From the desk of Dr. J
Ambassador - USAPA
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD II
The purpose of my first article, “Leveling the Playing Field in Pickleball Tournaments” was to bring awareness to Pickleball players and Tournament directors about the necessity to level the playing field in their tournament play.1 I continue to be hopeful that the USAPA will take into consideration the leveling process and make it procedural in its’ tournament recommendations and requirements on behalf of peer competition, fun, age and skill level.
I described a level playing field as simple and fair. That no elder should be disadvantaged because of their age! They compete within their own age group and skill level. I received many emails and responses to this article, all positive and supportive. One writer did question whether or not a gold medal based on age is equivalent to participation medals that many schools and organizations have initiated so that no kid feels left out. Though well intended, participation medals are non-competitively earned medals and mean exactly what they’re called: you have participated in an event. This is hardly the case on the other end of the continuum of life, elders! A 90 year old man or woman that signs up for a tournament and expects to compete deserves a medal in their division if there are not enough 90+ players to compete. They still get to play in the next lower age bracket available but are not judged on competing against younger players.
Regardless of the positive reviews and comments, there has been little change if any by tournament directors in general and many are getting around leveling the playing field by putting disclaimers in their registration flyers and forms e.g. Age and skill levels will be adhered to WHEN POSSIBLE but dependent upon number of participants. Another sidestep is in saying that it is a SKILL level tournament and they will add AGE to the level “IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH PLAYERS”!
Case in point, I am playing in a tournament here in Georgia, in August, that has used this type disclaimer which leaves elderly players in limbo until the final schedule is posted. You sign up with no guarantee of a level playing field. In this case, my partner and I in the 70-74 age group skill level 3.5 have ended up being in a bracket that includes at least one 4.0 men’s double’s team. I brought this to the attention of the tournament director and his reply? “……. not everybody will be exactly where they want. I have pointed out that for those folks it is a good chance to practice against higher ranked players. I hope you will enjoy the tournament.” I’m certain we will not enjoy being fodder for the higher skill level team(s). Turns out there were two 4.0 teams leaving the remaining three 3.5 teams to fight it out for third place. It wasn’t fun being beaten 15-2 and 15-3. The other games were fun and fair. To be fair to the Pickleball Tournament Directors, they have very little control over higher level players signing up in lower level brackets in order to medal. This is why leveling the field would have made it a fair competitive tournament….let the two 4.0 teams compete for Gold and Silver medals and the 3.5 teams compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. How can a director know when to do this? By the scores. With few exceptions, lop sided scores are indicative of two different skill levels of play!
I do not know of any elders that sign up for tournaments in order to practice their skills against higher ranked players. It is a considerable expense to play in a tournament and a boost to the local economy at the tournament location. Tournament directors who want to use disclaimers should allow seniors to withdraw with a full refund (Possibly less a small service fee if they are using credit cards..) and explain to their local chambers of commerce why a number of senior players cancelled their motel/hotel arrangements in the last week before the tournament!
This issue is being intensely debated on Facebook’s Pickleball Players Group and while writing this article, in the past two hours there have been 196 posts, pros and cons, with the cons being mostly younger players. One con post said that a 15 year old 3.5 and a 65 year old 3.5 should be considered equals and play in the same skill level. It’s unlikely the 65 year old would enjoy the match. As a 74 year old I have beaten younger players on occasion but they were able to walk the next morning!
Two of our most respected Ambassadors in Georgia, Bill Hess, District Ambassador and his wife Carole, Cherokee County Ambassador, have perfected a level playing field in the annual Georgia State Championship Games. They have proven that it can be done. In this year’s tournament, for example, there were no other 70-74 year old mixed doubles teams signed up in my team’s level so my partner, Dr. Jenny Felder and I were placed in the 35+ novice bracket and guaranteed at least six games and a Gold Medal. This resulted in the 35 year old players competing for gold, silver and bronze and therefore there were two teams that won gold. Their top team and Jenny and I. (we actually earned it by beating every team twice) If we had lost to these 35+ teams we would still have won gold for our age and skill level! That’s a level playing field!
