Nusenda Photos, Big Wins & Record Growth + Beast Phase II Breaks Ground!
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
The energy at this year’s Nusenda Credit Union Sun Bowl Tournament was off the charts with more than 400 matches played!! This year’s tournament grew from 184 players last year to a record-setting 221 participants and featured a newly expanded schedule. As in 2025, Pickleball El Paso was heavily involved in organizing from start to finish; PEPA board members and volunteers worked closely with the Sun Bowl Association Committee helping to plan and grow this year's event. PEPA Vice President, Ben Avalos, serves in a key leadership role as the Chairman of Pickleball for the Sun Bowl Association Board of Directors.
Now a 3-Day Event: Friday Night Lights
For the first time ever, the tournament expanded to a full three-day format by introducing an open Singles division on Friday night. Starting the weekend with the fast-paced intensity of singles set the perfect tone for Saturday and Sunday’s events.
A Historic First: The Hybrid Wheelchair Division
The true heart of the weekend was the first-ever Hybrid Wheelchair Division. Three talented teams competed in this inaugural event. Watching these teams on the court perfectly captured the spirit of our pickleball mission: inclusivity, community, and competition for everyone. This division is a massive step forward in making our sport accessible to all athletes, and we can’t wait to see this bracket grow even more next year!
A Community Effort: Thank You!
An event of this scale doesn't happen without generous volunteer support from many individuals. A massive thank you to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to set up for the tournament and who kept the matches running. Whether you helped tape lines for the courts on Thursday, or ran scores to the tent please know that you are the backbone of this tournament and so very much appreciated!
We also want to send a huge shout-out of appreciation to everyone who contributed to the Pickleball El Paso Gift Basket Raffle. This year’s raffle was extra special thanks to the incredible variety of donations from our local community. Whether you donated an item or bought a ticket, your generosity helps Pickleball El Paso continue to grow the sport here in El Paso. Hats off to Terry Avalos and to all who assisted her in making the baskets and raffle so successful!
The Full Recap in Photos
Check out all of the weekend’s photos. They capture the sweat, smiles, slams, and dinks that defined the weekend!
The Beast is Growing: Phase II Construction Officially Begins
The future of pickleball in East El Paso just got a whole lot bigger! On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, PEPA President Ida Chavira joined city officials and community members at The Beast Urban Park to officially break ground on the highly anticipated Phase II expansion. This $15 million project is a massive investment In our growing pickleball community!
Special thanks to District 5 City Representative Ivan Niño. Pickleball El Paso is proud and very thankful, for our city leaders!
What's In Store for Pickleball?
The centerpiece of this expansion is the addition of 10 brand-new pickleball courts. These courts will join the existing facilities to significantly increase capacity for daily play, clinics, and local tournaments. Once Phase II is complete, The Beast is set to become the largest urban park in the City of El Paso, spanning a total of 92 acres.
Timeline: When Can We Play?
Construction is officially underway and is expected to take approximately one year to complete. The anticipated completion date is Spring 2027.This project builds on the success of Phase I, which brought the natatorium and water park. Phase II is all about the outdoor facilities and we can't wait to see the first games played on these new courts!
Rec Center Roundup
El Paso rec centers were buzzing with action this month! From a "Tag Team" Tournament at Galatzan to league championships at Haskins, the El Paso pickleball community showed up to play!
The "Candy Tournaments"
Several rec centers hosted "Candy Tournaments," where the entry fee is bags of candy! These donations are used for upcoming community Easter Egg Hunts, ensuring El Paso kids have a sweet holiday to remember.
Valle Bajo (3/13/26)
A fantastic Friday of fun and friendship!
1st Place - Brenda & Jennifer
2nd Place - Silvia & Sandra
3rd Place - Dolores and Olga
Pat O'Rourke (3/14/26): Great turnout for the St. Patrick's Day Tournament!
Thank you to Eddie and Janice. 12 teams, 2 pools of 6.
Pictured left to right:
1st Place - Tiffany & John
2nd Place - Joe & Santa
3rd Place - Luis & Lorie
Galatzan (3/24/26): 6 vs 6 Tag Team Tournament
This format brought a team-based energy to the courts!
Congrats to Niluk’s team - 1st Place , and Pierre's team - 2nd Place
Don Haskins League Championships (3/13/26)
Over at the Don Haskins Rec Center, energy was high for League Championships. After weeks of fun and intense play, champions were crowned. A huge congratulations to everyone who competed in the league this season—the level of play continues to rise! Special thanks to Jack Castro for his expertise in organizing another successful league for all players to enjoy.
Pictured left to right
Women's Gold Division Winners:
1st Place - Suzette B. - also 1st in overall league standings
2nd Place - Mary C.
3rd Place - Mary J.
Silver Division Winners:
1st Place - Julieta T.
2nd Place - Ellen H.
3rd Place - Terry W.
Bronze Division Winners:
1st Place - Cristina L.
2nd Place - Leidi B.
