Tournament News, Updates, and Life On the Court!
- pickleballep
- Nov 22
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 24
Open Doubles Tournament
PEPA is proud to present the Newbie Rookie Tournament, which will be hosted by Sun City Pickleball on Friday, December 5th. Discount for all PEPA members and students!
Latest News
On November 11th PEPA learned that TWO NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS have been opened at Horizon City Senior Center! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
PEPA welcomes Pickle and Par, our first Corporate Members!
Nolan Richardson has added Thursday night pickleball 4PM - 8PM through January 12th. This is in addition to Tuesday night.
Congratulations to Richard Martinez, owner of Sun City Pickleball Club. Sun City celebrates its one-year anniversary on December 4th! 🎉
📢 Exciting Update: PEPA Launches New Membership Software!
In early November, PEPA officially partnered with Join It, a new software platform designed to make the membership and renewal process smoother than ever! This upgrade is all about making your experience as a PEPA member more convenient.
Key Membership Updates
Renewal Emails: All active members will receive a Join It renewal email 30 days before your membership is set to expire.
Convenient Auto-Renewal: A major benefit of this new system is the option to opt-in for easy auto-renewal—so you never have to worry about missing a renewal date!
Anniversary Expiration: Your membership will expire on the anniversary of your join date rather than at the end of the calendar year as in the past.
2024 Membership Options
We offer three great options to fit your needs:
Individual: $17.00
Couples: $20.00
Note: Designed for two pickleball players residing in the same household.
Corporate: $180.00
Corporate memberships are for private entities wishing to appear on the Pickleball El Paso Association (PEPA) website.
For Couples Memberships: You will be asked to provide both email addresses. Both members will receive PEPA newsletters and enjoy discounts on events!
Updating Your Information
Need to update your contact information after renewing? It's simple! Just click "View Membership" at the bottom of your payment confirmation email to manage and update your details anytime.
Introducing Our New Feature: On the Court
We're excited to introduce On the Court, a new feature in our monthly newsletter dedicated to a topic of interest for pickleball players of all levels. This month, we're kicking it off by taking a close look at a strategy commonly known as 'Icing'.
What is 'Icing'?
Do you ever find yourself or your partner being relentlessly targeted by your opponents? That strategy is commonly known as 'Icing' (or 'Icing Out')—a competitive tactic where one opponent or team consistently targets the weaker player to win points.
In this month's article, we'll break down this tactic, explain why players use it, and—most importantly—provide you with strategies to counter it and points to consider.
Strategies
Icing attempts to exploit a skill gap by creating nervous hesitation, frustration, or even a heightened sense of insecurity. The best course of action to counter it is a combination of strategy and embracing a growth mindset.
For the Player Being Targeted
If you're the one being targeted, do your best to see it as your opponents acknowledging your partner’s higher skill level. Tell yourself it presents an opportunity to practice leveling up and communicating clearly with your partner.
Focus on Neutralizing the Ball: When a speed-up or drive comes at you, focus only on hitting a soft reset into their kitchen. Every successful reset is a small win of its own.
Anticipate and Block: Keep your paddle out in front and ready, not down by your waist. Anticipate the hard shots! The less your paddle moves backward, the more effective your block or volley will be.
For the Partner (The Player Being Avoided)
Your primary role is to be an active, supportive, and protective force for your partner. Your opponents are trying to avoid sending shots your way—use that to your advantage!
Be Disruptive and Poach: This is an ideal time to look for opportunities to poach (intercept) the ball near the middle. Taking the shot yourself disrupts the opponent’s plan to isolate your teammate.
Take the Leadership Role: Clearly communicate with your partner. Call out "I got it!" or "Yours!" to help reduce your partner's hesitation. Offer paddle taps and simple, encouraging feedback between points.
The ultimate counter-strategy to icing is attitude. Icing is designed to isolate and frustrate. When it happens, you and your partner can focus on one point at a time while reframing the challenge as a way to improve; playing up leads to growth.
Sportsmanship: The Real Win
Pickleball's gaining popularity has much to do with the fact that the game is about connection, not just winning. Built into this understanding is the call for sportsmanship and inclusivity over competitive strategies like icing, especially in casual settings like rec play.
How do we promote positive experiences during open-play knowing that there will likely always be mixed levels as well as folks brand new to the sport?
Knowing how to identify icing and counter it will absolutely help you reframe the challenge. The real win in pickleball—especially in a recreational open-play setting—isn't just about the score. It’s about maintaining the welcoming spirit that drew us all to the game in the first place. By adopting a growth mindset, viewing being iced as an opportunity, and responding with resilience and a good attitude, we promote the inclusivity that is essential for the sport’s continued success. Whether you are the one being targeted or the partner stepping up, focus on being the example of a good sport. When everyone commits to these values, we ensure that pickleball remains a welcoming source of connection, growth, and friendly competition for all levels of players.
We welcome your thoughts on this month's topic as well as any suggestions you might have for future topics of interest. Scroll to the very bottom of this newsletter page for the Comment section.
Photos, Tournament and League Results
Haskins Fall League
Haskins Rec Center League participants finished their 8-week season with championships on November 7th. Players competed in either the gold or silver bracket, determined by their season standings. Big thanks to Jack Castro for organizing another fantastic league experience for all! 👏🏼
League Championship Day Results 11/07/2025
The Valle Bajo Women's Doubles Tournament was held on November 7th. Thanks go out to Irene Teran and Yvonne Romero for making it happen! There were twelve teams in all and participants supported the community with donations of canned food. A special thanks to Michael at Valle Bajo for a very well run tournament!
UTEP Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Pickleball Club holds food drive for UTEP Food Pantry
Bench honoring Randy Limbird unveiled at Mustard Seed Garden
Randy was a character. He would cycle 50 miles and then stop in at (former) 5 Set Net to play. Pulling a ball from the back pocket of his biking shirt, Sandy McDermott would cringe at how sweaty it was. 🤣 Full of enthusiasm and energy, Randy was the first to get down on hands-and-knees to tape temporary lines at a time when there was not one single dedicated pickleball net in the City (2022).
Tragically, Randy succumbed to a brain tumor in 2023. Pickleball El Paso dedicated its annual tournament to Randy in 2024 and donated a portion of the proceeds to The Mustard Seed. The restaurant, located at 201 E. Sunset, operates on a "pay what you can" model and was Randy's favorite charity. They have dedicated a bench in their garden to Randy.
If you would like to know more about this remarkable guy, see our original blog post. And when you play today, play happy.
On behalf of the PEPA Board, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
See you on the courts!
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