Bethlehem Pickleball Tournament to benefit Bethlehem Senior Services

• Completed - 154 players

154 players registered

Oct 05, 2024 - Oct 05, 2024

Tournament Description

The Bethlehem Pickleball Tournament will be played on 10 brand new, dedicated pickleball courts in the Town of Bethlehem, a few minutes south of Albany, NY. The tournament is a fundraiser hosted by the Bethlehem Senior Projects Inc., an organization that supports 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: Novice, Advanced Novice, Intermediate and Advanced.

- "First Tournament" divisions for women's and mixed. (The men's First Tournament was removed because there were no registrations)

- Some games may be refereed

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.

The tournament raindate is Sunday, Oct. 6. 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.

REGISTRATION

Early bird registration: $40 (Ends Sunday, Sept. 1)

Regular registration: $50 (Sept. 1 to Sept. 22)

Registration closes: Sunday, Sept. 22

The registration fee includes 1 event (division). An additional event costs $20.

Note: Pickleball Brackets charges an additional $5 service fee for each event, up to a maximum of $10. This fee is nonrefundable.

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.

SCHEDULE

Games may start as early as a 8 a.m. and end as late as 7 p.m. Specific start times for each event will be posted and emailed to players approximately one week prior to the event.

SPONSORSHIPS

Please help us make this event a success by becoming a tournament sponsor. Sponsorship information is available here: www.bethlehemseniorproject.org/bethlehem-pickleball-tournament-fundraiser/#sponsors.

ABOUT THE CHARITY

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. Provide small scholarships for high school students pursuing training in geriatric careers.

VOLUNTEERS

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: https://bit.ly/BSPvolunteer

Additional Information

How long does each event last?

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

Can I sign up for more than one event?

Yes. You can sign up for two events: 1) Mixed doubles and 2) men's or women's doubles. Please sign up for the same skill level, i.e. "INTERMEDIATE II," for both events, which will assure that your two events do not overlap.

What time will my event start? 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.

Should I join the waitlist?

Yes! If an event is "waitlist only" it is free 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.)

Can I play up a skill level?

Yes, players can play "up" a skill level but they cannot play down, so a 3.5 player can enter the 4.0 Advanced event but cannot enter a 2.5 Advanced Novice event.

How do I register on Pickleball Brackets for the first time?

Here is an article on signing up for your first tournament on Pickleball Brackets: https://www.pickleball518.com/how-to-register-for-a-pickleball-tournament-on-pickleball-brackets/

NOTE: If there is a "ghost" next to a player's name on the Pickleball Brackets event description page, that means that the team's registration is incomplete - either one team member has not signed up for the tournament or has not paid. An incomplete team may be bumped to the waitlist. Read more about the "ghost" here:

https://www.pickleball518.com/dont-get-ghosted-in-a-pickleball-brackets-tournament/

Creating your Pickleball Brackets profile

If this is your first time using Pickleball Brackets, when you create a profile you will be asked to self-rate yourself on a scale of 2.0 (novice) to 6.0 (pro).

Here is a general guide:

2.0 - 2.5 = First Tournament

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

2.5 - 3.0 = Advanced Novice

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.

3.0 - 3.5 = Intermediate I

Understands rules and scoring. Can serve reliably and sustain a rally.

3.5 = Intermediate II

Strong grasp of rules and scoring. Can sustain rallies and starting to use pickleball strategies like dinks, third-shot drops, deep serves/returns and shot placement. May have tournament experience.

4.0+ = Advanced

Mastered control of shot placement. Can use spin on the ball. Using advanced game strategies. Knows how to stack. Has tournament experience.

Note: In Pickleball Brackets, 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.

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

https://www.pickleheads.com/guides/pickleball-rating

If you have any questions about what division you belong it, please email cathleen@pickleball518.com.

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.