Picklemania at the OKC Life Time
Posted on January 28, 2023 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.
When Chris Wilson asked me to play 50/50 with him in Picklemania at the Oklahoma City Life Time location, I said yes without hesitation for several reasons.
- Chris was my first ever tournament partner and I love playing with him.
- I love tournaments in Oklahoma because they are so well-organized, well-run, and they always provide snacks. Picklemania even included lunch.
- I welcome any excuse to travel to Oklahoma and hang out with all my OK pickleball friends because they are fantastic.
Obviously, I like to make the most of my trips so I didn’t want to play in just one event so I had to secure partners for women’s and mixed doubles also. I originally asked my friend Ramon Lozano but he turned me down because he didn’t think the competition would be worthwhile (because at the time I asked him, I think around November time frame, none of the upper divisions players had signed up). He encouraged me to find another partner because he didn’t want me to miss out. Luckily, I met this guy named Casey Dominguez in Tulsa when I did my DUPR #DoubleDip during Thanksgiving weekend. Casey is from Arkansas but happened to be at La Fortune for the DUPR event also.
Anyway, Ramon was looking at the men’s group and decided he could team up with Casey and play in the 5.0 division. So then he needed a partner. He asked our friend Katie Merrill several times who I also asked to play with me in women’s but at the time she was thinking she would take a break in January. Anyway, while the three of us were in Kansas City for the DUPR Teams event at Northland Racquet Club, Jenny Marcos asked Katie to play also. Jenny is amazing and one simply does not pass on an opportunity like this one so obviously it was a sign that Katie was meant to play. So the two people I had originally asked to play who didn’t plan on playing actually ended up playing and together.
Honestly, this could have caused a lot of drama but, because I am me, it wasn’t a big deal. I managed to find other partners to play with and so it all worked out great for everyone. There were no hurt feelings or damaged friendships and, as far as I could tell, everyone had a great time.
Chris and I both took the day off because were were playing on Friday afternoon. I ended up riding down to OKC with him since Brian had to work. Once Brian got off work, he picked Saki up from the house and headed down.
Here are a couple of pics from Friday.
We didn’t do great but I always have a great time playing. The one thing I’ve learned about myself is that my game continues to evolve. Now that I am working on offense, I am less patient and sometimes initiate speed ups prematurely. I think the key is being patient when needed and starting firefights at the appropriate times. I’m learning and growing so I really can’t complain.
Also, side note, the teams we played against were pretty amazing so I really don’t feel bad for how we performed. I think we did well, all things considered.
I mean, check out these DUPRs.
I feel like we played in the correct division but were definitely out-gunned.
Saturday was gender doubles day. I teamed up with my friend Cindy Egan. We didn’t do as well as we’d hoped but wasn’t really out of the norm for me because I always struggle in women’s doubles. Also, we had to play against some young, very athletic women. It was a tough pool. Oklahoma players are legit.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from Sunday, mixed doubles day.
This is my friend Antonio Lares, who I first met about a year and a half ago when a group of us went down to the Oklahoma City Chicken N Pickle for Patrick Smith and Lauren Stratman’s pickleball clinic.
Katie and Ramon on mixed doubles day, with me and Casey in the background. Katie and Ramon played in 5.0 division while Casey and I played in 4.5 so we didn’t have to play against one another.
Here’s a close up of me and Casey in the background.
I had so much fun playing with Casey on Sunday. There were five teams in our group and we lost to only one team and only by one measly point.
I was having such a great run. I hit several inside outs (five in one game). I usually say “Yup!” whenever I hit a winner and Casey said I was saying “Yup!” so early, not even before the ball lands but sometimes as I am actually hitting the ball.
I honestly think we could have medaled (maybe even won Gold), we just got a little over confident. And then, we didn’t realize we were still in it so Casey went to the locker room and took a shower a little prematurely. Tanner had to go get him back out so we could play for bronze.
We ended up losing that match against Deana Holman and Isaiah McAllister.
This is my friend Tanner who came to hang out Friday, Saturday, and Sunday even though he wasn’t playing. He gets the credit for a lot of these photos. He’s was a true MVP actually because he took care of EVERYONE.
Tanner looked up DUPRs for all the teams in the various brackets, refilled my water several times, tracked down gum for Katie when she needed it most, took pictures and videos for all of us so we could have some awesome clips from the weekend, and even took one for team and went into the locker room to get Casey back out for our bronze match. He truly went above and beyond.
Ramon, Casey, and Casey’s wife Kayla.
One last selfie with Katie as she was getting ready to fly back home to Tulsa.
Anyway, no pics of Brian because he was tied up on Saturday helping his dad replace their hot water heater and then, on Sunday, we had to check out of the hotel so he and Saki went and hung out at his mom and dad’s house until I was done. Of course, we ended up taking a little bit longer than I thought because we ended up playing one more game which we didn’t realize we had to; thus, Casey ended up having to shower twice. Oops!
Ironically, I told myself I didn’t want any more medals (except for some specific ones that are on my list for this year — US Open and Nationals) so I pretty much achieved my goal. LOL. I did come away with a few new friends which are more valuable than any medals I could bring home.
I guess that pretty much catches us up. Until next time, GNG.
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