2nd Annual Bethlehem Pickleball Tournament

• Completed - 126 players

126 players registered

Oct 04, 2025 - Oct 04, 2025

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Tournament Description

The 2nd Annual Bethlehem Pickleball Tournament will be played on 10 beautiful, dedicated pickleball courts at Elm Avenue Park in the Town of Bethlehem, a few minutes south of Albany, NY. The tournament is a fundraiser hosted by Bethlehem Senior Projects Inc., a non-profit that supports the Bethlehem Food Pantry and the Town's Senior Services Department with the goal of helping seniors age in place and stay engaged.

- Events will be round-robins with medal matches

- Medals will be awarded

- All players will receive T-shirts

- All events are doubles: Men's, Women's and Mixed

- Divisions by skill level: 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 & 4.5 (If you play in two events, both events <strong>MUST</strong> be the same skill level)

- Some games may be refereed

The tournament raindate is Sunday, Oct. 5. Every effort will be made to play the games but if weather cancels play on both days, there will be no refunds as this is a charity event.

First-time tournament players are encouraged to play in this community pickleball event. PickleballTournaments now uses DUPR ratings. Players must create a DUPR account and connect it to their Pickleball.com/PickleballTournaments profile.

The tournament director reserves the right to move players and teams to the appropriate skill level, merge events, split events and change the schedule at any time. The tournament director is Pickleball518's Cathleen Crowley Denbeaux.

<h2>REGISTRATION</h2>

<p class="font-md"><p class="font-md">First Dinkers Discount rate: $35 <em> (Ends Thursday, July 31)</em>

Early bird registration: $40 <em>(Ends Monday, Sept. 1)</em>

Regular registration: $50 <em>(Sept. 1 to Sept. 15)</em>

Registration closes: Monday, Sept. 15

The registration fee includes 1 event (division). An additional event costs $20. You may register for two events but see important information below in the "Additional Information" section.

<em>Note: PickleballTournaments charges an additional $5 service fee for each event, up to a maximum of $10. This fee is nonrefundable.</em>

For a guaranteed spot in an event, the second partner must register within THREE days of the first partner to complete the team registration.

Teams that are incomplete after three days will be moved to the waitlist. Once the second partner registers, the team will be entered into the event if there is still room in the event and registration is still open.

Limits may be placed on the size of each event/division after registration opens. Register early to guarantee your spot.

If you have questions or problems registering or are uncertain about which skill level you should choose, email Cathleen, the tournament director, at cathleen@pickleball518.com.</p>

<H2>SCHEDULE</H2>

<p class="font-md"><p class="font-md">Games may start as early as a 8 a.m. and end as late as 7:30 p.m. Specific start times for each event will be posted and emailed to players approximately one week prior to the event.</p>

<H2>SPONSORSHIPS</H2>

<p class="font-md"><p class="font-md">Please help us make this event a success by becoming a tournament sponsor. Sponsorship information is available here: <a href="https://www.bethlehemseniorproject.org/bethlehem-pickleball-tournament-fundraiser/#sponsors" target="_blank" style="color:#0000EE !important;">www.bethlehemseniorproject.org/bethlehem-pickleball-tournament-fundraiser/#sponsors</a>.</p>

<h2>ABOUT THE CHARITY</h2>

<p class="font-md"><p class="font-md">Bethlehem Senior Projects Inc. was created to support and supplement the services offered by the Bethlehem Senior Services Department.

Funds raised for BSP will help:

1. Pay for a new handicap van.

2. Support the fleet of cars that volunteers use to transport seniors to medical appointments, grocery stores and senior social events.

3. Fund social events for seniors from lectures and health talks to dances and theater outings.

4. Fund the Bethlehem Food Pantry.</p>

<H2>VOLUNTEERS</H2>

<p class="font-md">Volunteers are needed and very appreciated. We need volunteers to help set up the courts before the tournament and help on the day of the tournament checking players in, recording scores, running scoresheets to the score table. Some jobs require knowledge of pickleball and some don't. Please fill out this form if you are interested in volunteering: <a href=" https://bit.ly/BSPvolunteer" target="_blank" style="color:#0000EE !important;"> https://bit.ly/BSPvolunteer</a></p>

Additional Information

<p class="font-md"><strong>How long does each event last? </strong>

Each event, i.e. "Mixed Doubles 3.0," will take between 2 to 3 hours from start to finish.

