2014 Blind Date Pickleball Social

Sun Lakes Pickleball Players Play Blind!

On Wednesday, January 22, 2014, Sun Lakes Pickleball Clubs, Cottonwood and IronOaks, jointly held a successful and fun-filled Blind Date Mixed Doubles Tournament with an unusual twist. All players were paired with their partner by blind draw creating 16 “blind dates” who competed in two separate skill divisions. Knowing they didn’t have to go home with their “dates,” everyone was encouraged to “leave it all on the court” and that’s exactly what they did.

The double elimination format created many exciting matches topped by a thriller when Marita Reed and Howard Schneiderman edged Bev Schalin and John Reed 20-18.

The Division B Gold Medal match pitted effervescent Michelle Mather and tournament-tough Scott Hickman against the crafty Marita Reed and cagey Howard Schneiderman. The rallies were fast-paced and strategic with the competitors showing off their knowledge of court angles and soft game. The momentum swings were topsy turvy as the Mather/Hickman pair surged ahead on three occasions only to be caught each time by the Reed/Schneiderman pair. But in the end, the Mather/Hickman team squeaked out a 15-12 victory netting them the gold medal.

The Division A Gold Medal match pitted Christine Schultz, aka “The Wall,” and David Novikoff, aka “Wiley Coyote,” against world-renowned tennis professional Karen Eastman, aka “The Blaster,” and David Zapatka, aka “Z-Man.” While the Eastman/Zapatka pair took the short route to the finals by winning the winners’ bracket, the Schultz/Novikoff pair were on an odyssey through the losers’ bracket having lost their first match to the tournament favorite pair of Sheila Parkinson and Barry “The Bear” Schultz. Coming through the losers’ bracket, the Schultz/Novikoff pair had to beat every tough pair in the draw including the Parkinson/Schultz pair they lost to in the first round to make it to the gold medal match. Despite having played twice as many matches, Schultz/Novikoff were energized as they built a quick 4-1 advantage over Z and the Blaster. But a lifetime of tournament experience set in as the Blaster found her range and kept Z in the match. Responding to the roars of the crowd cheering every tense point of the match, Eastman/Zapatka were relieved to pull out the victory 15-9.

Following the exciting finales the exhausted competitors were pleased to leave their blind date memories on the courts and dream about who they may be paired with in a future Blind Date Social.

Many thanks to Greg Mather for coming up with the Blind Date Mixed Doubles concept and to Bob Michael and David Zapatka who teamed with Greg to produce yet another outstanding Sun Lakes pickleball event.

Division A Finalists

Gold: David Zapatka, Karen Eastman; Silver: Christine Schultz, David Novikoff

Bronze, not pictured: Sheila Parkinson, Barry Schultz

Division B Finalists

Gold: Scott Hickman, Michelle Mather; Silver: Marita Reed, Howard Schneiderman

Bronze, not pictured: Patricia Koepp, Gary Williams