Programs

SPI 2023 PROGRAMMING

OUTDOOR SUMMER PROGRAMMING

Outdoor courts are now open and SPI Summer Programs are gearing up to start Tuesday, May 23rd (right after the long weekend). These programs will take place at Father Basil Markle Park and Umea Park from May through to the end of September.

To participate in SPI's Summer Programs, members must purchase an Outdoor Summer Pass at the cost of $55. The Summer Pass is now available for purchase through Sign Up Genius - CLICK HERE

Programming to be offered at Father Basil Markle Park (615 Central Avenue) will include Levelled Bucket, Open Bucket, and Reserve-a-Court. FBM is open for SPI Programs on:
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10:00 am - Noon;
Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

Programming to be offered at UMEA (219 Primrose Drive) will include Reserve-a-Court, and possibly some Ladder Leagues starting in June, assuming there are enough volunteer leaders to run these. If you have some time and would like to help out, please contact Cindy Ritchie (head of SPI Programs) at cbjritchie@gmail.com to discuss further. UMEA is open for SPI Programs on:
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 1:00 - 4:00 pm;
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 am - noon.

SPI is also doing a trial for MULTI~WEEK GROUP BOOKINGS at UMEA. There may be room for additional group bookings - likely on Friday afternoons. Perhaps you have a group of 8+ people you like to play with on a regular basis? The programs committee is open to speaking with you about reserving 2+ courts at Umea for a 4-week period where you are guaranteed the court times and you can fill them with those from your pickleball network. Four things to note: 1) these courts are only offered at the Umea location and available times may be limited, 2) anyone playing on the courts must be a SPI member AND have purchased an Outdoor Summer Pass, 3) the group leader is responsible for ensuring that all players (including subs) are summer pass holders and that the courts are full for the period of time booked, and 4) these bookings will count in the weekly quota for all players. To discuss Group Bookings, please contact Cindy Ritchie at cbjritchie@gmail.com.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE MAY VARY FROM WEEK TO WEEK DEPENDING ON ladder league start and end dates, skills and drills sessions and other special programs that may be implemented. The schedule above is a general overview of how programs are blocked.

Outdoor Summer Program Fee
The Outdoor Summer Program Fee is a one-time rate of $55.00 payable through our SignUp Genius Program. This fee allows SPI members access to courts during SPI-designated play times at both Father Basil Markle Park and Umea Park from now until September 30, 2023. Funds collected are used to purchase balls, court and equipment cleaning supplies, sanitizers, signage and other essentials that support SPI players. Starting August 1st, the Summer Fee will be reduced to $35.00 for the remainder of the outdoor season. Please note that there are no summer fees in October - programming will be provided at no cost until the courts are closed.
To Make your payment, CLICK HERE.

Watch your in-box for an invitation from SignUpGenius to pay the one-time fee of $55.00. After your fee is paid, you will be put on a list of “Paid Members.” Starting with play for the week of May 23rd, ONLY PAID MEMBERS will receive an invitation to sign up for play during SPI times at Father Basil Markle Park and UMEA.

INDOOR SUMMER PROGRAMMING AT UPTOWN JACKS

Saskatoon Pickleball Inc. and our partner, Saskatoon Soccer Centre Inc., are pleased to offer SPI members exclusive access to pickleball programs at Uptown Jack’s. Courts are located at the Saskatoon Kinsmen/Henk Ruys Soccer Centre, located behind the Lawson Civic Centre.

What is the cost to play?
Court costs are collected from every player for every session. SPI members can opt to pay cash ($7.00 per session) or can purchase a 10-session punch card for a reduced cost of $65 or a monthly pass for $85. Some programs will have additional costs as outlined within the programming description. Players must produce their Punch Cards each time as on-site trackage of card use has been discontinued.

How and Where Do I Pay?
All purchases (per session rate, punch card and monthly pass) can be made at the Soccer Centre using cash, debit or credit card.

What are the Hours of Operation?
During the Summer indoor season, June 1st through September 31st, the courts are open Tuesday through Thursday with two two-hour session blocks each day (9:30 - 11:30 AM and 11:45 AM - 1:45 PM).

HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU SIGN UP FOR PROGRAMS?

Every Wednesday at 7:00 pm bookings are open for the following week. Bucket Play, Reserve-A-Court, Ladder Leagues and Lessons all count towards your signup quota at the facility in which the program occurs.

For indoor play at Uptown Jack's the quota is a maximum of four signups within the first 48 hours. For outdoor play, members can sign up for three court slots at Father Basil Markle Park (FBM) and three court slots at UMEA Park within the first 48 hours.

Initial bookings close Friday at 7:00 PM and reopen Saturday morning at 10:00 AM. From that time on, you can book courts for the upcoming week with no restriction on the number of bookings at any of the court locations.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need to cancel a booking, that's easy!!!! Just go on to your SUG account, find the booking and click the "x" next to your signup. Then we can open the court or booking to others who may be searching for court time.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

OPEN BUCKET PLAY

Open Bucket Play provides an opportunity for members to play a social (and somewhat competitive!) game of pickleball with anyone who has registered. In these sessions, players of all levels will mix with one another, with no separation by skill level before play starts.

Open Bucket Play is available at Uptown Jack's until the end of the indoor season (May 27, 2022) and at the outdoor courts May 16th through September 30th. Registration is done through SignUp Genius (SUG) . Spots are limited so pre-registration is encouraged. If there is space available on the day of play, SPI members can just show up, pay at the door and play. To avoid disappointment, check on SUG to make sure there is room before heading to the courts.

LEVELLED BUCKET PLAY

Players without a CTPR rating should look at the descriptions below and self-rate to make sure they are playing in an appropriate level. This is not a perfect system, but SPI is asking everyone to work with us to make sure each level results in good games for all.

