March 2020 Six State Tour Overview


 March 6-11 2020

This was our first major multi state pickleball tour. We combined it with a visit to Barb's sister's in Dayton OH and made OH our first of 6 states we would add to our Pickleball the States count. When planning this trip, minimizing the number of hours we would be in the car was our goal along with attempting to schedule play in two states in a single day. In order to do this, we needed to determine where there were locations along a general route, what days those locations play, what time of day they play and who we could contact to confirm our information was correct and obtain any additional knowledge that might be helpful. 


Google Maps came in handy in determining routes and how much time we would need for travel between locations. We created a spreadsheet with a row for each day and each column represented a 15 minute segment of time with columns from 8:00am to 7:00pm. The cells would be designated by color for travel, play and other activities. This assisted us in making sure we allowed enough time for these activities. There were adjustments to this plan, usually travelling after evening play to minimize travel the next morning to reach our location of play. This approach worked well for us and will be a template for future trips.


We found that places with a smaller number of players tended to be friendlier although even in the larger groups there were players who made us feel welcome. Our preconceived expectations were often challenged and sometimes totally off. On this trip, the play was inside and therefore not on dedicated courts. That meant that the pickleball court had to exist within other limitations of the facility which affected space behind the base line, lighting and sound. 

 

  • Best Courts - Kroc Center Dayton OH
  • Most Challenging Play - YMCA of Kanawha Valley Charleston WV
  • Friendliest Players - First Baptist Church Jacksboro TN

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