<strong>Can I sign up for more than one event? </strong>

Yes, but please note that playing in two events means you could potentially play 8-12 games in 4-5 consecutive hours. It is A LOT. If you sign up for 2 events, you MUST sign up for the SAME SKILL LEVEL, i.e. "3.5" for both events, which will assure that your two events do not overlap. You are only permitted to sign up for one mixed doubles event and one gender doubles event of the same skill level.

<strong>What time will my event start?</strong> The final schedule will be determined when registration closes. You will receive the start time for your events at least a week before the tournament. <strong>Until you know the schedule - and the weather - you should not schedule any other commitments on the tournament weekend.</strong>

<strong>Should I join the waitlist?</strong>

Yes! If an event is "waitlist only" it is <strong>free</strong> to get on the waitlist. The waitlist is the first place a tournament director looks to fill an opening. (If your partner gets on the waitlist with you, your team will automatically be moved into the event if a spot opens.)

<strong>Can I play up a skill level?</strong>

Yes, players can play "up" a skill level but they cannot play down, so a 3.5 player can enter the 4.0 event but cannot enter a 3.0 event.

<strong>Can I play in a different age group?</strong>

You can play in a younger age group. If your partner is younger than you, you must play in the younger player's age group.

<strong>How do I register for a tournament for the first time?</strong>

First, create a DUPR account. It is free. DUPR is a player rating database.

Second, create a Pickleball.com profile. Pickleball.com owns PickleballTournaments software. When you create a Pickleball.com profile, you will be prompted to connect your DUPR account. Follow the instructions they provide to connect your accounts.

Third, navigate back to the Bethlehem Pickleball Tournament registration page and register for events. Make sure your partner does the same process. If your partner does not sign up within three days, you will be placed on the waitlist.

<h2> I already have a profile on DUPR and PickleballTournaments. How do I connect them?<h2>

<p>Follow the instructions here: https://www.manula.com/manuals/pickleball-brackets/pbmanual/1/en/topic/connecting-your-dupr-account</P>

<h2>What is my skill rating?</h2>

<p class="font-md">If this is your first time using PickleballTournaments, when you create a profile you will be asked to self-rate yourself on a scale of 2.0 (novice) to 8.0 (pro).

Here is a general guide:

You just started playing and you are just learning the rules.

Basic understanding of rules and scoring. Able to hit the ball back and forth but struggling to sustain a rally or have mobility issues that limit movement.

Understands rules and scoring. Can serve reliably and sustain a rally. Starting to use pickleball strategies like dinks, third-shot drops, deep serves/returns and shot placement. Starting to play in tournaments.

Strong grasp of rules and scoring. Mastered control of shot placement and exploring more advanced pickleball strategies. Plays with power, can use spin on the ball and knows how to stack. Has significant tournament experience.

Mastered advanced pickleball strategies. Plays with extreme power and/or finesse. Has significant tournament experience.

<em>Note: In PickleballTournaments, a player whose rating is 3.99 is considered a 3.5 player, so a "3.5 tournament division" can have a wide range of players including people who just achieved the 3.5 rating to players about to cross into 4.0.</em>

Here is a nifty (and free) online quiz to help determine your rating:

<a href="https://www.pickleheads.com/guides/pickleball-rating" target="_blank" style="color:#0000EE !important;">https://www.pickleheads.com/guides/pickleball-rating</a>

If you have any questions about what division you belong it, PLEASE email cathleen@pickleball518.com.</p>

Refund Policy

As this is a charity event, please consider donating your registration fee if you are unable to attend. Withdrawals before registration closes may be refunded minus a $15 processing fee.

No refunds will be given after registration closes.