Comments from the Secretary/Treasurer

Following the state tournament I went to San Antonio for a few days. My husband, Joe was sent out there for work and I tagged along – not so much a vacation but definitely a change of scenery.

What a great state tournament we had this year! Thank you to the Flagler Horseshoe Club for hosting so wonderfully. The courts were in great shape, as they usually are up there; the hotel was lovely as were the events held there. Thank you to everyone involved in the preparation and to everyone who lent a hand during the 4 days of the tournament, too.

We had 29 Mixed Doubles teams, one more than last year; we had 40 Doubles teams, down from 44 last year; and 105 singles, 5 fewer than last year. Hopefully next year we can increase our overall attendance numbers for the state tournament. Remember to get the required tournaments in once the tournament season starts. You’ll need 5 tournaments OR 4 tournaments and one sanctioned league. A good rule of thumb is to plan to attend at least 6 or 7 tournaments in the year since once in a while we might have to cancel one due to weather.

A big thank you to all pitchers who served as Judge during the state tournament. I know I saw Bob Lemon and Peggy Ogden wearing the orange vest and I may have missed others. Serving as Judge is an important role that sometimes gets overlooked. The NHPA RGS booklet (goldenrod color booklet) includes GUIDELINE 4 which explains that judges are appointed by the Tournament/League Officials, outlines the responsibilities and lists the expectations and duties of the judge. During most of our regular season tournaments we might not have anyone available to be a judge. If this is the case then disputes can be escalated to the Tournament Director. It would be great if we could have an appointed judge for each and every tournament. Maybe this could be a good way for members who might not be able to pitch in a tournament to still contribute to the club. We have training materials available so you don’t have to jump into the role without preparation.

Finally, I’d like to welcome the newest members of the Executive Council. I look forward to working with Dale Marteney, Lee Kohlhafer and Peggy Ogden.

Have a great summer, everyone! I look forward to seeing you out on the courts!
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments from the 1st Vice President

Regardless of what my calendar says, last week it felt like early SPRING and today my outdoor thermometer tells me that it is Mid SUMMER. Many of our friends and fellow pitchers have left to go where it is somewhat cooler, but you and I know, that they will be missing a good off season, one where most of us will try to hone our pitching skills and enjoy a cool one. The 14/15 season was a good one for our association. We had many good local tournaments followed by a GREAT State Tournament hosted by the Flagler County Horseshoe Club. Hats off to them, what a super job they did.

As your new 1st VP, I will try very hard to pitch in at least one tournament at each of our clubs, hoping to meet as many of your members that I don’t already know as well as to chat with my “OLE” friends. I hope to get a feel of what you would like the Executive Council (EC) of your association to accomplish during the next several years. Bob Lemon, whom I succeeded, formed a Recruitment and Recruitment Task Force (RRTF) and I will attempt to follow his wonderful lead by restarting it. I will also be seeking ideas and suggestions for recruitment and retention of members as well as attracting more juniors and female players.

I feel that we need to find ways to make our leagues and tournaments more fun while keeping the competitive spirit alive and well. If your club has been successful at this and gaining more members tell me about it, share your success story. If you have tried things that didn’t work, share that too.

With all of the experience and brains that we have in the FSHPA there must be good ideas out there. Let’s communicate and grow our organization and have a good time doing it.

E-mail is the best was to contact me. I will respond to every E-mail I receive. I am really looking forward to making your playing days more enjoyable.

Lee Kohlhafer 1stVP FSHPA