My thanks to a respondent to my article, from The Villages in Florida who wrote: “Hi Jerry, I very much enjoyed your article in Pickleball Magazine about leveling the playing field in pickleball tournaments. I would like to discuss it with other pickleball friends. You really hit on something here. Many people I know have had similar experiences at tournaments that you discuss in your article.” “What you have written is so, so very pertinent in the tournament world and it really needs to be implemented at EVERY tournament! How can we get this imple-mented? That is the challenge, right? I am only in my 60’s and rated 4.0. Having to play against guys even in their 40’s & 50’s is craziness. I don’t understand why tournament people can’t clearly see this. ALL tournaments should be AGE + SKILL bracketed.
My friends and I will not enter tournaments that are not set up this way. We were all naively disappointed after spending, flying, driving, etc. only to find that we were grouped to play against 30 & 40 year olds! Now we don’t enter any tournaments that are not AGE + SKILL but those seem to be much fewer. Hence, we haven’t been entering tournaments! Please let me know if you have a way of implementing this. You have already done EVERYONE a great service by having your article published in Pickleball Magazine!! Thank you for writing it to open the eyes of tournament directors, etc. How can we take it to the next step? Any ideas?”
Thus the reason for this second article on Leveling the Playing Field. Here are some ideas how to proceed to the next step:
Ambassador - USAPA
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD II
The purpose of my first article, “Leveling the Playing Field in Pickleball Tournaments” was to bring awareness to Pickleball players and Tournament directors about the necessity to level the playing field in their tournament play.1 I continue to be hopeful that the USAPA will take into consideration the leveling process and make it procedural in its’ tournament recommendations and requirements on behalf of peer competition, fun, age and skill level.
I described a level playing field as simple and fair. That no elder should be disadvantaged because of their age! They compete within their own age group and skill level. I received many emails and responses to this article, all positive and supportive. One writer did question whether or not a gold medal based on age is equivalent to participation medals that many schools and organizations have initiated so that no kid feels left out. Though well intended, participation medals are non-competitively earned medals and mean exactly what they’re called: you have participated in an event. This is hardly the case on the other end of the continuum of life, elders! A 90 year old man or woman that signs up for a tournament and expects to compete deserves a medal in their division if there are not enough 90+ players to compete. They still get to play in the next lower age bracket available but are not judged on competing against younger players.
Regardless of the positive reviews and comments, there has been little change if any by tournament directors in general and many are getting around leveling the playing field by putting disclaimers in their registration flyers and forms e.g. Age and skill levels will be adhered to WHEN POSSIBLE but dependent upon number of participants. Another sidestep is in saying that it is a SKILL level tournament and they will add AGE to the level “IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH PLAYERS”!
Case in point, I am playing in a tournament here in Georgia, in August, that has used this type disclaimer which leaves elderly players in limbo until the final schedule is posted. You sign up with no guarantee of a level playing field. In this case, my partner and I in the 70-74 age group skill level 3.5 have ended up being in a bracket that includes at least one 4.0 men’s double’s team. I brought this to the attention of the tournament director and his reply? “……. not everybody will be exactly where they want. I have pointed out that for those folks it is a good chance to practice against higher ranked players. I hope you will enjoy the tournament.” I’m certain we will not enjoy being fodder for the higher skill level team(s). Turns out there were two 4.0 teams leaving the remaining three 3.5 teams to fight it out for third place. It wasn’t fun being beaten 15-2 and 15-3. The other games were fun and fair. To be fair to the Pickleball Tournament Directors, they have very little control over higher level players signing up in lower level brackets in order to medal. This is why leveling the field would have made it a fair competitive tournament….let the two 4.0 teams compete for Gold and Silver medals and the 3.5 teams compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. How can a director know when to do this? By the scores. With few exceptions, lop sided scores are indicative of two different skill levels of play!
I do not know of any elders that sign up for tournaments in order to practice their skills against higher ranked players. It is a considerable expense to play in a tournament and a boost to the local economy at the tournament location. Tournament directors who want to use disclaimers should allow seniors to withdraw with a full refund (Possibly less a small service fee if they are using credit cards..) and explain to their local chambers of commerce why a number of senior players cancelled their motel/hotel arrangements in the last week before the tournament!
This issue is being intensely debated on Facebook’s Pickleball Players Group and while writing this article, in the past two hours there have been 196 posts, pros and cons, with the cons being mostly younger players. One con post said that a 15 year old 3.5 and a 65 year old 3.5 should be considered equals and play in the same skill level. It’s unlikely the 65 year old would enjoy the match. As a 74 year old I have beaten younger players on occasion but they were able to walk the next morning!
