Sun Bowl Stars, National Qualifiers & Community Spotlights

13 minutes ago
6 min read

From left: PEPA Vice President Ben Avalos, PEPA President Ida Chavira, and Sun Bowl Association Executive Director Bernie Olivas.

Sun Bowl Association Honors Top Pickleball Volunteers

PEPA’s Ida Chavira and Dina Chen named Most Valuable Volunteers for the Nusenda Sun Bowl Pickleball Tournament

Ida Chavira and Dina Chen have been named the Most Valuable Volunteers for the Nusenda Sun Bowl Pickleball Tournament! From coordinating player partnerships to managing and planning tournament logistics, Ida and Dina’s tireless efforts, passion, and commitment were vital to the event's success. Please join us in celebrating and thanking Ida and Dina for their outstanding contributions. We are incredibly fortunate to have them as leaders in our pickleball community!

Community Spotlight

Local standouts Reyna Montano and Lynda Robbins are headed to the 2027 National Senior Games alongside a group of other stellar area athletes.

Big congratulations to our local athletes who absolutely crushed it at the New Mexico Senior Olympic Games in Las Cruces! Players brought home 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals across singles, doubles, and mixed divisions. Since this was a national qualifying year, everyone finishing in the top four of their age bracket automatically qualifies to participate in the 2027 National Senior Games in Tulsa, Oklahoma! We are so proud of your hard work, sportsmanship, and passion for the game. Thank you for representing El Paso so well!

Don Haskins Rec Center Men's and Women's League

What a season! The Haskins Men's and Women's League wrapped up on Friday, June 26, after weeks of great playing. Final standings placed individuals into Gold and Silver playoff brackets for championship day. Afterwards, players enjoyed a celebratory potluck luncheon. Kudos to the medalists and all who participated! Big thanks to Jack Castro for organizing another great season of play.

Many of the rec centers we play at are named after local legends, sports figures, and pioneers. We say their names all the time, but do we actually know who they are? — Many of the rec centers we play at are named after local legends, sports figures, and pioneers. **We say their names all the time, but do we actually know who they are?**

El Paso Rec Centers: Who are these people?

This newsletter, we're highlighting the incredible story behind east El Paso’s Sylvia Carreon Community Center. Named after a living legend, this Lomaland rec center is the city’s first to be named after a Latina—honoring Sylvia Carreon's extraordinary, lifelong contributions to our community. In 1988, she founded the Lady Longhorns basketball team and became the Executive Director of the Longhorn Youth Program.

When there were not enough local girls' teams, she fought a controversial but successful battle to allow her girls to play in the boys' leagues, ultimately helping numerous local female athletes secure college scholarships. Alongside her youth advocacy, she made Texas history in 1991 at age 47 as the oldest female to graduate from a Sheriff's Police Academy, serving over 20 years as an El Paso County Deputy Sheriff. In 2021, the city officially re-named the Lomaland Community Center in her honor.

The Rest Day Reset

Has this ever happened to you? You don't play for a few days or even a few weeks, and the next time you step on the court, you play better than ever. How can that be?

While it may seem counterintuitive, taking a break from playing actually helps overcome mental blocks or burnout. It allows your body time to recover from physical fatigue and naturally resets any bad habits you may have developed from overplaying.

Turns out that when you play every single day, your brain eventually switches to autopilot, making it harder to improve. Taking a break offers your brain the opportunity to approach the game as new and novel again, allowing sharper focus and sound mechanics to come to the forefront.

The folks at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in El Paso offer some tips for better recovery between sessions that tie in nicely with the idea that planned rest days can actually make us better players.

Tips from the Fyzical Therapist

Contributed by Roy Kohn, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, and Andres Fernandez, PT, DPT

Recovering Better Between Pickleball Sessions

One of the best ways to keep pickleball feeling good isn’t what happens during your match—it’s what happens between sessions. Recovery matters. Not because your body is fragile—but because your body adapts best when activity and recovery work together. The goal isn’t to “do nothing.” It’s to recover in a way that helps you feel ready for your next time on the court.

Here are a few simple ways to recover better between pickleball sessions:

1. Keep Moving - Your body generally prefers movement over staying still.

It may seem counterintuitive, but light movement often helps stiffness more than complete rest. A short walk, easy stretching, or gentle movement can help you feel looser the next day.

Simple ideas:

Walk for 10–15 minutes
Light mobility for hips and shoulders
Easy bodyweight movements

2. Hydrate - Small habits add up.

Pickleball often involves more movement—and more sweating—than people expect.

Hydration helps with performance and recovery, especially during warmer months.

A few reminders:

Drink water before and after play
Keep water nearby during games
If you’re playing for long periods or in the heat, replace fluids consistently

3. Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is one of the best recovery tools we have. It’s when your body restores energy and adapts to the work you’ve done. Even one better night of sleep can make a noticeable difference in how you feel on the court the next day.

4. Expect Some Soreness - Pay attention to how symptoms respond over time rather than reacting to every ache.

A little soreness after playing—especially if you’re increasing activity—is common.

That doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong.

Often, mild soreness improves with:

Light movement
Hydration
Recovery time
Gradually returning to activity

5. Plan Rest Days

Rest days are part of training. Especially while building up, it helps to give your body time between harder playing days.

That might mean:

Alternating play days and recovery days
Shorter sessions between harder sessions
Taking an extra day when your body feels unusually fatigued
Recovery supports consistency—and consistency helps you stay in the game.

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.

Welcoming Beginners at PEPA Clinics Around Town

Look at these smiles from our June 24 clinic at Pat O’Rourke Rec Center! We had a wonderful turnout of new players learning the game. Special thanks to Omar and Jessica for organizing, and to volunteer coaches Darnell, Vicki, and Dina for guiding our community's newest players.

Horizon July Beginners' Clinic

Gary Del Palacio: Giant Paddles & New Players!

Check out the fun from our July 8 clinic at Gary del Palacio Rec Center! Our enthusiastic beginners got a warm welcome to the court—and some giant paddles to play with. We are so grateful to the Eastside Pickleballers and volunteers for the coaching and door prizes, and to FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in El Paso for sponsoring our PEPA clinics. Together, we are growing a fantastic community on and off the court!

Upcoming events

Pat O'Rourke Rec Center

PICKLEBALL SMASH BASH!

For intermediate and advanced players

Round Robin play. All games are 8 minutes, first to 11 points, or highest score wins (you don’t have to win by 2).
Each team plays four games to determine seeding, followed by a double-elimination tournament.
The final two matches will determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place (games will be 10 minutes each if time allows).
All participants must sign a registration form and code of conduct.
Entry fee is small party favors (like items pictured on the flyer)–small games, fidget toys, etc.

📸 Photo Gallery

UTEP OLLI Pickleball Club Celebrates US 250th In Style

Tough day for soccer, great day for pickleball! Butch and Darlene Gore enjoying a few games of pickleball at Don Haskins Rec Center before watching the US play Belgium in the World Cup.

Reminder to all players: Please check the WHERE TO PLAY page on our website for updated rec center schedules as many have been adjusted this summer. When in doubt, please call the rec center directly.