Carol Hilton
October was a SPOOKtacular month for pickleball at Robson Ranch! The busy month ended with the Boo Bash mixer held on October 24. Players scared up a bunch of pickleball fun, playing five matches in either Group Orange or Group Black. Members sported their finest Halloween playing attire: Lord Darth Vader, pirates, witches and lots of black and orange. After play, members enjoyed social time on the patio.
October 20 was another perfect pickleball day with a light breeze and blue skies. There was a definite buzz of excitement in the air as the crowd gathered at court number 2 to view the Clash of the Pickleball Titans! The Pickleball Club was wowed by nationally ranked players who put on quite a show! Twenty-five year old Daniel Moore, from Colorado Springs, CO took on David Redding from Dallas in singles. Daniel and his father upset the defending national champions at the Tournament of Champions in Utah last month. David is currently ranked number one in men’s 50’s singles. It was a battle, but youth prevailed in this hard-fought match.
Men’s doubles was next with our own Ford Roberson teaming up with Daniel to play David and his partner, Dominick Greco. Dom is a 5.0 rated player from Plano, one of only four 5.0’s in Texas. Hard hitting, patient dinking and lots of court strategy were exhibited in another exciting match. The players answered questions and explained the art of “stacking” to keep the forehands in the middle when right and left handed players are partners. The club members got to see firsthand what tournament matches are like, complete with referees and lines callers.
Dom’s father, Dominick, also plays pickleball and was in attendance; he was runner-up in the USAPA Nationals last year and is over 80 years young! Mike Conley and Ken Huff were the lucky winners of the drawing for two new paddles donated by Ford.
The Robson Ranch Denton Pickleball Club is growing fast. With 113 new members so far this year, the membership is up to 283! Sandy Welch, Conni Bjella, Rick and Kathie Marsh are just a few of our recent members. Rick and Kathie moved here from Littleton, CO; Sandy and Conni both lived in the Dallas area prior to moving to The Ranch. The one thing they have in common is they had never seen pickleball before but knew it looked like a lot of fun! They are now addicted! Welcome to the Ranch, Ya’ll!
Want to join in on the fun? Membership information is available in the gym. Contact information is also available on the Robson Ranch Denton Pickleball Club website: www.rrdpc.com.
We play pickleball with relish!