Two of our most respected Ambassadors in Georgia, Bill Hess, District Ambassador and his wife Carole, Cherokee County Ambassador, have perfected a level playing field in the annual Georgia State Championship Games. They have proven that it can be done. In this year’s tournament, for example, there were no other 70-74 year old mixed doubles teams signed up in my team’s level so my partner, Dr. Jenny Felder and I were placed in the 35+ novice bracket and guaranteed at least six games and a Gold Medal. This resulted in the 35 year old players competing for gold, silver and bronze and therefore there were two teams that won gold. Their top team and Jenny and I. (we actually earned it by beating every team twice) If we had lost to these 35+ teams we would still have won gold for our age and skill level! That’s a level playing field!
My thanks to a respondent to my article, from The Villages in Florida who wrote: “Hi Jerry, I very much enjoyed your article in Pickleball Magazine about leveling the playing field in pickleball tournaments. I would like to discuss it with other pickleball friends. You really hit on something here. Many people I know have had similar experiences at tournaments that you discuss in your article.” “What you have written is so, so very pertinent in the tournament world and it really needs to be implemented at EVERY tournament! How can we get this imple-mented? That is the challenge, right? I am only in my 60’s and rated 4.0. Having to play against guys even in their 40’s & 50’s is craziness. I don’t understand why tournament people can’t clearly see this. ALL tournaments should be AGE + SKILL bracketed.
My friends and I will not enter tournaments that are not set up this way. We were all naively disappointed after spending, flying, driving, etc. only to find that we were grouped to play against 30 & 40 year olds! Now we don’t enter any tournaments that are not AGE + SKILL but those seem to be much fewer. Hence, we haven’t been entering tournaments! Please let me know if you have a way of implementing this. You have already done EVERYONE a great service by having your article published in Pickleball Magazine!! Thank you for writing it to open the eyes of tournament directors, etc. How can we take it to the next step? Any ideas?”
Thus the reason for this second article on Leveling the Playing Field. Here are some ideas how to proceed to the next step:
- Inform tournament directors of tournaments you wanted to play in but didn't because of their format. Send them a copy of my articles and an estimate of money you would have spent in their commerce area.
- Praise the tournament directors that are currently leveling the playing field!
- Let the USAPA know how important this is to you, send them a copy of the articles I’ve written and any articles that you write. . Include the increased economic value to tournament sites with leveled fields.
- Encourage the USAPA to include in their tournament guidelines provisions for age and skill bracketing to level the playing field.
- Continue to support only tournaments that level the field. The exceptions of course are US OPEN championships. 2
- Finally, use your websites, Facebook pages, email and social PB Clubs to spread the word. I give permission to share my articles with credits. Thanks to everyone who responded, good luck, and keep me informed. Together we will level the playing field!
- Volume 2, Issue 8, May/June 2017 Pickleball Magazine
- The national seniors games are a level playing field!
- The SSIPA, Super Seniors International Pickleball Association, by it’s existence has addressed this issue of a level playing field. Only Seniors can join and play in SSIPA tournaments. Since it is international it is somewhat cost prohibitive for most senior pickleball players, e.g. A tournament in Spain is beyond the means of many retired folks. But their tournaments are age and skill level. There is promise of more tournaments being sponsored here in the U.S.A.
From the desk of Dr. J
Ambassador - USAPA
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD IN PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENTS
The purpose of this article is to bring awareness to Pickleball players and Tournament directors about the necessity to level the playing field in their tournament play. I am in hopes that via the USAPA this leveling process will become procedural on behalf of peer competition and fun.
Pickleball originated as a makeshift game of miniature tennis similarities for seniors as an alternative for the ebb and tide of aching joints and receding reflexes. After years of meandering in pockets of interest here and there, it became increasingly popular with retirement communities in the late nineties and early 21st century decade. Permanent courts indoors and outdoors became a real estate requirement for many people, young and old moving to new communities. It became common to hear a buyer ask, “Does this subdivision have pickleball courts?” or “Does this community have pickleball facilities?” The “Villages” in South Florida and the perfect year round climate for outdoor play in Surprise, Arizona led to some of the best players taking up residence, e.g. Steve Wong in Surprise, Arizona. Pickleball has become the fastest growing sport in the United States and is played internationally in countries such as Sweden, France, Spain and England.
