Join us on Sunday, March 15th, for this social, round-robin event open to all SJPA members.
These are always great events with lots of pickleball and lots of fun!
This is a FREE event
Two sessions are available: 1-2:30 and 2:30-4.
For more details and to sign up, visit the following links:
The St. James Pickleball Association invites all members to join us for our Annual Meeting, held this year as our First Member Appreciation Event — a special evening to celebrate YOU and thank you for your amazing support!
This is a FREE event!
Date: Sunday, November 16
Time: 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: The House of Pickleball (HOP), Leland, NC
Enjoy an evening of fun featuring:
A live DJ
Pizza & salad
Great company and lots of laughs
There will be three pickleball sessions, and all members are welcome — whether you’re playing or just coming to socialize!
Come celebrate our growing community and share in the fun.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Registration is closed.
The SJPA Championship Weekend Tournament was a huge success. 50 teams competed over the 3 days. The weather was perfect and the play was spectacular. Points were hard to come by as the players showcased their skills.
Thank you to all the players and to those who came out to cheer them on. And congrats to all the winners.
Here are the champions from each division
| 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0+ | |
| LADIES | Kathy Melnyk Tarri Grover | Cindy Phillips Lisa Boggs | Rose Webber Susan Barry |
| MENS | Leo Pacnya Kevin O’Brien | Randy Kraemer Bill Stanzel | Jay Ackerson Tom Alderice |
| MIXED | Janice Ammann Mike Garner | Deb Chiarello Joe Beitz | Rose Webber Tony Rollins |
Join us for some Pickleball spooky fun on Friday, October 31. This is a Social & Spooky Halloween-themed Mixed Up Doubles event!
Costumes are encouraged!
Due to low interest, the second session at 4:00 is cancelled.
For more details and to sign up, visit the following link.
Session 2: 4:00 – 5:30 – CANCELLED
Are you a beginner or just want to improve your pickleball game? Then this event is for you!
Join us on Sunday, September 14th. This event is for Beginners and players at the 3.0 level and below. We will drill for 45 minutes and play for 45 minutes. Drills will include serving, return of serves, dinking, and third shot drops as well as others.
There will be an instructor on each court to answer questions and help you succeed.
Come out for a great time and practice and play against others at your level.
Please sign up as space is limited.
This is a FREE event and is open to non-SJPA members as well.
For more details and to sign up, visit the following links:
Registration for the Battle of the Paddle tournament is open through August 31.
The tournament will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28.
The tournament will consist of a team skills competition, dinking only round robins, and men’s, women’s, and mixed round robins by rating.
There are limited spots available.
For more information, click here.
Rymer courts will be closed from August 4 through August 17 for resurfacing. The road and parking lot will also be repaved.
Seaside courts will remain open during this time.
Beginners Social with Drills and Play
This event is for Beginners and players at the 3.0 level and below. We will drill for 45 minutes and play for 45 minutes. Drills will include serving, return of serves, dinking, and third shot drops as well as others.
Come out for a great time and practice and play against others at your level.
Join us on Sunday, April 6. There will be two sessions.
Be sure to sign up as space is limited. Registration is open.
This is a FREE event and is open to non-SJPA members as well.
For more details and sign up, visit the following links:
Session 1: 1:00 – 2:30
Session 2: 2:30 – 4:00
Join us on Sunday, March 9th for a fun Play with a Pro event. This is a round-robin social event with Pro Kim Mihan mixing into different games.
PLAYER REQUIREMENTS:
Registration is open.
As my term as president of the SJPA ends, I would like to thank the Board, the Committee Chairs, and all of the other members who helped make 2024 so successful. There have been terrific events, both on-court and off, and lots of spirited and fun play. We continued to work closely with The Clubs at St. James to enhance the pickleball facilities, both for usability and safety. And more improvements are coming in 2025, including resurfacing the courts at the Rymer facility. The topic of getting gates at the entrances to the courts continues to be discussed and I am hopeful that it will be addressed soon, though I do not have the details or timing as yet.
Those of you who attended our social events (Winter Dance, Progressive Dinner, Spring Fling, Pool Party, and Beach Events) understand that this is a group that knows how to have fun, whether it includes good food, music, dancing, tug-of-war, or a swimming relay race with an inflatable pickle.
In addition to the always popular Battle of the Paddle, we introduced several new on-court events including men’s and women’s championships, and the All-Aboard Tournament involving competition for every level of player. We also had a number of Mixed-Up Doubles events in all seasons and weather conditions – heat, cold, and wind – where part of the goal is to meet new people and have fun playing with folks you might not know.
While we had many successes, we encountered a few challenges as well. Court reservations and utilization continue to be areas of concern, though with only 10 courts for over 600 pickleball players in St. James, it seems that the competition to get courts at the most popular times will always be a challenge. How to ensure that the courts that are reserved are actually used is a separate issue that remains unresolved. A number of ideas have been discussed, but none have been put into practice, so this is an area where the SJPA and The Clubs will continue to work toward a viable solution. The procedures for using the Whiteboard during open play evolved during the year and it seems to generally be working, as long as everyone understands the process and includes all players who attend, regardless of level.
I look forward to more fun events and energetic play, with a bit of competition and a lot of laughter, in 2025. (We can’t take ourselves too seriously!) I expect that the new SJPA Board will continue to offer events and activities for all of our members.
Happy holidays to you and your families. I hope to see you at the socials and on the courts in the new year!
George Johnson
SJPA President, 2024
Dr. Matthew Landfried, Southport Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, will be discussing common pickleball injuries and conditioning tips to minimize risk of injury.
Review a copy of his presetation here:
The Cape Fear Intercommunity League will begin play on March 10th, 2025, and will end around the 3rd week of May 2025.
The Cape Fear Inter-Community League Rep is now soliciting interest for this friendly, social, and competitive pickleball league that provides opportunities to play other communities including Winding River, Brunswick Forest, Waterford, Compass Point, Porter’s Neck, Landfall, and Del Webb.
Players must be 55 or older to play in the league. If you turn 55 in calendar year 2025, you are eligible to play.
This is NOT an SJPA sponsored event or league.
DIVISIONS:
STEP ONE – League Registration
Contact Cathy Rollins at 703-901-3217 or via email @ crollins@comtex.com to register.
Players will be assigned to teams based on the stated criteria and roster slot availability.
STEP TWO – DUPR Registration for this event
Players are required to register on DUPR: https://mydupr.com.
When you register you will be asked to provide your community. Enter: Cape Fear Intercommunity League. If you do not have a DUPR rating, you have until February 15, 2025, to complete 30 DUPR matches. DUPR will begin recording your scores as soon as you register, and you will get a rating which will change as you enter your games. The more games you play, the more accurate your rating becomes. It is strongly suggested that you begin to use DUPR and as soon as possible if you wish to participate. It is also strongly recommended to schedule and play DUPR matches with players of like ability.
Event Organizer: Cathy Rollins, 703-901-3217, crollins@comtex.com
Another beautiful, sunny day in St. James provided the perfect backdrop for SJPA’s Halloween Mixed-UP Doubles with the Pro event on Saturday, November 2nd.
The first session was a sell out on all 8 courts, and the second afforded a more intimate group with everyone in both groups able to play with the pro. Kim Mihan gave it her usual 100%, playing to win when she needed to but still giving players helpful instruction and pointers.
As always, donations were collected for the food pantry and more than a few participants indulged in Halloween candy and homemade cookies.
