The tourney started Friday with Women’s doubles and we had quite a few players from around the area. Stephanie, Rose, Lyn, and CJ are just a sampling of the players that deserve some kudos for sticking out the heat that reached the mid to upper 90s.

On Saturday, Don B. and Greg B. joined the ladies in mixed doubles play, with weather that again reached into the upper 90s. With high temperatures and big draws, the first two days didn’t allow our Tahoe players to get on the medal stands—though Rose and Greg came within a couple of points of securing a bronze after getting taken out of the winner’s bracket by a gold-medal buzzsaw of a team. Fortunately, Sunday would offer a change of fortunes for Tahoe area players.

A Hot Finish

Don F. got Sunday’s games kicked off early with an 8 am start and was soon followed by Don B. and myself with 11 am starts. Fortunately for us, the temperatures only peaked in the mid-80s as the competition heated up. Over the course of 9+ hours, 27 courts of continuous play had widdled the competition down to the medal rounds. And by 5 pm, there we were, Don B. on court 5, Don F. on court 9, and myself right there in the middle of them on court 7—all competing for medals. Tahoe Pickleball’s final tally for the weekend, 2 silvers and a bronze…and a slew of locals hungry for gold!

Below, our Sunday competitors share their highlights from this tourney and tips for your next one…

Highlights

Lots of positives from the tournament for sure. Probably the one that stands out as a highlight was all the support and camaraderie of both the Tahoe crew and my Bay Area crew. I’m amazed at the number of folks I’ve gotten to know in the short time I’ve been playing pickleball.  ~Don F.

27 courts and 518 players (amateurs and pros included) over the three days of competition. $10k in prize money. The highlight for me was seeing the pros play and how quick they all are. ~Don B.

I can’t get over how cool it was to have all of the men’s Tahoe Pickleball players competing in their medal rounds, on three courts all next to each other. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch either of the Dons play their medal rounds, but I enjoyed the added confidence of knowing we all belonged competing for golds. ~Matt

Tips

We’ve all heard it but… patience, make sure the ball is attackable (waist level or above) before attacking. Also, remember the importance of placement (at the feet)… not just power.  ~Don F.

Definitely, be prepared for the weather! Make sure you pack your sunblock, shade, chairs, snacks, and hydration. ~ Don B.

Greg P. told me that one of the keys to success in tournaments is the ability to conserve energy. After my first tourney, the advice couldn’t be any truer. There is just a totally different intensity of play come tourney time, win quick, win clean, and know how to keep your body amped for the next round. ~Matt

Say congrats in the comments below and feel free to share any of your own tourney proven tips, I know we have a ton of winners in Tahoe (and aren’t we all winners for living in Tahoe?!).