When a sport grows in popularity, it does so by numbers of people flocking to the new game in town that everyone’s talking about. With these new players come the younger generations, slowly at first, but rapidly proliferating into college Sports programs, classes, even at the High School level. National Champions have become younger with each passing competitive year and this influx of youth is great and insures the longevity of the game. Perhaps the Olympics are in Pickleball’s future?
But……what about we old guys? What happens to our competitive motivation to take our game to the next level when we can’t compete on an unlevel playing field with players in our skill levels who are ten, fifteen, even fifty years younger? Being in the same skill level alone does not take into account the athlete’s aging factors. Case in point: I recently traveled 300 miles round trip to compete in a tournament where my sixty-five year old partner and I played against an eighteen year old boy and his thirty + year old brother. The only common denominator was our skill rating of 3.0. I am seventy-four years old! We didn’t have a chance. They, in fact, went on to beat everyone and win the Gold.
Pickleball is a great game for all ages. However, aging has its’ way with our bodies even when our minds keep saying, “Go, play, run, jump, dive.” The natural evolution of life is such that reaction times decrease noticeably in the sixties and agility, eyesight, joint pains-aches-stability, muscle tone and physical endurance levels weaken. Quite often and predictably so elders do not find their game skill going to the next level up. Instead, it stays the same or goes down….a difficult adjustment to say the least.
So, what is a level playing field? It’s very simple and fair. No elder should be disadvantaged because of their age! They compete within their own age group and skill level. Tournament Directors may argue there are not enough players in every tournament to make a level playing field for all the participants. This is true only if you’re concerned about the cost of medals.
In Athens, Georgia in our recent third annual Pickled Peach Pickleball Tournament we had an entrant that was ninety years old! NINETY! How do you offer a ninety year old a level playing field? A chance to compete and medal? You automatically give him a Gold medal for the ninety year old age group at his skill level. He had no peer competition yet he still got to play down in the seventy plus age group and lost. He got to play, to compete and won the Gold. Being the only ninety year old present, do you ignore (and disregard) his age when he has little chance of winning games against younger players? No! In a level playing field, he wins the Gold, plain and simple! Let’s say four ninety year old players, two eighty year old players and eight seventy year old players entered the same tournament. Logically, you establish brackets for their play as seventy plus at their skill level, in this case all are 3.0 players. You keep track of their scores and compare their results only in their age categories, e.g. the two teams of ninety year old players are going to win gold and silver medals; the eighty year old team wins gold medals; and the seventy year old teams will win gold, silver and bronze medals. The playing fields can be leveled by decades or half a decade such as 70-74 brackets and 75-79 brackets or 70-79 brackets and so forth.
A level playing field needs to be established per age groups and their skill levels being competitive among themselves. This could be regulated by the USAPA, recognizing that Open play will not and should not be affected by these new guidelines as in any sport, the best of the best rises to the top regardless of age. Their level playing field is self established and maintained by their 5.0 plus skill level.
Pickleball is a valuable asset to the sports world and especially to the communities holding tournaments. A fully attended tournament boosts the local economy in housing, eateries, tourist shopping, gas stops and the tournament sponsors with their wares. A level playing field will insure full tournaments. Without leveling the playing field I predict that many players will stop playing in tournaments where they are matched with younger players, in which case, everyone loses. I am hopeful that this article is the beginning of a needed change to the way most tournaments are currently established. I am also hopeful that the USAPA will be supportive of “leveling the playing field” as it is good for the game, good for all.
cc. Jerry L Brinegar, Ph.D. 3/18/2017
Jerry L Brinegar, Ph.D.-M.Div.-LMFT
706 202 9193 [email protected] athensareapickleball.com
From the desk of Dr. J
Ambassador - USAPA
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD IN PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENTS
The purpose of this article is to bring awareness to Pickleball players and Tournament directors about the necessity to level the playing field in their tournament play. I am in hopes that via the USAPA this leveling process will become procedural on behalf of peer competition and fun.