3rd Place - Kathleen H.
Pictured left to right
Men's Gold Division Winners:
1st Place - John B.- also 1st in overall league standings
2nd Place - Federico A.
3rd Place - David W.
Silver Division Winners:
1st Place - Bob B.
2nd Place - Jim R.
3rd Place - John D.
Bronze Division Winners:
1st Place - Bill C.
2nd Place - John W.
3rd Place - Ray N.
Don Haskins Men's Tournament (3/09)
Jason & Cade, winners, Eric & Manny, runners up.
Congratulations to all tournament and league participants!
Appreciation to Rec Center staff for organizing and hosting these events for our community.
Tips from the FYZICAL Therapist
Contributed by Roy Kohn, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, and Andres Fernandez, PT, DPT
Why “Too Much, Too Soon” Causes Most Pickleball Injuries
Pickleball injuries often seem to come out of nowhere.
One day you’re playing fine… the next day your knee, shoulder, or calf is barking at you.
But in most cases, it’s not bad luck or poor technique.
It’s something much simpler: doing more than your body was prepared for.
Your Body Adapts—But It Needs Time
Your muscles, tendons, and joints are incredibly adaptable. They get stronger with activity.
But that adaptation doesn’t happen instantly.
When you suddenly increase how often you play, how long you play, or how hard you play, your body may not have had enough time to keep up.
That’s when symptoms show up.
Common “Too Much, Too Soon” Scenarios
These are some of the most frequent patterns we see:
Jumping into 2–3 hour sessions after being mostly inactive
Playing multiple days in a row without building up to it
Returning after time off and trying to play at your previous level
Joining tournaments or leagues without ramping up beforehand
None of these are “bad”—they just require preparation.
What To Do Instead
The goal isn’t to avoid activity—it’s to build tolerance to it.
A few simple guidelines:
Increase play time gradually (think weeks, not days)
Start with rest days between match days as you ramp up
Space out sessions when you’re building back up
Expect mild soreness, but adjust if symptoms spike or linger
Stay consistent rather than going “all in” on one day
Consistency beats intensity when it comes to staying healthy.
Pickleball Injury Snapshot
Most injuries are not sudden damage—they’re a buildup of load over time
The body usually gives early warning signs (tightness, soreness, fatigue)
The biggest risk factor isn’t age—it’s spikes in activity level
The Big Takeaway
Your body isn’t fragile—it just needs time to adapt.
If you give it the right amount of exposure, it will usually meet the demands you place on it.
Pickleball is a sport you can enjoy for years… as long as you train for it, not just play it.
Roy Kohn, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT & Andres Fernandez, PT, DPT (FAAOMPT Fellow-in-Training)
Roy Kohn is a fellowship-trained physical therapist and Director of Education with Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers in El Paso. Andres Fernandez is a physical therapist currently completing his final year of fellowship training in orthopedic manual physical therapy.
Dink of the Day: Kitchen Comfort–A Strategic Guide
Contributed by PEPA member, Juan Balderrama
In previous articles, we discussed how to work your way up to the kitchen line. However, many players still feel uncomfortable or intimidated once they get there. Today, we’ll look at strategies and tactics to help alleviate the "fear" of the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ).
The Ready Position
Effective play starts with a solid foundation:
Stance: Knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart, and chest angled slightly forward.
Paddle Placement: Hold your paddle 10–12 inches in front of you, between your chest and belly button.
The 11 O’Clock Rule: Keep the top of your paddle pointing toward the 11 o’clock position. When an opponent drives the ball, you can block it simply by turning your wrist so the paddle face is parallel to your body.
Footwork & Control
Don’t Lean—Move: Use your feet to stay balanced. Shuffle sideways or use lunge steps for aggressive, angled dinks.
Step In, Step Out: Step into the kitchen for shallow dinks as needed, but always step back out and return to your ready position immediately.
Find the Sweet Spot: If you’re consistently stepping back more than one step, you should be hitting the ball out of the air. Conversely, if you’re over-stretching into the NVZ, you’ll likely pop the ball up. In that case, let it bounce so you can reset with a more controlled shot.
Reset the Point: If you get pulled out of position, dink into the middle of your opponent's NVZ. This "safe" shot buys you time to recover your footing.
Strategy: Patience & The Pressure Zone
Stay patient and aim for the Pressure Zone—the last two feet of your opponent's NVZ. Focus on their backhand to force a weak return. The goal is to provoke a high ball that you can then attack.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When you’re ready to speed things up, watch out for these three errors:
Overpowering the overhead slam.
Using too much wrist on flick shots.
Attacking balls that are too low (below the net).
Final Tip: If an aggressive shot is coming towards you at shoulder height or higher—let it fly! It will almost certainly land out.
That’s it for this installment of the PEPA Newsletter! It’s been an incredible few weeks for our community.
Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, thank you for being the heart of PEPA.
See you on the courts!
Liz Luscombe
Newsletter Director
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