We’re getting closer and closer to Pickle Jam!
The event will be held October 1-3 with over 30 hours of pickleball fun.
We have drawn up a preliminary schedule so that y’all have a basic idea of how the event works. View the schedule here.
A few things to know…
MOST OF THE SCHEDULE IS OPEN PLAY.
The majority of the schedule is for OPEN PLAY. During OPEN PLAY, each game is to 11, win by one.
There will be a rotation system set in place. If players are waiting for your play area, the rotation system must be used.
Once each game has completed, ALL FOUR PLAYERS will rotate off the court and enter their name on to the rotation system.
PLAY BY SKILL LEVEL
Based on our current registration numbers of just over 200 players, we are planning on grouping skill levels on courts so that each group has about nine players per court at peak times.
2.0, 2.5, + 3.0 players — 25% of all players on six courts
3.5 players — 42% of all players on ten courts
4.0 players — 20% of all players on five courts
4.5 + 5.0+ players — 13% of all players on three courts
While players are not limited to play in their own skill level grouping during OPEN PLAY, our experience has shown that players get the most enjoyment and skill development at Pickle Jam by playing 80% of the time with their peers, 10% of the time playing with lower skill levels, and 10% of the time playing with higher skill levels.
Playing up lets players see different shots and different strategies. Playing down lets players try those different shots and strategies easier because the game moves at a slower level. And playing with your peers helps you work on specific skills while you are most at ease and in a Zen-like moment, helping you grow the most as a player.
EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT PREFERRED TIME TO PLAY…
Most players aren’t at the venue the whole time. There are some who do, but most come and go throughout the day.
Some players are early birds, so they might come at 8:00 a.m. and get a couple of hours of play in. Then they’ll join in with some friends and go have breakfast at a nearby restaurant. Maybe take a quick nap or a stroll down The Greenbelt. Then they will come back to play in the later afternoon.
Others like to sleep in and let the early birds play until they get tired. The latecomers will arrive at about 11 and play for a couple of hours. Then they go take a nap.
Everyone has a different schedule, but there’s always pickleball going on…
PLAY WITH A 4.0+ PLAYER
Players in the 2.0-3.0 skill level are welcome to play with a 4.0+ player during this session. It’s a great opportunity to see how fast and sometimes how slow play is at that level.
ROUND ROBINS
Round robins will be offered for each skill level grouping.…
