ANNUAL LAKESHORE PICKLEBALL CLUB MEETING
JULY 20, 2024, 9AM-9:45AM
Call to Annual Meeting
Report – President – Carrie Rodgers
Welcome & Introduction of Board Members
• VP & Tournaments – John Gabalis
• Treasurer – Shelly Finkhouse
• Secretary – Marcia Geissinger
Members At Large –
• Angelo Marasco – Court Maintenance
• Chip Gilbertson – Social & Ladder League
• Kristin Kosidowoski – Youth Instructor
Thank you for all the hard work of the Board of Directors!
Introduction of New Board Members
•President – John Gabalis
•Treasurer – Shelly Finkhouse
•Secretary – Debra Smith- Andersen
Members At Large –
•Angelo Marasco – Court Maintenance
•Randy Dicks
•Sam Ventocilli
HISTORY OF MULLIGAN’S HOLLOW Pickleball Courts – established 2012
Carrie gave a comprehensive history of MH with recognition of Pete Walters and Joe Leggets who were the impetus for the pickleball courts being here today.
See narrative at the end of minutes.
Highlights of accomplishments: Fencing, Concrete, Wind Screen, Tables, Bleachers, AED, Storage, Portable Nets, Portable Bathrooms, Painting, Repairs, Whiteboard
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS to continue all of the great work that makes up the LPC!
Volunteers are the HEART of the LPC!
Carrie’s parting words as President – “My wish is that the LPC will continue to be welcoming, friendly, and inclusive to all members of the community and all levels of play!!
Report Vice President John Gabalis
Coast Guard Tournament – July 31, 60 Teams
•60 Teams, Round Robin – 6 teams in each level, format will be 2 out of 3 to 11
•7am Registration
•8am Start Time
•Will email entrants week of July 22
LPC Club Tournament – September 21 & 22
•Changes: Moving to Pickleball Brackets for registration
•Women/Men’s Doubles – Saturday
•Mixed Doubles – Sunday
•Registration will be open week of July 22
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED at BOTH TOURNAMENTS!!
VOLUNTEER AWARD – RICK DILL
•Recognition and appreciation to Rick Dill for all of his volunteer work.
•New Player Night, Tournaments, Maintenance, Open to daily play – welcoming, always laughing and having FUN!
•REFLECTS the values of the LPC!! Inclusivity & Fun!
Report Treasurer – Shelly Finkhouse
• Current balance – $19K
• Membership is UP – 4% increase, $11K so far – over 400 members
• Survey results – generated great ideas for improvements
• Current Court Repairs – $5K
• Future Court Repairs – money earmarked, courts resurfaced by 2030 (approx)
• Donation button on website
• Website: $150 a month, paypal fees, $5K in repairs to court
• Money is in CD, interest of $50 a month
• Shelly invited anyone to contact her after the meeting for any specific questions
• Sandi DeGroot- brought up question re: setting up a fund with the Grand Haven Community Foundation to accept donations
• Motion to Accept Treasurer’s Report – Lara, 2nd Zack, All in favor
FINALIZE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS-TAKING OFFICE Carrie Rodgers
All in favor signify by saying THANK YOU! – APPROVED!
Report Court Maintenance & Member Survey – Angelo Marasco
Court Repair – Court Menders completed repairs – contracted for major cracks only
• Thank you to Members for NOT COMING – and allowing work to be done
• Repairs are meant to be temporary – 3-5 years
• Matched original paint but original paint has faded due to weather
• 3 Dimples NOT repaired – not part of scope of repair. Mitigation is extensive – excavation, tree roots, costly, etc., Recognized repair will need to be made in the future. (please note Treasurer’s Report for future resurfacing in 2030 (approx))
Windscreens
• Portable Nets – please move carefully, LEGS DO NOT TOUCH WINDSCREENS
• Thank you to 10 volunteers in the Fall who helped with rolling up
• Special Thanks to Rick Dill & Kevin Meagher for their ongoing volunteer efforts
MEMBER SURVEY BRIEF – Results will be emailed to Members – Some highlights below:
WHO
• 133 members responded – 30% of membership, which is great!
