Author: rkraemer333

Let’s start celebrating our county’s 250th year with some fun at our annual SJPA Pool Party! The party is on Thursday, June 18th, from 5:00-8:00 PM at the Founder’s Club Pool.  
D.J. Dan Heatherly will provide the music, and our Social Committee has some exciting games planned.  
Troon will cater the event. Meals include a choice of sandwiches/wraps, chips, cookies, and water.  
The price for members is $26.
Guests of members are welcome to join for $30.
Don’t get left out!  Register now!  

The deadline for registration is Monday, June 8th. 

Registered as of June 4

Donald Ammann
Janice Ammann
Lori Ammann
Laura Bouyet
Jean Christian
Pete Christian
Bernadette Clinton
Tom Clinton
Jeff Coleman
Regina Coleman
Christel Colon
Christine Cournoyer
Dick Cournoyer
Michelle Cullen
Chris Dacko
Cheis Dacko
Wayne Dennis
Joanne Descovich
Bill Epp
Laura Epp
bob flanagan
Brenda Gamba
Mike Garner
Amy Garner
DeDe Gonzalez
Ray Gonzalez
Tarri Grover
Jim Grover
Scott Hettinger
Cindy Hettinger
Ruthie Iorio
George Johnson
Marion Johnson
Eileen Kopunek
Michael Kopunek
Randy Kraemer
Theresa Kraemer
Mark Leeds
Doug MacCall
Tara MacCall
Kristie Minor
Scott Nasiff
Katy Nasiff
Sherri Newman
Bradford Newman
Barbara Oertel
Bill Oertel
Lance Reiter
Carolyn Reiter
Cathy Rienth
Ken Rienth
Cathy Rollins
Tony Rollins
Marilou Rubright
Terry Rubright
Clare Samolis
Stacy Sheilds
Robyn Smith
Noelle Speers
Pete Speers
Dinah Weiss
Tom Weiss
Liz Wilson
Bryon Wilson
Sandy Woods
Richard Woods

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:

Session 1: 1:00 – 2:30
Session 2: 2:30 – 4:00

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 1: 2:30 – 4:00

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:

Session 1: 1:00 – 2:30

Session 2: 2:30 – 4:00

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. 

• We will be playing ten-minute games on all eight courts
• The event is for all levels and will be in a Round-Robin format
• No fee. Please bring a non-perishable item for the Southport Oak Island Interchurch Fellowship Food Pantry (SOIICF)

PLAYER REQUIREMENTS:

• St. James Sport/Golf Membership
• SJPA Paid Membership

Registration is open.

Session 1: 1:00 – 2:30

Session 2: 2:30 – 4:00

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

Click to access Zeffy-Instructions-for-paying-SJPA-Membership-Dues.pdf

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE YOUR 2025 SJPA MEMBERSHIP

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:

Click to access Dr.-Landfried-presentation.pdf

Click to access SJPA-Annual-Meeting-November-14-2024.pdf

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:

• SOCIAL/NOVICE – Social division for beginner/novice players that will play in a social environment. No DUPR rating required, but if DUPR rated, rating must be under 2.99 DUPR. Team formats will vary depending on community participation. Play will be scheduled every other Monday.
• INTERMEDIATE – Competitive division for players with a minimum of 30 DUPR games and a rating between 3.00 – 3.49. The game format is one man’s double, one woman’s double, and two mixed doubles: playing 7 rounds totaling 28 games weekly for a team of 10 to 12 players. Play will be held on Wednesdays from 4:00 PM – 7:00PM for away matches and Tuesdays from 4:00 PM to – 7:00 PM when hosting at home.
• UPPER INTERMEDIATE – Competitive division for players with a minimum of 30 DUPR games and a rating between 3.50 – 3.99. The game format is one man’s double, one woman’s double, and two mixed doubles: playing 7 rounds totaling 28 games weekly for a team of 10 to 12 players. Play will be held on Thursdays from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
• ADVANCED 4.0+ – Competitive division for players with a minimum of 30 DUPR games and a rating over 4.0. The game format is two men’s doubles, one women’s double, and one mixed double: playing 7 rounds totaling 28 games weekly for a team of 10 to 12 players. Uploading DUPR scores is required for these matches. Play will be scheduled every Monday.

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