What started as a post on the Pickleball England Facebook page with our captain Ross seeking other teams/clubs who would like to play the rising stars of Seacourt turned into one of the best experiences!
Imagine a purpose built pickleball and padel centre on the South Coast – 4 pickleball courts and 2 padel courts with the perfect markings for the kitchen…well it was certainly pickleball heaven! The set up, environment and general vibe of The Pickle Pad is incredible, with dropped jaws as we walked in and a real buzz to get to play on ‘proper courts’ for the first time.
Pulling our jaws off the floor it was time to get down to business – an action-packed day with 55 games. Including, the first time Seacourt took on singles matches with Charlie Evans, Nathan Brasher & Simon Flynn winning 7-2. There were 28 games of mixed doubles with Seacourt taking home the victory at 15-13. A further 18 games were played after a tactical refreshment break with some premature drinking, resulting in a victory of 11-7 for The Pickle Pad. It was a close day with Seacourt bagging another win 29-26.
There were some great wins for the team and a couple of individuals with unbeaten records on the day – Ross Wainwright & Darren Francis winning all 3 of their gender doubles and with 4 mixed gender wins (Ross & Lauren Forsyth and Darren & Kaylee Brasher).
One final mention for Simon Heaps from The Pickle Pad who joined us and showed a whole new dimension to pickleball and how versatile the game is for every single one of us, no matter your ability. Simon partnered with Pam and Calvin, gave Seacourt a challenge for both mixed and gender doubles. Simon is a para-athlete and bilateral amputee who started playing 7 months ago at the age of 70 and recently won Wheelchair Doubles at The English National Pickleball Championships, he is also a proud Ambassador for The Pickle Pad. It goes to show that grit, determination and positive mental attitude is half the battle for pickle. Once you have PMA and believe in yourself – taking to the court is the easy and enjoyable part!
We look forward to hosting The Pickle Pad at Seacourt next year and arranging a few more road trips to their facilities.