Youth Pickleball Clinic a ball
The Canyon Lake Pickleball Club hosted its annual summer junior clinic Saturday, attracting over three dozen participants. The purpose of the event was to introduce children ages 9 to 17 to the fundamentals, rules, and skills of the game.
The clinic took place at the Canyon Lake Pickleball Courts and taught the youth such pickleball skills as paddle control, serving, and dinking, with the aim of instilling a love for this enjoyable sport at an early age.
The clinic featured five distinct teaching stations, followed by skills challenges to assess the juniors‘ progress. At each of the challenges, a competition took place. The winners of each challenge received prizes and recognition.
In the Serving Challenge, Chandler Fearing emerged victorious in the age 9-11 group, while Luke Thomas claimed the top spot in the age 12-17 category.
The Dinking Challenge resulted in a three-way tie for first place in the age 9-11 group, with Rylee Gribble, Sailor Paasch, and Rylan Chavez all achieving exceptional performances. In the age 12-17 group, Luke Thomas and Braiden secured a shared victory.
For the Ball Control on Paddle Challenge, Rylee Gribble triumphed in the age 9-11 group, recording an impressive score of 154 hits in 60 seconds. In the age 12-17 group, Luke Thomas also showcased remarkable skills, leading the pack with 202 hits in the same time frame. The Wall Control Challenge required hitting the wall without allowing the ball to bounce. In the age 9-11 group, Rylee Gribble secured the first position with a score of 79, followed by Bradley Thompson with 37 hits, and Madison Thompson with six hits. In the age 12-17 group, Alena Perigan claimed first place with 150 hits, while Grant Fearing and Kylee Libring achieved a tie for second place with 16 hits each.
Lastly, in the Tournament Winners Category, the age 9-11 group celebrated Rylee Gribble‘s victory, with Chandler Fearing taking second place and Rylan Chavez finishing third. In the age 12-17 group, Mathew Thomas secured the first position, followed by Grant Fearing in second place, and Alena Perigan in third.
The success of the event was greatly indebted to the generous contributions of various donors. Nothing Bundt Cakes, Starbucks, Pickleball Chalet, Bruce Wallace, and Heidi Newton all provided gifts and prizes, which significantly enhanced the experience.
“The event would not have been possible without the dedicated community volunteers from the Pickleball Club who willingly sacrificed their Saturday afternoon to lend their support, Club Secretary Steve Libring said. “Their selflessness and ongoing commitment to our community and juniors are truly appreciated.”
Special thanks go to volunteers Carl Duplan and Nancy Duplan, their daughter Becky and son-in-law Bo, Tom Garcia, Farzad Adib, Kimberly Keigwin, Diane Libring, Pete Velasquez, Paul Hawker, and Teresa Fidler. For more information about the Canyon Lake Pickleball Club and upcoming events, contact Steve at steve.libring@gmail.com.