Golden Gate Pickleball: March 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to the Golden Gate Pickleball Newsletter. Within its digital pages you will find information about upcoming events, results of past events, and a little bit of entertainment, too.
GGP's mission is to facilitate the growth of pickleball in the San Francisco Bay Area. We offer organized recreational and competitive play for the enjoyment, health, and social engagement of all players in a collegial and sportsman-like environment. We are also working to expand facilities and programs to meet the growing needs of our pickleball community.
We are an all-volunteer organization. Ninety-five percent of your donations will go directly to program and community activities.
News
Golden Gate Pickleball Honor Board!
It's only fitting that our very own Jonas Satuito is first in our Picture Gallery. Winning 5.0 Mixed 50+ with the very accomplished Ayumi Otome, Jonas not only started the tournament season with a bang but also earned a Golden Ticket. Adam MacKinnon and Julie Heitman took second, and Albert Lee and Taryn Lam finished third.
Honors upon honors—Jonas was invited to play in the prestigious Humana Cup at the APP tournament and helped lead his adopted team, The Kitchen Killers, to victory. Teaming up with Jack Tang and Tammie Steele, he went 7-1 against Lee Whitwell’s team.
Topping off his accomplishments, he made it to the bronze medal match in Senior Pro Men's Doubles at the APP tournament, taking down the number one seed, Jardim/Oncin, along the way. Unfortunately, the bronze medal match was rained out before it could be played.
Many local players were at the courts this weekend—share your photos and your stories. One visiting pro last year was heard to say, "There are no good players in San Francisco." Let’s keep proving him wrong.
📸 How to participate:
Snap a pic of your tournament medals.
Send it to us at ggp.tanyaslesnick@gmail.com.
We’ll proudly display your accomplishments on the Honor Board and celebrate your achievements at the Gala. So, get out there, play hard, and don’t forget to send us your victories. No one is ever too humble for some pickleball bragging!
Golden Gate Pickleball Skill Evaluation Clinic (Trial Program)
GGP is offering a two-hour clinic as part of a trial program, where you will be evaluated on your skill level. The cost is $200 per person, with a maximum and minimum of four participants per session.
Many players hesitate to sign up for tournaments due to uncertainty about their skill level. This clinic provides clarity on your current rating and offers guidance on how to improve.
Attached is an interest sheet. Indicate the level you believe you are, and if you have three others at the same level, you can sign up as a team.
Skill Levels Evaluated: 2.5 – 3.75
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Joola to Highlight GGP in Monthly Blog
Joola will feature Golden Gate Pickleball’s work with schools in their blog! This is a great opportunity to highlight the impact we’re making in the community. Look for the blog in mid-March. Check it out.
GGP X FCPC SUPR DUPR MIXR
Golden Gate Pickleball and the Foster City Pickleball Club co-hosted a SUPR DUPR MIXR, FREE for GGP members, on February 22nd!
Fun was had by all. Food, drinks and pickleball. Can’t get any better than that.
Thank you Foster City for hosting such a fun event. Thank you Todd for being grillmaster once again.
Share your pictures, we will post them on Instagram!
Upcoming Events
DUPR High School Pickleball California State Championship, March15, 2025
Golden Gate Pickleball (GGP) is proud to support the 2nd Annual High School Pickleball California State Championship!
Date: March 15, 2025
Location: Craneway Pavilion, Richmond, CA
RegistrationDeadline: March 11, 2025
Entry Fee: $20 per player (team registration required)
Events:
· 4-PersonTeam Format
· 3-PersonTeam Format
For more information or to register, contact: Michael Moon, Tournament Director at: 415-513-2041
The Golden Gate Pickleball Spring Showdown Tournament!
Volunteers and Referees Needed for theGolden Gate Pickleball Spring Showdown!
We need your help to make this event a success! Whether you're an experienced volunteer or new to event support, we appreciate any contribution you can make.
Volunteer Discount: Volunteers will receive a discount on their registration fee!
Interested in Volunteering or Refereeing?
Contact Tanya: ggp.tanyaslesnick@gmail.com
Sign up today and be part of the action!
