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Lots of action as fall has gotten underway in beautiful Sun Lakes. A new slate of club officers will take over at the end of the year. Leslie Johnson becomes our president, stepping in for Royce Newman who has helmed the Pickleball organization for many years. Royce has been an avid ambassador for the sport and we are fortunate he will continue to be active. Welcome, Leslie! And thanks for being willing to serve. Tony Browne was elected to succeed Nick Caputo as Vice-President. Again, Nick has been a faithful servant of the club, especially as a leader of tournaments and social activities. Thanks, Nick for your enthusiasm! Jim Hodgson continues as Secretary-Treasurer. A large contingent of Sun Lakes picklers journeyed down to Palm Springs for a "Halloween Round Robin" at DeMuth Park. This turned out to be a grand affair, drawing upwards of 150 players from all over the Inland Empire and beyond. Events included the round robin for men/women as well as doubles and mixed doubles. Our club did us proud as Tony Browne and Hank Huisman won their division. Hank also teamed with Anna Selvaggi and got a second-place finish as did Royce Newman and Jim Hodgson. Tony and Pam Browne finished third in mixed doubles while Pam and Anna got third in the women's doubles. Mary Barsaleau did yeoman's service in organizing the tourney. Prizes were plentiful and her crew of helpers kept a complicated schedule on track. The low desert saw even more action this season with the National Tournament at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Nov. 2 - 11. Those of our community who got down there witnessed the best of the best in keen competition. It was worth the visit just to see the 45 championship-caliber pickleball courts that were teeming with play at the Garden. The sport of tennis has embraced our game in a huge way and this event proved pickleball's "coming of age" in a spectacular way! During the transitional weather in the coming months, club play will shift from evening to afternoon play with the cooler nights. The official club play hours are Monday/Wednesday/Saturday from 8 to 10 am. Come out and give it a try — we always have equipment for beginners or visitors. For details on alternate play times, give a call to Royce at 769-1103 or Nick at 255-7841. See you on the courts! | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | DECEMBER 2018 | 57 Pickleball Club