Shenandoah Valley Pickleball Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 10, (October 2026)
Keeping the Pickleball Community Informed and Connected
📬 Keep the Newsletter Coming!
Help us out! Your active engagement with the newsletter helps with delivery and keeping us out of your spam folder. Please click on at least one link every month. If you are not finding things of interest to click on, please let us know!
Sign up for or share our newsletter
SHARE WITH A FRIEND! Did you like this free pickleball newsletter? If so, please share it 💗 and help a friend up their pickleball game with tips, strategies, stories, and more. Forward it to a friend or tell them to subscribe.
Also, don't forget to follow us on Facebook.
Indoor Pickleball Is Coming to Gypsy Hill Park Gym: Registration Opens Monday
We told you in September that indoor play was on the way. Here it is.
Two open gyms are coming to the Gypsy Hill Park Gym in Staunton this winter, running November 15 through February 21. Registration for both opens Monday, October 19 at 8 a.m.
Intermediate Open Gym (billed for beginner and intermediate recreational players)
Monday and Friday, 9 a.m.-noon
Sunday, 3-5 p.m.
$50 Staunton residents / $52 non-residents
Advanced Open Gym
Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
Wednesday, 5-7:30 p.m. (no play on the 4th Wednesday of each month)
$40 Staunton residents / $42 non-residents
Both programs are for ages 16 and up, on three indoor courts. You must register before playing, and there is no onsite payment. Advanced players should register for the Advanced Open Gym.
The gym is not available on some holidays and event dates, so check the registration page before you plan around a specific day.
Sign in to your Staunton Parks and Recreation account first, then register.
Rule of the Month: How Late Is Too Late to Call a Ball Out?
Your opponent drives a shot that lands past the baseline. It's clearly out, so you let it go. The ball bounces off the fence, and your partner immediately says, "That was out."
Does the call count?
Most of us have played this point, and most of us have argued about it afterward.
Click your answer and you will get the ruling right away, straight from the rulebook.
Why we picked this one: the rule changed for 2026. Under the old wording, a player who did not return the ball could sit on an out call until the next serve. USA Pickleball tightened that this year. The change document says why: "There is no legitimate reason for a player to delay making an out call."
Translation for rec play: call it when you see it.
Got a call from your own matches you want settled? Send it to [email protected]. It might become a future Rule of the Month.
Costumes On, Paddles Up: Halloween Round Robin Closes the Outdoor Season
SVP is closing out the 2026 outdoor season with a Halloween Round-Robin Pickleball Social at Montgomery Hall Park in Staunton on Saturday, October 31, from 9 a.m. to noon. Partners rotate through the morning, so you will meet new people and play at a mix of levels. Costumes are welcome and entirely optional.
Spots are still open, and registration closes Thursday, October 22 at 11:30 p.m. There is no day-of sign-up: you must be pre-registered to play.
The details
What: Halloween Round-Robin Pickleball Social
When: Saturday, October 31, 9 a.m.–noon
Where: Montgomery Hall Park, 1000 Montgomery Avenue, Staunton, VA 24401
Ages: 12 and up
Fee: $20 Staunton residents / $22 non-residents
Register by: Thursday, October 22, 11:30 p.m.
Hosted by: Shenandoah Valley Pickleball
Sign in to your Staunton Parks and Recreation account first, then register.
Get a friend to register with you. This is the last outdoor event of the year, and after it we move indoors.
Pickleball for the Cure Returns to the Simms Center on October 31
Harrisonburg's Pickleball for the Cure fundraiser is set for Saturday, October 31 at the Lucy F. Simms Center, 620 Simms Avenue. Play starts at 10:00 a.m. The event benefits breast cancer care at Sentara RMH.
Teams register through the RMH Foundation. The fee is $40 per team.
Volunteers needed: we are still looking for three people to help courtside during the event. To volunteer, contact [email protected].
Sold Out: Intro to Pickleball Draws a Full House at Stuarts Draft
The new pickleball courts at Stuarts Draft Park got a real workout on Friday, October 2.
SVP's Introduction to Pickleball Skills & Drills clinic sold out at 12 participants, filling two courts with new players who were enthusiastic and ready to learn.
Participants from SVP's Introduction to Pickleball clinic at Stuarts Draft Park, October 2, 2026.
Our goal for new players is to get a paddle in their hand and on the court in minimal time.
Want to try it? Watch the newsletter and SVP's Facebook page for the next clinic.
SVP Joins Southern Pickleball's Affiliate Program
Shenandoah Valley Pickleball has joined the Southern Pickleball Association's affiliate program. Southern Pickleball runs tournaments and leagues across the South, and the partnership is meant to make SVP events easier to run and more rewarding to play in.
What the affiliation brings, per our agreement:
Waived tournament setup fees through Pickleball.com
Reduced registration fees for SVP players
Discounts on medals through Crown Awards
Technical support before, during and after tournaments
Help with leagues and other SVP programs
Tournament director training for SVP organizers
A path for SVP players to qualify for Southern Pickleball championship events
Eligibility to offer Southern Pickleball Team Leagues and send qualifying teams to the Team Championships
Want to know more about Southern Pickleball?
You Don't Have to Play a Tournament to Make SVP Stronger
Not every SVP member wants to compete. Some of us skip tournaments entirely, don't track a DUPR rating, and show up for one reason: to play.
That's plenty.
Showing up to ordinary open play matters as much as showing up to a tournament. When more of us show up, to open play, a clinic, a round robin, or anything else on the calendar, the whole organization gets stronger. More players means more sessions worth running, and a better chance the person next to you becomes a regular partner instead of a stranger.
You don't need a tournament résumé to belong here. You just need to show up.
Here's one more way to help: the next time you're at open play, spend five minutes with someone newer than you. Show a beginner where the kitchen line is, help a first-timer pick a paddle, or partner up with whoever is standing alone. It costs almost nothing, and it can be the difference between someone coming back next week and never picking up a paddle again.
Open This Email: Why a Click Keeps Us Out of Spam
A small ask this month: open this email and click something in it. A registration link, the Rule of the Month, anything.
Here's why it matters. Email providers like Gmail and Outlook decide whether a newsletter lands in your inbox or gets buried based partly on how people respond to it. If a lot of subscribers never open or click, providers start treating the sender as low-value, and the whole list suffers.
So take thirty seconds. Open the email. Answer the Rule of the Month question. Click through to an event you're even a little curious about.
That one click helps SVP's newsletter keep arriving in your inbox, and in everyone else's.
Shenandoah Valley Pickleball
Shenandoah Valley Pickleball is dedicated to growing the game and building a welcoming community across our region. Our mission centers on promoting play for all skill levels, supporting local courts and facilities, hosting engaging events and lessons, and fostering an inclusive pickleball culture that connects players on and off the court.
Whether you're new to the sport or a seasoned competitor, we're excited to share the passion, progress, and fun that make our community thrive!
💬 Stay Connected
Follow us on Facebook—Shenandoah Valley Pickleball is growing, and we're glad you're part of it!
Join us on Global Pickleball Network (GPN) and our DUPR Digital Club. Join the fun and be part of weekly DUPR play. Participants should sign up for free using these links.
If you no longer wish to receive these updates, please unsubscribe.
0 comments