2009 USAPA Great Lakes Region Regionalization Plan

It is a privilege and an honor

to announce

the USA Pickleball Association Board Members

heartily approved the

"2009 USAPA Great Lakes Region Regionalization Plan"

submitted by

Dick Manasseri, Great Lakes Regional Ambassador

In true Great Lakes spirit, the trumpeting of this announcement is accompanied with immediate implementation and Pickleball Players' favorite kind of fanfare, a tournament. "The Plan" details criteria for "Great Lakes Region Showcase Events". The Auburn Hills "Happy New Year Tournament" meets and exceeds all of the criteria.

Great Lakes Region Showcase Events Criteria

• Tournament Director is a USAPA Member
• Open to USAPA Members and non-members
• Discounts offered to USAPA Members unless this is not doable because the event is part of a larger event like the senior or state games that include other sports
• USAPA rules enforced by trained referees
• USAPA tournament software used so that results are posted on the USAPA website
• USAPA Membership table available for onsite registration
• Event is listed on the Great Lakes Regional website calendar, and a description before and after the event (with pictures) is posted on the website
• Branded label "Great Lakes Region Showcase Event" is used on flyers

Showcase events within a geographical area will be branded where possible to create a series of related events with USAPA Membership discounts and awards for multiple participation.

The First "Great Lakes Region Showcase Event", the Happy New Year Tournament Pre-MSO Games Presented by Auburn Hills Senior Services, is a sold out success!

Explore Chicago - Explore Pickleball

Today, December 27, is Day #1 of what might prove to be the three most important days in the growth of PICKLEBALL in the Great Lakes Region. Joe Balagot, USAPA Ambassador, spearheaded the effort to include PICKLEBALL Community Outreach Demo Clinics in Mayor Daley's Holiday Sports Fest .

• Chicago's McCormick Place
• December 27, 28, 29
• 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
• Admission Free

Explore Chicago - Explore PICKLEBALL

..."just for the FUN of it!

Great Lakes Region Member Spotlight: Tony Sequeira by Wayne Roswell

A Fine Gentleman, a Great Athlete,

And the Longest Standing USAPA Member

In the Great Lakes Region - Tony Sequeira

Last April when I was thinking about heading back up North to my home in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada, I knew I had to find somewhere to play pickleball or start my own club. I just could not experience six months of Pickleball withdrawal, that would be too painful.

I read an article on the USAPA website about a tournament in York Region written by Tony Sequeira the ambassador for the Greater Toronto Area. I contacted Tony by e-mail and we followed up with a couple of phone calls. Tony invited me over to his club at the Milliken Recreation Centre and another pickleball friendship was established immediately.

Tony and I sat and talked pickleball for almost two hours that Tuesday and then played a couple of games. I think Tony thought that since I had played in Florida, I was some sort of Pickleball god, but once he saw me on the court, that all changed. However, during last summer Tony and I spent many hours travelling to different clubs and just talking Pickleball.

Tony is foremost a gentleman who goes out of his way to make players enjoy this great game of Pickleball. Second , he is a very gifted athlete who plays table tennis, tennis, and pickleball at a very high level. He is always challenging himself to get better, the sign of a great athlete. He and his partner, Terry Paul, placed first in the York Senior Games, the first tournament he ever entered. The best players at his club are always challenging Tony to see if they can beat him.

Tony first found out about Pickleball from his older brother John who played the game in Mississauga, Ontario. John talked Tony into driving almost an hour across the top of Toronto to play this new game. Tony hated the drive but he loved the game and the people.

In early 2001, Tony went to the recreation department of the Milliken Centre and asked if they would allow him to introduce this new game. Marie James, the head of the department knew about Pickleball, and agreed to allow Tony to try and introduce Pickleball. Tony invited his brother and Terence Rosario of the Mississauga club to come to Milliken and do a demonstration. To Tony’s disappointment, only three people showed up.

Disappointed, but not discouraged, Tony continued to offer sessions and the next week six showed up and the rest is history. Today Tony has a club of over 40 members. He has helped set up another program at the Malvern Recreation Centre as well. Under the guidance of Ed and Yolanda Lew, that program attracts 40 players as well.

Tony joined the USAPA in April, 2005 and is the longest standing member of The Great Lakes Region. I think this is amazing for a Canadian. In fact, until just recently Tony was the only USAPA member in Ontario and the only ambassador. That is starting to change and I know many more will join and Tony will be a big part of the growth.