So if you self-rate at advanced, for example, but lose all or almost all your games at that level, you might consider signing up for intermediate the next time. If you sign up for recreational play and you end up winning almost every game, you might consider moving up to intermediate and giving that a try.

We also encourage people who are new to the game and have been playing in the New to Pickleball Bucket sessions for a while to try levelled play at the recreational level and see what they think.

Self-rating for this type of bucket play DOES NOT mean you will be forced to stay at the same level forever. As your game improves, and as your desire for more or less competitive or strategic games changes, you can move to different levels. The goal is for everyone to have good games at whatever level of play they choose.

Here’s the descriptions of what play should look like at each level:

Recreational
This level of play is for people who are looking for more social, less competitive play. Players in this group can include a variety of skill levels from those who are new to the game to people who might have been playing for several years. Generally, though, players will be at a level between 2.5 and 3.0.
Players with a higher skill level are expected to soften their game if they want to play in this time slot.

Intermediate
Games at this level of play will become quite consistent with all players mastering basic skills like serve and receive, dinking and volleying and be very familiar with the rules of the game. Games at the intermediate level will likely become more competitive with an increased pace.
Generally, players will be in the 3.0 to 3.5 level.

Advanced
Players participating in advanced play should be tournament-rated at 3.5 or higher, club-rated at 3.5 or higher, or self-rated at that level based on play with other 3.5 players. Games at this level will be quite competitive and pace within the game will vary from fast-paced to slow resets, include skills like 3rd and 5th shot drops, involve more sustained dinking, and generally be a more strategic game.

RESERVE-A-COURT

Reserve-a-court is available on all courts throughout the year. Reserve-a-court is a time for groups of four to five people to book a court. The "Lead Member" who books the court must name those people who are intended to be in the group. After that, each member must sign up individually on SignUpGenius. Payment for indoor courts is made on arrival at the soccer centre. Pre-registration is encouraged. If there is space available on day of play at the indoor courts, SPI members can just show up to register, pay at the door and play.

For outdoor play, ONLY SPI members who have paid the outdoor summer fee will have access Reserve-A-Court spots. If there is space available on day of play, these members can show up at the gate, register and play. SPI members who have not paid the outdoor summer fee will not have access to any play during SPI times at Father Basil Markle or Umea, whether or not space is available..

LADDER LEAGUES

Ladder leagues are open to players of any age, any level. The ladder league is NOT just for advanced players. The aim of the ladder league is for all players to enjoy playing pickleball with other players of a similar calibre.

In each ladder league, players are grouped with three others closest to their own level. After play is finished, players’ scores are entered into Pickleball Brackets.  After each session, players move up and down the ladder according to their own performance.  In the partners ladder, players must register as a team of two on the registration date. That team can be two men, two women, or a mixed team. Players play with that same partner each week and move up and down as a team.

To register for the leagues, you first have to sign up for a free account with Pickleball Brackets.  Next, you need to go to “clubs” and scroll down to join the Saskatoon Pickleball Inc. club.  After that, go to leagues and join the league you want to play in.  Once registered, you still need to opt-in on a weekly basis so that organizers know who is coming.  A step-by-step tutorial on how to sign up and use Pickleball Brackets is available on the SPI's Ladder League Web Page. Additional to court fees, ladder league registrants must pay $10.00 per ladder league to cover Pickleball Brackets’ administrative fees.

The women’s Round Robin League is open to female players of any age and skill level. Each session players are mixed in a round robin format and play approximately six games with different partners and against different players. After the formal round robin, if time allows, players can stay and mix as they choose. This is a fun league which does not rely on tracking games for movement up and down. Registration for the Women's Round Robin League is now done through SignUp Genius. Cost for this program is $10 for the 8-week session.

SKILLS AND DRILLS CLINICS

SPI offers Skills and Drills Clinics in a variety of session blocks. These clinics are designed for beginner/novice and intermediate players who would like to work on specific aspects of their game. The clinics are 120 minutes long, with 60 minutes of instruction followed by 60 minutes of game play. Clinics are limited to 8 participants. SPI members who register are asked to commit to the entire teaching block. Registration is done through SignUp Genius.

Beginner/novice – 3.0 players receive 4 two-hour sessions (once a week for four weeks).
Intermediate – 3.0 - 3.5 players receive 4 two-hour sessions (once a week for four weeks).

Clinics topics are geared to the skill level of players and may include:
** Introduction to Pickleball ** Mastering the Dink ** Perfecting the 3rd Shot **
** Tuning Up Your Serve ** Attacking With a Purpose ** Beating The Bangers **
** Lobbing & Lob Defence ** Strategy and Court Positioning **

PRACTISE AND PLAY PROGRAMS

Are you looking for immediate feedback on your game? If so, join others in an effective learning environment where skill-alike players receive tips from on-court coaches regarding shot selection, shot placement, shot technique, court positioning, reading an opponent, working with a partner and game strategy. Time is dedicated to helping participants improve their shots by practising specific skills or playing specialized games. Practise and Play programs are geared towards Intermediate and Advanced Players in either two or four-session blocks. Registration is done through SignUp Genius.

TUTOR BALL MACHINE PROGRAM

Ever wanted to test your skills against a machine! Now’s the time. Instructors are on site at Uptown Jack's to set up a variety of skills on the Tutor Ball Machine and rotate players through those skills. Ready, Set, GO! The machine spits out balls with pace and precision allowing the player to practise return of serve, 3rd shot drops, mid-court drops, block shots and more. Players will get a deeper understanding of how to gain position and place shots with purpose.