• 95% over 50 YOA
• 91% play 2x or more a week
• 14% Beginner to Intermediate
• 74% Intermediate to Intermediate Advanced
• 12% Advanced
• No Players identified as Beginner
WHERE
• 90% Mulligan’s Hollow
• 56% Schmitt Heritage
• 36% Central Park
• 22% Private Courts
WHY
• #1 Community Aspect, Inclusive Nature
• #2 Competition
HIGH LEVEL PROJECTS
• Water & Bathrooms at MH – continue to be working with the City
• Organizing Schmitt Heritage Park play – no signs on the courts, a lot of private play, courts are being highly utilized by private play but need better organization for drop-in
• LPC made specific recommendations to Grand Haven Township and they have not made them
• Have to continue working with Grand Haven Township
Ladder League & Social Report – Chip Gilbertson
Ladder League
• Grown and highest participation
• Increase to 4 nights a week
• Added another division and higher level of play
• New for August – 2.0 -2.9 level added,
• Mixed Doubles format for 3.5 & 3.75 level
• Emphasized BOD is listening to members
Questions by Members:
Dale – when are we setting up for the Coast Guard tournament?
Tuesday Canopies will go up – NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR TUESDAY!
Carol – questions regarding cost/fees to play in tournaments, yes fees, very typical
MEMBERSHIP – Chip Gilbertson
LPC is a service organization, not necessarily a benefit organization…although we receive many benefits. We need more volunteer participation.
Debra Smith-Andersen reiterated the value of membership and that anyone can donate at any time as the value far exceeds the cost of the dues.
Meeting Adjourned: 7 minutes early!! 9:53am
HISTORY OF MULLIGAN’s HOLLOW – Carrie Rodgers
When you look around at the Mulligan’s Hollow beautiful courts and surrounding area, it’s hard to believe that it hasn’t always been here. Before 2012, this space was the home tennis courts that were in need of repair. The Ottawa County Road arranged with the city of GH to replace the tennis courts if they could stage their heavy trucks and equipment on the old tennis courts while working on a road construction project in the area.
Pickleball may have started in the Pacific Northwest in the 1960s, but it was just becoming known to a small group of people around the lakeshore. Grand Haven residents Pete Walters, Joe Leggets and a small group of pickleball friends had been playing pickleball on the old tennis courts at Lakeshore Middle School, and the old tennis courts at Spring Lake Central Park. They soon realized what a great physical and social activity pickleball was, not to mention it was really fun! They decided to form a club with the purpose of promoting and supporting pickleball in our area. They started with about 35 members and became known as Lakeshore Pickleball Club.
When Pete and Joe heard about the new tennis courts that were going to be built at MH, they saw this as an opportunity to have dedicated pickleball courts be included at this location. The city did not jump on the idea, but Pete and Joe, and others who were getting hooked on pickleball were persistent, to say the least, and finally convinced the city that pickleball wasn’t just a fad. Construction started in the spring summer of 2012, and in October of 2012 the Mulligan’s Hollow courts were finally opened.
By the next summer, LPC had grown to just over 100 members.
Over the years, our club has grown to well over 400 members, and with the support of LPC members’ dues and donations, the club has added extra fencing, a concrete waiting area, tables, bleachers, benches, pickleball lines on the tennis courts, portable nets, whiteboard, storage shed, AED, equipment for clearing and drying the courts, windscreens, the portable bathroom, and pickleballs for use during drop-in play. These are all because of the support and help of our members, and the hard work of the LPC board over the years. Future projects include re-enforcing the baseline fences and getting water at the courts.
It hasn’t only been members’ financial support of pickleball that has been important.
Since 2016 with the help of volunteers, LPC has introduced pickleball to new players on Tuesday nights at MH during the summer, and at the Y during the indoor season twice a month.
In 2017, NORA reached out to LPC to teach the after-school pickleball classes to elementary through high school students in the spring and summer. The Coast Guard Festival Tournament held for the last 10 years is sponsored by the CGF Committee, but is run by LPC volunteers. The ladder leagues and maintenance of the courts depend on the help of volunteers, and our hard-working board members who are all volunteers.
Thank you to everyone who steps up when help is needed. You are the very heart of LPC, and without you, our club would not be able to have the positive impact on our community that it does.
I’ve been a member of our club since 2012, and it’s been an honor to have been a part of the LPC board since 2013, the last 4 years as club president. My hope is that LPC continues to be the welcoming, friendly, and inclusive club that it has always been