new to the sport or one of the growing number of pickleball fanatics, Pickleball Fundamentals is the best way to master the basics and compete with confidence."

And here's the synopsis for "Smart Pickleball"

"Just because you know the rules and have had a blast playing pickleball since the day you learned, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re playing as well as you could be... Players of every age and ability can learn to play better and win more when they start to apply the principles of Smart Pickleball™. In this book, Prem Carnot, The Pickleball Guru, takes you along on an entertaining journey full of colorful characters and astonishingly familiar scenarios as he teaches one of his highly-renowned, frequently sold-out “Pickleball Guru Academy” clinics and a number of private lessons. With diagrams, drills, and a captivating allegorical style The Pickleball Guru uses case studies and personal examples to teach you the difference between just “getting the ball over the net” and playing Smart Pickleball™. This book will keep you turning the pages and have you raring to get back out on the courts to practice what you learn the minute you close the cover."

"Smart Pickleball" gets a 4.5 Star rating on Amazon.

Lincoln Park courts to be resurfaced

Huge Good News! The six courts at Lincoln Park will be resurfaced sometime in 2017.  By chance, we encountered Lorne Koch on the courts about 10:30 AM May 11.  Lorne has a $21,000+ contract from The City of Idaho Falls to resurface and provide new strips for the six existing courts in Lincoln Park.  Anyone who has visited or played on the courts knows  their deplorable condition.  Only one of the six courts is truly playable.  The other five courts would be great places to introduce children to the game of pickleball but that's about all you can say about them.

Lorne was scoping out the court condition Thursday morning.  He runs a very busy tennis and pickleball court surfacing and striping business based out of Missoula.  He covers all of Montana plus Eastern Idaho including Pocatello, Twin Falls, Jerome and Sun Valley.  Lorne's business is very busy and booked solid during 2017 so he doesn't know when he can get to the Idaho Falls job.

Lorne said it might be July or August before he can resurface the Lincoln  Park courts.  We quickly began the "full court press" to try to persuade him to come early.  We will provide status updates on what might be done to get Lorne here early in the season.

Nevertheless, it's great news to know that the actual contract has been let for this important work.  We are very proud of The City of Idaho Falls for their support for pickleball.  We hope to showcase more about the City's forward thinking leadership as far as facilitating pickleball.  Thank You, Idaho Falls!

Lorne Koch, above, has been in the business since 1993 and has a stellar track record.  Below is a sample from his photo gallery on Koch's Tennis Court Service website: http://kochscourts.com/

Below are two typical examples of the surface imperfections on the Lincoln Park courts.  It's so great to know that very, very soon these yawning cracks and widespread flakes will be a thing of the past!

APPLE Pickleball

The APPLE Athletic Club pioneered pickleball in Idaho Falls.  We all owe a huge tip-o-the-paddle to APPLE's consistent, long-term support for pickleball.

There are three indoor courts with portable nets set up in the APPLE gym.  Drop-in pickleball takes place five days each week:

• Tuesday/Thursday from 11:30am to 1:50pm
• Wednesdays from 12 noon to 2pm
• Fridays from 1pm to 3pm
• Sundays from 1:30pm to 3:30pm

Austen Felton

Generally about 16-20 players attend each session.  Player rotation is based on a winner-loser board that we will describe in more detail in a later post.  Skill levels among the APPLE regular players varies from Beginner to Advanced.  The bulk of the players are at least solid 3.0 players with many 3.5's and a sprinkling of 4.0 players.

Austen Felton and Liz Painter are in charge of the APPLE Pickleball program.

Here is the address for the webpage describing the APPLE Pickleball program:

http://www.appleathleticclub.com/pickleball

Idaho Falls Pickleball Blog

The Idaho Falls Pickleball blog was created at 5 PM, May 10, 2017, in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  The purpose of this blog is to help facilitate the growth, development and camaraderie of the Idaho Falls Pickleball community.
The primary focus of this blog will be on Idaho Falls facilities and players.  We may also, from time-to-time, include informative posts about pickleball news from our neighboring communities.  The blog was created and is maintained by John Parsons.