📅 Date: April 25, - April 27, 2025
📍 Location: Willow Pass, Concord, CA🕘
Start Time: 8:00 am
Tournament Format
Open Division: Got the skills to catch the gold? Players must have a DUPR rating of 4.0 or higher to compete in this division. The format will be double elimination and there will be cash prizes (for this division only), as follows:
For Mens Doubles OPEN, Women's Doubles OPEN, Mixed Doubles OPEN with 8+ teams registered:
Gold prize = $500/player
Silver prize = $250/player
Bronze prize = $100/player
If only 4-7 teams are registered, the cash prizes are:
Gold $250/player
Silver $125/player
Bronze $50/player
If there are fewer than 4 teams registered, there will be no cash prizes.
All Other Divisions: Dive into our Round Robin format, where everyone gets their fair share of games and fun! And we will have some fun prizes for the winners.
Event Dates:
Friday April 25, 2025 Senior gender doubles, Singles
Saturday April 26, 2025 – Mixed doubles
Sunday April 27, 2025 Gender doubles, Senior singles
Note: dates may change based on registration.
Register now—because the Gold waits for no one!
ON GOING ACTIVITIES
Morning Play
Golden Gate Pickleball - DUPR Pilot Program month of March.
We’re launching a pilot program with DUPR play in the morning. We’ll record your scores into DUPR.
Monday: Levels 2.75-3.25
Wednesday: Levels 3.25-3.75
Please sign up for the appropriate level. All participants must be DUPR members.Join here: Golden Gate Pickleball Club on DUPR
If you don’t have a DUPR rating, come on Monday to determine if this level works for you.
Coaching: We will have a coach on the courts from 8am – 9am to coach and advise.
Free to the public.
Women’s Drill and Play
GGP offers a free all-female Drill and Play on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:00. The skill level is 2.75-3.25, and Lisa Shaw leads the sessions. We are doing round robins, with strategic lessons as we go.
Challenge Court
The Challenge Court continues at Louis Sutter on Saturday mornings at 8:00 am. GGP provides donuts, coffee, and other snacks on the last Saturday of the month. Join the coffee klatch. Be there or be square!
Paddle Tales
The Pickleball Life: In the Beginning
by Twila Slesnick
Remember X number of years ago when you played your first game of pickleball?
More than likely, you came from tennis. Maybe you were a really good tennis player and felt much the way Sam Querrey, tennis pro extraordinaire, does as he transitions to pickleball. His pronouncement: “We top 50 tennis players going over to pickleball are going to be good. Among the best in the world.”
He said it with a wink and a smile, presumably to take the sting out of it for all of those tennis players who never made it to the top 50.
Those of us with no racquet sports in our history might not realize how much of an advantage he has. But we recognize the throwing down of the gauntlet. Perhaps you, like me, saw people out on the courts laughing and having fun and occasionally looking pretty goofy. The game looked do-able, so you jumped in and learned it. And you thought, without any arrogance at all, of course, that maybe you could be one of the best.
But after you graduated from your first clinic, anxiety set in. You wondered if people would play with you if you just randomly showed up at a court. Then you remembered your first impression – the laughter, the friendly banter, and off you went.
Once on the court, you discovered that keeping the ball in play was a little harder than you expected. And before long, you noticed that some people, upon seeing you approach, would discreetly turn their backs and march to the court farthest away from you.
Not everyone fled, though (blessed are the empaths), and before long, you actually could keep the ball in play, and then you were completely hooked. You found yourself rearranging your schedule. “Nope, can’t meet you for lunch on Thursday afternoon. That’s pickleball.” “Uh, well, I can’t take the grandkids to school on Tuesday mornings anymore because that’s pickleball.” And when your best friend found you playing pickleball at noon having declined lunch with her for the third straight time, you confessed your addiction.
That addiction prompted you to take the next step. You decided to enter a tournament. Feeling confident but not cocky, you registered as a 3.5 player (instead of a 4.0 player) and then went out and bought a fancy new paddle and some neon pink capris.
Sadly, you came away from that tournament having played three matches and scored a grand total of 3 points.
But did you give up pickleball? No, of course you didn’t. Instead, you mined the community for your people. And you found them. Those loud, trash-talking, fun-loving, generous line-callers who are willing to rise at the crack of dawn, bring their coffee to the court and help you start every day off right.
That’s the pickleball life.
If you like what GGP is doing for pickleball and community, you may donate here:
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