Congratulations Tony, I cannot think of a finer gentleman to have this great honor.

I am pleased to be your friend and Pickleball buddy.

Wayne Roswell

USA Pickleball Ambassador Program

The USA Pickleball Association hosts an Ambassador Program

The essence of the USAPA Ambassadors' message is:

Play PICKLEBALL!

"USAPA Ambassadors promote the sport of pickleball and the USAPA in the Local Area that they have chosen to represent. They may be individuals or couples working as a team. The main prerequisite is a love of the game and the desire to share our game with others of all ages."

On Christmas Day 2007, The Great Lakes Region had 35 USAPA Members. Today, Christmas Day 2008, the Great Lakes Region has 139 USAPA Members. The Pickleball Players in the Great Lakes Region recognize and appreciate our USAPA Ambassadors and their efforts to promote The Great Game of the Great Lakes - PICKLEBALL!

The Great Lakes Regional Ambassador is Dick Manasseri.

The Great Lakes Region Local Area Ambassadors are:

• Iowa

Interested? Read more/apply at http://usapa.org/ambassador/

• Illinois

Joe Balagot, Lois Huffman, Anthony Minutillo, Lucas Minutillo

• Indiana

Paul Barksdale, Rex Lawler

• Kentucky

Interested? Read more/apply at http://usapa.org/ambassador/

• Michigan

Bob Cary, Dick Draigh, Monzie Edmonds,

Jack and Gayle Licata, Melissa Muha, Jean Mulder,

Bob Northrop, Owen and Patricia Papke, Jeffry Pariseau,

George Powell, Michelle Pozan, Bruce Redman, Pat Sullivan

• Minnesota

Thomas and Jeanne Gearhart,

James Klaseus, David and Gloria Leach, Leland Rients

• Missouri

Jerri Deming, Skip Deming

• Ohio

Stanley Volkens

• Ontario

Tony Sequeira

• Wisconsin

Thomas Brull, Tom Christopherson, Jack Derlein,

Fred Fry, Aaron Mittelstaedt, Bill Nelson, Kay Nelson

Contact Information for USAPA Local Area Ambassadors

Merry Christmas

Great Lakes Pickleball

Extends Holiday Greetings

To Pickleball Players Across the USAPA Regions

Atlantic, Atlantic South, Canada West, Great Lakes,

Great Plains, Mid-South, Northwest, Southwest, and West

Merry Christmas

USAPA Regional Abassadors List

A Game for All Ages by Fran Myer

The SE Michigan Great Lakes Pickleball

Mixed Generation Holiday Festival

at the Troy Community Center

is a sold-out success

demonstrating that families are

discovering PICKLEBALL

as a lifetime sport for all ages.

Get Caught Up In PICKLEBALL A Game for All Ages

Great Lakes Region Tournament Players!

Dear Great Lakes Region Tournament Players!

You are cordially invited to HEAT UP the competition at a mid-winter USAPA Sanctioned/Tier 3 PICKLEBALL Tournament!

Michigan Senior Olympic 2009 Winter Pickleball Games

MI Pickleball welcomes you "....just for the (brutal) FUN of it!"

Wanted: Great Lakes Pickleball Promoters

Is this a dream?

Is possible that we have been invited to showcase Pickleball for lots of people?

Lots of people like 80,000 people who come together over 3 days for indoor sports fun.

You mean we can demo/teach Pickleball on four courts at the McCormick Place ( http://www.mccormickplace.com/ ) as part of Mayor Daley's Holiday Sports Festival
December 27-29.

How could this be?

Brand new USA Pickleball Association Ambassador Joe Balagot called and asked the right people to watch the USAPA promotional video and they said "Sure, that looks like fun!" Way to go, Joe!

Now we go into Scramble Mode big time. We need your help?

Can you spend 2-4 hours with Joe to help showcase the game?
Even if you are out of the area, do you know players in the area who would want to pitch in? Please send this note to your contacts so we can make this work.

Do you have access to nets, balls, paddles that could be used for part or all of the weekend?

Maybe you can bring some family members to see the Sports Fest and while they browse you can help Joe make this opportunity a major success.

There will opportunities to promote your Place to Play, your upcoming events, etc., maybe talk to the press or make the evening TV news!

Please contact Joe Balagot directly at joe@aquapure-il.com or email USAPA Great Lakes Regional Ambassador, Dick Manasseri at dmanasseri@usapa.org to let us know how you can help.

Read More:Mayor Daley's Holiday Sports Fest