Pickleball tournament returns to Medina on July 9-10

Provided photo: Pickleball players compete in mixed doubles last July at the Medina tennis courts. There were 47 players in the debut tournament.

Press Release, Medina Rotary Club

MEDINA – Coming off their successful tournament last summer, the Rotary Club of Medina will hold its second annual Medina Rotary Pickleball Tournament next month.

The tournament will be held on Saturday, July 9th and Sunday, July 10th. This year will include an “Introduction to Pickleball” clinic to be held on Friday, July 8th. The clinic and all events will be held at the Medina High School tennis courts. There will be food vendors onsite.

There are five events in the tournament: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Each event is broken into three categories based on skill level. Final categories will be determined by the number of registrations.

Last year saw 47 players participate in the tournament.

“Our first tournament exceeded expectations, both by the number of players and the positive responses from the players,” said Tournament Director Carl Tuohey.

This year the tournament is expanding in several areas. First, there will be different skill levels for each event. Secondly, we are using the website “PickleballBrackets.com” for the tournament. The website handles the signups and scheduling.

The proceeds from the tournament go toward the club’s projects. These include books for second graders, meals for needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, scholarships for graduating students, and more.

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America today, Tuohey said. It is a game for players of all ages and skill levels. Rules for pickleball are simple, making it a great introductory sport.

It can also be quite the challenging, fast-paced, and competitive game when people become more experienced at playing.

“Our tournament is a fun tournament,” Tuohey said. “It is geared toward players looking to try the sport.  And this is a great chance to play in a no-pressure tournament for those that have been playing the sport.”

Anyone interested in playing must create an account on PickleballBrackets.com and then register for the tournament by searching for “Medina Rotary.” There is no cost for creating an account on PIckleballBrackets.com.

The tournament carries a $20 registration fee and $10 per event entered. The “Introduction to Pickleball” clinic is $5.

Interested players may find information by emailing the Rotary Club at medinanyrotary@gmail.com or go to www.medinarotary.org/pickleball.