Welcome to our Inaugural Newsletter
Thanks for joining the Indy Pickleball Club - the club that serves the greater Indianapolis area for all things Pickleball! This is the first IPC Newsletter, designed to bring you up to speed on where we’ve been, what we are doing, and where we want to go.
Our Mission and Goals
The Indy Pickleball Club is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2019 and became a 501c3 non-profit entity in 2022. We are dedicated to promoting the sport of pickleball in the greater Indianapolis area. We host tournaments, clinics, and social events for all levels of players, and also provide resources and support to local pickleball clubs and organizations. The Indy Pickleball Club is a great way to get involved in the pickleball community and meet new people.
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Indy Pickleball Club is to grow the sport of pickleball in Central Indiana by developing and promoting recreational, league and tournament opportunities for players of all ages and ability.
Our Goals:
Long Term: 10-15 year goal is to have our own facility with indoor and outdoor courts that support the needs of the membership.
Short Term:
Grow the membership. In doing this, we get more input from members, enjoy numerous ways of supporting pickleball in the community, and grow the opportunities to expand and reach the long term goal.
2-4 year goal is to rent or lease space to have courts available to members for open play, tournaments, instruction, and social events.
Why Buy an Indy Pickleball Club Membership?
Buying a membership with Indy Pickleball Club provides several benefits and amenities, such as discounted tournament fees, access to organized play and tournaments, invitations to social events, and interaction with the club's online community. (New in 2023: we are exploring some fun additional events that will require Indy Pickleball Club membership, including team events, potential leagues, and other social opportunities.)
Members support the club's efforts in expanding the pickleball community in Indianapolis and surrounding areas. We also give back to the community through charitable donations, community projects, and group outings. All in all, the membership will help us get to the point of our ultimate goal: to bring pickleball to a larger audience and help us build our own facility.
Membership Levels:
1 year - $40
5 years - $160
Lifetime - $600
What's been happening lately?
A LOT! As many of you know, our founding President, Marcus Woodhouse and founding Vice President, Sarah Oblon, have handed the reins to new leadership. We have some new board members helping returning board members. We recently donated $7,283.40 to the Humane Society of Hamilton County thanks to the participants of the Furry Fracas in September!! (Pictured: Chris Banguis, Steve and Lisa Farley, Steve Cage)
We also partnered with Community Sports and Wellness in Pendleton for the Hungry Games tournament in November. Thanks to the hundreds of participants we were able to donate several thousand dollars to two local food pantries- one in Anderson and the Sharing Place in Lawrence Township.
What's going on now?
We also presented an instructional clinic at Baird Private Wealth Management’s recent client/partner pickleball night. That helped the IPC raise money for Ellenberger Park – which has 14 pickleball courts – to purchase paddles, nets, and a storage shed. This will help the park build the Irvington-area (east side of Indianapolis) pickleball community. This will include an outreach to elementary through high school-age kids on the east side.
Lori Price, far left, and Chris Banguis, far right, with beginner-clinic players at the Baird event. Lori and Chris teamed up with Lisa and Steve Farley to present the introduction-to-pickleball sessions.
What's coming up?
Glad you asked. The board, with the help of our members are:
Working with Aspire House to include pickleball on the near north side of Indy
Continuing our collaboration with Community Sports and Wellness on more tournament, league and clinic opportunities
Partnering with West Indy Racquet Club to support some of their programming needs
Working with area tennis/pickleball facilities to secure court time for members only IPC events such as DUPR play, MLP-style tournaments, and instructional clinics
Planning the continuation of our members-only Mashcraft clinic/play nights
Many members have already reached out about participating and volunteering for the activities mentioned above. Want to join the fun? Reach out to us at indypickleballclub@gmail.com.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all things Indy Pickleball Club!