QCPC Newsletter
May/June 2026
Welcome New Members!
💛 Jack Rand 💛 Julia Heithecker 💛 Gina Frownfelter
💛 Jack Rand 💛 Julia Heithecker 💛 Gina Frownfelter
Scheduled Play
Organized Play
We are winding down and pausing some events for the summer. However, most offerings will run if we have enough members to play, although we may use fewer courts. Please sign up early to avoid cancellations.
Also, during the summer since we have less demand for space, if there is room in a scheduled play event, you are welcome to register for multiple round robin events in primetime, provided there is no waitlist.
Prime time will change to 7 am in June and we will post an updated schedule to court reserve noting the paused events as well.
Lastly, moving forward we will be changing the policy to allow members to register for a Round Robin, a Ladder Event and a Mixed Double in primetime. This will allow all member to participate in the varied events we are now offering without having to choose between their favorite round robin and the new events we are offering.
Open Play
Open Play and the Open Play Wednesday Round Robins will continue throughout the summer. Please see court reserve for assigned courts.
Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.
- Elizabeth Andrew
Thank you, Brenda Davis and Steve Wade, for the time you spend organizing and scheduling the many different events for club members!
When you see Brenda and Steve on the courts be sure to let them know how much you appreciate them!
Player Development
Thank you, Frank Maier, for volunteering to run the 2.0 Drills when the fall season returns. These are important drills for our beginner players and it is great to have people like you helping with them.
Thank you, Susie Eckhardt and Tom Dean, for continuing the 2.0 Assisted Play and Intro to Pickleball lessons during the summer. Our new players are lucky to have you both.
Thank you, Fred Baum, for stepping in to fill an important role as Player Development Chair. We look forward to your passion for helping others learn and develop so they can enjoy playing pickleball even more.
Thank you, Karen Morse, for developing and teaching multiple Footwork Clinics this season, and for continuing these classes next season. What a benefit you have offered to club members.
Thank you Kathy Vollink
Kathy Vollink has been a cornerstone of QCPC since the club’s early years and a true champion of our Player Development program. Through her leadership of multi-session drills for beginning (2.0) players, she has introduced hundreds of new members to pickleball—and to the welcoming spirit of our club. Her focus on safety, strong fundamentals, and positive encouragement created an environment where players didn’t just learn the game—they gained confidence and a lasting love for it. Anyone who’s stepped onto the court with Kathy knows her enthusiasm is absolutely contagious.
Her sessions filled quickly year after year, reflecting both the quality of her instruction and the reputation she built within the club. Players left her program not only prepared to play, but genuinely excited to continue improving. Kathy went the extra mile by guiding many of them through Assisted Play, ensuring a smooth and supportive transition into game situations.
Behind the scenes, Kathy’s impact was just as impressive. She devoted countless hours to planning and refining her sessions, always looking for ways to better serve her students. She worked closely with fellow instructors, including Tom Dean (Intro to Pickleball) and certified instructor Gary Quantz, creating a collaborative approach that elevated the entire program. It’s no surprise that every QC Player Development Chair has recognized and praised her contributions.
The 2026 season marks the close of an incredible chapter, as Kathy steps away from leading 2.0 drills. While she will be deeply missed in that role, we’re fortunate that she will continue sharing her time and talent through Assisted Play.
Volunteers like Kathy are what make QCPC truly special. Her dedication, energy, and generosity have left a lasting mark on our club and on the many players she has inspired.
From all of us—thank you, Kathy, for everything you’ve done and continue to do for QCPC.
GQ Pickleball Q-Tips
(From your certified PPR & USA Pickleball instructor)
END OF 2025/2026 SEASON REPORT
I want to thank each and every one of you that took part in one of my GQ PICKLEBALL lessons this season. I truly hope you had fun and learned some important tips to help improve your game from me.
I also want to thank the QCPC Board for their continued support for player development classes. They know that many members want more than just reserving courts. Every season, a handful seek skill improvement through both paid and volunteer-led programs.
I would like to recognize those members who took multiple classes with me this season. Here is my student “honor roll” for 2025/2026:
🤍 1st Marilyn Owen 22 lessons 🤍 2nd Teresa Simpson 20 lessons 🤍 2nd Joan Wickstrom 20 lessons 🤍 3rd Jerome Lauffenburger 17 lessons 🤍 3rd Maggie Quinn 17 lessons 🤍 3rd Tom Quinn 17 lessons 🤍 4th Daniel Carter 16 lessons 🤍 4th Joyce Hackbert 16 lessons 🤍 4th Stephen Owen 16 lessons 🤍 4th Pam Roline 16 lessons 🤍 5th Connie Olsen 15 lessons 🤍 5th Jan Royce 15 lessons 🤍 5th Ronald Vaught 15 lessons 🤍 6th Christel Gibbons 14 lessons 🤍 7th Jeff Hoffman 13 lessons 🤍 7th Susan Popp 13 lessons 🤍 8th Sheryl Fidino 12 lessons 🤍 8th Diane Fischels 12 lessons 🤍 9th Shirley Rickman 11 lessons 🤍 10th King Aymond 10 lessons 🤍 10th Paul Hackbert 10 lessons 🤍 10th Joan Schultz 10 lessons 🤍 10th Debbie Segrest 10 lessons
🤍 1st Marilyn Owen 22 lessons 🤍 2nd Teresa Simpson 20 lessons 🤍 2nd Joan Wickstrom 20 lessons 🤍 3rd Jerome Lauffenburger 17 lessons 🤍 3rd Maggie Quinn 17 lessons 🤍 3rd Tom Quinn 17 lessons 🤍 4th Daniel Carter 16 lessons 🤍 4th Joyce Hackbert 16 lessons 🤍 4th Stephen Owen 16 lessons 🤍 4th Pam Roline 16 lessons 🤍 5th Connie Olsen 15 lessons 🤍 5th Jan Royce 15 lessons 🤍 5th Ronald Vaught 15 lessons 🤍 6th Christel Gibbons 14 lessons 🤍 7th Jeff Hoffman 13 lessons 🤍 7th Susan Popp 13 lessons 🤍 8th Sheryl Fidino 12 lessons 🤍 8th Diane Fischels 12 lessons 🤍 9th Shirley Rickman 11 lessons 🤍 10th King Aymond 10 lessons 🤍 10th Paul Hackbert 10 lessons 🤍 10th Joan Schultz 10 lessons 🤍 10th Debbie Segrest 10 lessons
My overall class numbers for the 2025/2026 season (through May 15) is as follows along with my five year teaching totals:
2025/2026 Season Totals:
Total # of Students = 608
Total # of Individual Students = 138
23 students took 10 or more lessons
14 students took 5 to 9 lessons
101 students took 4 or less lessons
Total # of Brand New Students = 60
Total # of Previous Season Students = 78
Five-Year Totals:
Total # of Students (all time – five seasons) = 3,577
Total # of Individual Students (all time – five seasons) = 510
Lastly, as another teaching season ends, I want to share info from one of my past articles that many students still ask me to this day; how can I improve at pickleball?
