Issues

(UPDATE as of July 4, 2017.  Current comments are in parenthesis below each numbered item

As of early May 2017 here are the Top Ten issues facing the Idaho Falls Pickleball (IFP) Community:

1) Increasing pressure on the 3 indoor APPLE courts.

(Summer usage has slacked way off from the winter peak usage.  Sunday usage is very minimal.  There's typically very  little waiting time to play during the summer.)

2) Poor court surface on the six city outdoor courts (This is being rectified!)

(The contractor has indicated the courts will be fully restored by the end of July.)

3) Lack of lessons for beginners (Soon to be rectified)

(We staged a beginner clinic June 21 and turnout was minimal.  Therefore, we have decided to work one-on-one with any interested individuals, couples or small groups.)

4) Poor means of communication within IFP community

(Numerous people have asked to be added to the email list and email will be the primary means of communication.  There is no very minimal interest in the Facebook Group and no interest in SignUpGenius.)

5) Lack of ways for new & visiting players to communicate with IFP community

(We're hoping that this blog will fill that gap.)

6) Lack of gear choices among local sporting good retailers. (BIG5 is working on it!)

(This lack still exists and Big 5 isn't getting with the program.)

7) Lack of regular (or even periodic) media coverage

(We keep hoping to change this paradigm but so far haven't had any  luck.)

8) Lack of regional communication

(We've reached out to Pocatello's Mountain View Events Center and helped establish pickleball in Teton Valley.  We're working diligently on regional communication.

9) Lack of local identity for IFP community

(The periodic emails have begun to help set the stage for a local identity.  We're going to create a logo and hopefully have to put on a large banner to hang on the Lincoln Park court fence once the courts are restored.)

10) Lack of skills workshops for intermediate players

(Not sure this one will ever get any progress made.)

In may we said, "We will be discussing each of these issues in greater detail within future blog posts."  At this point, we plan to merely update each of the numbered items every month or so. Late this spring, we were appointed as the USAPA Idaho Falls Ambassador.  We've made a blog to keep track of our accomplishments and future plans.  Here's the link: https://idahofallsambassador.blogspot.com/