Veterans’ Day Tournament Being Held This Weekend In Naples, Florida
Naples Pickleball Center is set to host the Veterans Day Tribute Pickleball Tournament today, Friday, November 10, and Saturday, November 11.
This two-day event aims to support Homebase Florida and Warrior Homes of Collier, organizations providing essential services such as mental health support and housing assistance.
Free Clinics
NPC has been actively contributing by offering free clinics to veterans and team members, ensuring their prowess on the courts. The primary objective is to unite the community, expressing appreciation for the selfless service of our nation’s veterans.
The tournament kicks off at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For detailed information about the event, please click here.
Riding The Wave Of The Pickleball Boom
Elsewhere on our continent, the Greater Montreal Athletic Association (GMAA) recently hosted its inaugural pickleball tournament at JPPS Bialik School in Côte St-Luc, Quebec, Canada.
Matt Starr, Athletic Director at JPPS Bialik, highlighted the collaboration with Amanda Maks, the GMAA director:
“This first-ever regional tournament came together when, at the beginning of the year, Amanda and I spoke.
“I wanted to ride the wave of the Pickleball boom, and our kids really wanted something different and to represent the school. We figured things out, and they supported us from start to finish.
Generous Donation
We hosted eight schools and 14 teams in doubles and singles action. We had two gyms going with eight nets from 8:30am until 2pm.”
The tournament was supported by Xzaktly, a local pickleball company that generously donated balls and awards. It featured juvenile boys’ and girls’ divisions, along with a bantam boys’ category.
ECS claimed victory in the girls’ division, while St. George’s excelled in the juvenile boys section.
Sam Gates, MVP
The host Bialik squad emerged victorious in the bantam division, securing gold medals and the championship banner.
Sam Gates from Bialik was named MVP in the bantam final, and was delighted with the outcome, stating, “I really enjoyed representing Bialik in the Pickleball tournament. I love sports and playing on a team. It was a great experience for me.”
Pickleball To Become A Permanent Fixture
The success of this inaugural tournament ensures that Pickleball will become a permanent part of the GMAA repertoire, as Starr highlighted: “It was so great to bring these schools together in a different environment and offer something unique and to build on for the future of our student-athletes in Montreal high schools,”
