To: Area Communities/Clubs

 

Date: July 2, 2008

 

Subject: ASO need for pickleball courts in 2009 and future

 

If you hadn’t already heard, the Surprise City Council voted last week to postpone the construction of the Surprise Pickleball Courts until such time as funds are available. These funds may come via a 2009 general obligation bond or other sources but it looks like it may be 6 months to a year before the issue is revisited.

 

Therefore, the Arizona Senior Olympics is in need of a venue(s) for 2009 and I will also take venue(s) for 2010. I personally would like to start having the following year’s venue in place for announcement at the current year’s games. This would allow everyone more time to prepare and plan for the next year.

 

As announced before, here is the tentative schedule for next year:

 

Sunday, Feb 22^nd – Welcome Back Party – Location TBD

Monday, Feb 23^rd – Men’s & Women’s Doubles – 50-64 age groups

Tuesday, Feb 24^th – Men’s & Women’s Doubles – 65+ age groups

Wednesday, Feb 25^th – Men’s & Women’s Masters/Legends

Thursday, Feb 26^th – Mixed Doubles – all age groups

Friday, Feb 27^th – Singles – all age groups

 

This is all based on having 12 courts available for play each day and this schedule is not cut in concrete yet and can be changed based on the number of courts/venues. The concrete comes when the registration booklets are sent to be printed in the late September. This is the time table we have to work with to determine the schedule and venue(s).

 

For venue(s), I believe everyone would like to get everything back to a single venue, but this requires 10-12 courts. This makes a number of logistical things much easier too (directors, clerks, food, etc). With 12 courts and based on previous years entries, it would take about 8 hours for play on the longer days. During the games we normally have about 9-10 hours of daylight, so this allows some extra time. If we have only ten courts, then the play will probably run into the evening, finishing under the lights.

 

The preference of location could be determined by the following:

1. Single venue with enough courts
2. Single venue with pickleball courts and some temporary courts
3. Multiple venues with pickleball courts
4. Venue(s) with temporary courts. (ie city courts)

 

As a host, the community is responsible for the courts and receives the benefit of the PR as host but also gets income from any concessions/parties/banquets they provide and income from the facility use fees that ASO may collect as part of the event fees. In the past, this was $1 and distributed to the clubs based on the event entries played at their location. The facility use fee was erroneously left off in 2008, but will definitely return to offset expenses this next year and I would anticipate it being increased. If we had used the city courts, the fee may have risen to $4 per event entry to offset the costs (use of the city courts is not free).

 

If we wish to keep the costs as low as possible, then we need our communities to step forward. I realize it is summer and a number of residents are gone, but this decision does not have to be made today but by sometime in September for 2009.

 

This is not an easy decision, but please talk to your clubs and officers and think about hosting the games in the coming years. All responses will be forwarded to the management group for a decision on the venue and schedule.

 

Have a happy Fourth.

Thanks,

Bob Lanius