Pickleball originated as a makeshift game of miniature tennis similarities for seniors as an alternative for the ebb and tide of aching joints and receding reflexes. After years of meandering in pockets of interest here and there, it became increasingly popular with retirement communities in the late nineties and early 21st century decade. Permanent courts indoors and outdoors became a real estate requirement for many people, young and old moving to new communities. It became common to hear a buyer ask, “Does this subdivision have pickleball courts?” or “Does this community have pickleball facilities?” The “Villages” in South Florida and the perfect year round climate for outdoor play in Surprise, Arizona led to some of the best players taking up residence, e.g. Steve Wong in Surprise, Arizona. Pickleball has become the fastest growing sport in the United States and is played internationally in countries such as Sweden, France, Spain and England.
When a sport grows in popularity, it does so by numbers of people flocking to the new game in town that everyone’s talking about. With these new players come the younger generations, slowly at first, but rapidly proliferating into college Sports programs, classes, even at the High School level. National Champions have become younger with each passing competitive year and this influx of youth is great and insures the longevity of the game. Perhaps the Olympics are in Pickleball’s future?
But……what about we old guys? What happens to our competitive motivation to take our game to the next level when we can’t compete on an unlevel playing field with players in our skill levels who are ten, fifteen, even fifty years younger? Being in the same skill level alone does not take into account the athlete’s aging factors. Case in point: I recently traveled 300 miles round trip to compete in a tournament where my sixty-five year old partner and I played against an eighteen year old boy and his thirty + year old brother. The only common denominator was our skill rating of 3.0. I am seventy-four years old! We didn’t have a chance. They, in fact, went on to beat everyone and win the Gold.
Pickleball is a great game for all ages. However, aging has its’ way with our bodies even when our minds keep saying, “Go, play, run, jump, dive.” The natural evolution of life is such that reaction times decrease noticeably in the sixties and agility, eyesight, joint pains-aches-stability, muscle tone and physical endurance levels weaken. Quite often and predictably so elders do not find their game skill going to the next level up. Instead, it stays the same or goes down….a difficult adjustment to say the least.
So, what is a level playing field? It’s very simple and fair. No elder should be disadvantaged because of their age! They compete within their own age group and skill level. Tournament Directors may argue there are not enough players in every tournament to make a level playing field for all the participants. This is true only if you’re concerned about the cost of medals.
In Athens, Georgia in our recent third annual Pickled Peach Pickleball Tournament we had an entrant that was ninety years old! NINETY! How do you offer a ninety year old a level playing field? A chance to compete and medal? You automatically give him a Gold medal for the ninety year old age group at his skill level. He had no peer competition yet he still got to play down in the seventy plus age group and lost. He got to play, to compete and won the Gold. Being the only ninety year old present, do you ignore (and disregard) his age when he has little chance of winning games against younger players? No! In a level playing field, he wins the Gold, plain and simple! Let’s say four ninety year old players, two eighty year old players and eight seventy year old players entered the same tournament. Logically, you establish brackets for their play as seventy plus at their skill level, in this case all are 3.0 players. You keep track of their scores and compare their results only in their age categories, e.g. the two teams of ninety year old players are going to win gold and silver medals; the eighty year old team wins gold medals; and the seventy year old teams will win gold, silver and bronze medals. The playing fields can be leveled by decades or half a decade such as 70-74 brackets and 75-79 brackets or 70-79 brackets and so forth.
A level playing field needs to be established per age groups and their skill levels being competitive among themselves. This could be regulated by the USAPA, recognizing that Open play will not and should not be affected by these new guidelines as in any sport, the best of the best rises to the top regardless of age. Their level playing field is self established and maintained by their 5.0 plus skill level.
Pickleball is a valuable asset to the sports world and especially to the communities holding tournaments. A fully attended tournament boosts the local economy in housing, eateries, tourist shopping, gas stops and the tournament sponsors with their wares. A level playing field will insure full tournaments. Without leveling the playing field I predict that many players will stop playing in tournaments where they are matched with younger players, in which case, everyone loses. I am hopeful that this article is the beginning of a needed change to the way most tournaments are currently established. I am also hopeful that the USAPA will be supportive of “leveling the playing field” as it is good for the game, good for all.
cc. Jerry L Brinegar, Ph.D. 3/18/2017
Jerry L Brinegar, Ph.D.-M.Div.-LMFT
706 202 9193 [email protected] athensareapickleball.com