Progress depends on your commitment: occasional play keeps you at beginner or lower intermediate, while regular practice and play lead to greater advancement. Top players train, drill, and compete almost daily. Improvement is a result of consistent time and effort. If you want to get better, consider these three key strategies to work on this summer:
SKILL: Start by evaluating your game with objectivity to pinpoint where improvements are needed. Look closely at weaknesses in your shot selection, such as drop shots, dinking, ball resets, or backhand groundstrokes—common problem areas for beginners and intermediate players. Practice these skills repeatedly to see progress. You might also benefit from lessons with a certified instructor or at your local pickleball facility.
FITNESS: If you're aiming to play at a more advanced level, it's important to assess whether your physical fitness matches the sport's requirements. Focusing on conditioning, balance, agility, flexibility, and footwork will greatly enhance your overall performance.
AEDs and First Aid Kits
The pickleball courts have a First Aid Kit and an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) in the women’s restroom at each Ramada. Plans are in the works to move these outside of the restrooms, onto a pillar at each Ramada. The backboards for them will have information you need if you need to call 911, such as the address for the courts.
A suggestion is to add the address for the courts into your phone: 1461 E Quail Crossing Blvd. The upper ramada is Bldg 1 and the lower ramada is Bldg 2. This will help with information to give the emergency dispatcher if you ever have to call 911.
If you ever have to use the AED on someone be sure to call 911 first.
Below is a link to watch a video on how to use the AED. The link is also on our CourtReserve site under the Policies/Reminders tab.
Click here to watch a demonstration video for the AED: https://youtu.be/PaxwHxEuiN8
Another suggestion, is to carry an emergency information card for yourself. Click on the one below to download and print to use. The link is also on our CourtReserve site under the Resources tab.
And last, but not least, the First Aid Kits are maintained by QCPC Member Volunteer, Tricia Kordalski. On a regular basis she checks the kits, orders supplies, and restocks them. Tricia stepped forward and offered to do this for the club and we all benefit from her proactiveness.
Tricia would like you to know of some things that are in the kits:
Instant ice packs, Band aids of multiple sizes, Bacitracin individual packets, Alcohol prep pads, Gauze tape, Medical tape.
NEW!
NEW!
Coffee with QCPC
Join President Michael Myers and Vice President Al Wascher
for an informal question and answer, or just to chat.
Tuesday, May 19th
10:30am – Noon
at the Lower Ramada
Thank you to all you volunteers that help in all the different ways you do!
Would you like to volunteer and help your pickleball club?
Contact qcpickleballclub@gmail.com
and let us know how you would like to help.
Pickleball is in the news!
By Don Armour
(This article is an edited version of Jason Gay’s Wall Street Journal article that was published May 1st, 2026)
Scott Rider is a 66-year old former track star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s nearly two decades ago. Scott is a prominent advocate for people with Parkinson’s.
“Have you ever heard someone say, ‘I’m not going to be identified by the fact that I have X” Rider asks. “With Parkinson’s, I’m totally cool. I want to be identified as the guy with Parkinson’s”.
Pickleball’s selling point is that it is easy to learn – and Rider was soon playing all the time, improving his game, getting a needed competitive fix, and widening his social circle.
Not only was pickleball a pretty good sweat, but match play was a cognitive workout, too – there was constant problem-solving like how to hit the ball, where to hit the ball, keeping score, etc.
Rider felt the benefits at home and for Rider, the social aspect was life-changing. He was interacting with all kinds of people, men and women, in a wide range of ages. It opened his life back up.
What doctors love the most about pickleball, however, is that people who start playing pickleball…keep playing pickleball.
“Most people, when the doctor says, ‘You better exercise,’ they’re not going to do it,” [Dr. Vanessa] Hinson says. “But, if you get them into something they love to do, you win.”
“It’s a kind of warped thinking, but I love it when someone sees me shaking and thinks they’re going to kick my fanny- and then I drive a ball into their chest” [Rider] says.
There are so many things a person with Parkinson’s can’t do,” says Rider.
“To lose those things, and then find something where I feel normal, where I forget I have Parkinson’s? I get emotional. It’s an amazing feeling.”
All true for people with Parkinson’s as well as for everyone who takes up this great sport. See you on the courts!
Board Meetings
Summer Board Meetings (June through August) are optional, and the plan is not to have meetings unless there is an urgent topic.
Court Cleaning
Videos are provided for information or entertainment purposes only. QCPC does not endorse any product or service displayed or promoted.