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Team Tournament at Nahola

Posted on August 28, 2020 by under Hobbies.    

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I got to participate in a fun team pickleball tournament at Nahola last weekend thanks to my friends Bruce Meyer and Dick Pavelski. Their team originally consisted of two other ladies who fell through so they invited Dawn Hazelwood and me to play with them.

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Here’s our obligatory team photo: (from left) Bruce Meyer, me, Dawn Hazelwood, and Dick Pavelski.

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Dick is so fun. It’s been forever since I’ve played with him and I was grateful that this event gave us an opportunity to reunite. I first met Dick at the West YMCA about a year and a half ago. I had take some time off work over the Thanksgiving holiday and was able to play during the day when the retired people play so our paths crossed. At the time I was a beginner who barely knew how to play. He was one of the more skilled people who was patient enough to play with me.

At the West YMCA, the format is two on, two off and winners stay and split. I remember us coming on and Dick asking the other two players if we could play together because he wanted to challenge the winners. He said losers have to run around the track squealing like pigs.

Being brand new, I asked Dick, “Are you sure about this?” He was adamant and so I agreed. Naturally, we lost and were the ones who had to run around the track that goes around the basketball gym on the second level. He was such a good sport. We ran around squealing together.

Anyway, I don’t really get to play with Dick much because he normally plays during the day. We both kind of quit going to the Y for pickleball but also we were going at different times so our paths didn’t really cross except for that time when I was off work. I did see him a couple of times at Nahola but those times were either before or after lessons with Chris Heck so we didn’t have an opportunity to play. That’s why I was so happy when Bruce told me that Dick was on our team. I finally had a chance to play with him again.

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Here are some pics of some of the other teams. These are (from left) Donnie and Tiffany Lesperance, Patty Rothweiler, and Dan Hill.

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These good looking picklers in pink are Jennifer Tiano, Michael Cheung, Fong Witte, and Hanbeen You. Michael insisted they match. Even to the extent of sending pictures of outfit options to everyone. I think Dan should have been on their team based on his bright pink shirt.

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These are the winners: Kyle Starkel, Heather Griffin, Kim Knotts and Chris Wilson. They smoked everyone! It wasn’t even close.

What’s really funny is that my team did not have very high expectations for us. Bruce said his goals were (1) not to get skunked, and (2) not to finish last. Well, we totally messed up on the first goal. Dick and I got pickled by Kyle and Heather in our very first game. I can’t remember who skunked Bruce and Dawn but I think Bruce said they got skunked too. We almost missed making our second goal. We came in second to last.

It’s so funny because, when we were trying to decide our matching outfits for the event, we settled on black. Black was the one color everyone had. Anyway, it’s almost fitting that we wore all black so we could mourn the results. LOL.

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Here are a few action shots that Kayla (one of the Nahola owners) took during the event. The men in pink above are Mike and Han. The men in black below are my teammates, Dickey and Bruce.

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Chris and Kyle were a really strong team.

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And so were their teammates, Heather and Kim.

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Jen and Fong were an unlikely pair because she is tall and Fong is even shorter than me. I think they complemented each other well, though.

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And then there’s us, Ching and Dawn in matching black outfits.

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Here are some of the mixed pics: Dawn and Bruce.

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Tiffany and Donnie, aka Dropping L’s aka Kinky Dinkers.

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Anyway, it was a lot of fun. I’m thinking the next time this event comes around, I’m putting my own team together instead of waiting for an invitation. Then my team’s goal will be to win the whole darn thing. Until next time. GNG.

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  • Farewell to Nahola on February 28, 2022
  • Nahola Farewell Party on March 2, 2022
  • Post Pickleball Cookout at Nahola on June 8, 2020
  • Dream Team Doubles — Over and Under on March 9, 2023

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