Chicken N Pickle League Recap
Posted on June 18, 2021 by Ching under Hobbies.
This has probably been the most uneventful league session I’ve ever had. Not enough people want to play singles so they stopped the singles league at Chicken N Pickle. I only had one league this session, Mixed Advanced (which is a step down from the Mixed Competitive league that I normally play in). Chris Wilson and I were playing together to practice for the Middle States Regional Championships tournament in St. Louis and he couldn’t play in the later league because he gets up super early everyday. However, it was clearly the wrong skill level for us because we never went to a third set and we gave up very few points.
Anyway, we really should have won that league but Chris was out on tournament night (vacationing in Minnesota) so I had to get a sub. The downside of getting a sub is you’re not allowed to get anyone better than your partner and, even when you try to get someone equivalent to your partner skill-wise, they’re never going to be as good because you haven’t been playing with them all session as you have your normal partner. I usually try not to drink while I’m playing in a tournament but I was drinking that night so you can tell how seriously I was taking things. LOL.
Obviously, I hoped that we would win but I didn’t really care one way or the other. I just wanted to have fun playing and Bryant was the perfect sub. He can be hard on himself sometimes but he is so fun to play with.
The one thing I learned that night is that doubles is truly a team effort and that I am not as good without Chris. Just as my some of my shots set up my mixed partner for put-aways, Chris’ shots put me in a better position to make my shots. I feel like, having played together for some time now, he knows what why weaknesses are and he does what he can to protect me from making these shots.
This past Tuesday night was the Mixed Competitive league tournament. Jen T hurt her knee so Steve asked me to fill in. I took advantage of the opportunity to wear my “Vetter Luck Next Time” headband from last year. LOL.
We ended up finishing in third place. The Conrads (Matt and his daughter Lauren) ended up second, and the Lesperances (Tiffany and Donnie) took first place. I think Steve is hands down the best male player in that league but he was a victim of the whole sub situation. It’s so hard to play with a sub on tournament night and I feel like we have absolutely zero chemistry on the pickleball court.
I have never been one to stick to one doubles partner but I’m starting to rethink my whole stance on this. There is a huge advantage to playing with the same partner on a regular basis because they know your strengths and weakness and you have plays and strategies that you can use in various situations and it is so hard to do this on the fly. And, I’m not very good at adjusting and being spontaneous. I can’t just do things without practicing it repeatedly first.
Anyway, I might take a break from league play this coming session. None of the other leagues fit my schedule and the Mixed Advanced league was not as fun for me. Mixed Competitive would work but Chris can’t do an 8:00 PM start. It’s just way too late. But it’s all good because I prefer playing in the mornings anyway so it’s not ideal to be up late when I’m trying to pay at 5 AM the next day.
That is all for now. Until next time. GNG.
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