[JSmith216]

Beginning pickleball players invariably find 3.0-4.0 players on the courts designated for beginning open play! This trend has to be frustrating for beginner players. It’s a sad commentary that some players need to feed their egos by playing during designated beginner open play. They apparently don’t like the competition in their skill level.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by JSmith216

Beginning pickleball players invariably find 3.0-4.0 players on the courts designated for beginning open play! This trend has to be frustrating for beginner players. It’s a sad commentary that some players need to feed their egos by playing during designated beginner open play. They apparently don’t like the competition in their skill level.

They just don't want to get off the court, and of course there's nobody there to enforce the rules. A friend of mine went into the rec center, complained, and when she was told they "would send someone out," she said she would wait right there for the person.

[Altavia]

For open play, try to line up with 3 other players who are at a similar level.

The PCVG offers a series of instructional sessions with mentors and players at similar levels.

Instruction | Pickleball Community Volunteer Group

Drill & Play now offers 2.5 non-rated sessions to help get players started.

Drill & Play | Pickleball Community Volunteer Group

[npwalters]

That has been a long-standing problem and I hear the advanced players make excuses like "they want to play with better players to improve their game".

They don't. They are on the court RESERVED for beginners or advanced beginners so they can play and feel comfortable. The advanced players are just being selfish.

The only solution is for the rec center employees to monitor it. Mulberry does a good job. Most others in the north half don't.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by JSmith216

Beginning pickleball players invariably find 3.0-4.0 players on the courts designated for beginning open play! This trend has to be frustrating for beginner players. It’s a sad commentary that some players need to feed their egos by playing during designated beginner open play. They apparently don’t like the competition in their skill level.

Big pickle in a small jar syndrome?

[CoachKandSportsguy]

geez, egos aren't related or restricted to pickleball or by sport.

During our morning walk, we walked with a woman, whose husband was a surgeon, and his ego is so big and fragile, that he only plays beginner in a sport which he can dominate, and refuses to move up to a higher level.

Won't learn anything new. . and the poor wife wanted to learn and play golf with her husband in retirement in the villages.

Want happy people: management enforces rules without favoritism. .
want strong management, don't hire retirees

[village dreamer]

Originally Posted by JSmith216

Beginning pickleball players invariably find 3.0-4.0 players on the courts designated for beginning open play! This trend has to be frustrating for beginner players. It’s a sad commentary that some players need to feed their egos by playing during designated beginner open play. They apparently don’t like the competition in their skill level.

a few bad apples , I'm a 3.5 and will play with anybody, i just like to play. and i like to teach a newbie how to play. todays beginner ,will be tomorrows great player.

[TheVillageGlossator]

The notion of a pickleball ego is rather absurd. Even the world’s best pickleball player ought to feel a certain embarrassment about being the world’s best pickleball player.

[Pugchief]

I don't know why this topic keeps coming up. If you are a chess grand master, would you find a chess game enjoyable with someone who learned to play last month? If you are a championship bridge player, would you want a partner or opponent who learned the game recently?

People like to enjoy competitive activities with others at a similar level bc that's what delivers the most enjoyment from the experience. There are many options to play "social pickleball" where drinking beer and chatting is more important than the actual game. I don't understand why beginners get upset when advanced players have no interest in wasting their time.

Remember: Every PB court is open play from dawn to 10AM. But not every PB facility is the same level of players. Find a place that is AT YOUR LEVEL and you will have more fun as will the other players present. If you are in above your head, that's YOUR problem, not everyone else's.

OTOH, if it's after 10AM and the rec center's PB courts are designated beginner and there are other non-beginners hogging the courts AFTER YOU ASK THEM TO LEAVE, that's just rude and you have every right to complain to the rec center staff, who, in my experience, are pretty good about resolving issues. YMMV

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Altavia

For open play, try to line up with 3 other players who are at a similar level.

The PCVG offers a series of instructional sessions with mentors and players at similar levels.

Instruction | Pickleball Community Volunteer Group

Drill & Play now offers 2.5 non-rated sessions to help get players started.

Drill & Play | Pickleball Community Volunteer Group

I don't think that solves the problem. You can't line up with like players when the court is being hogged by upper level players playing in your lower level time slot. And I believe it's not so much an ego thing with them as it is they just don't want to get off the court at the end of their time. Because when we were beginners/advanced beginners playing at 9 AM, and the 7 AM advanced players (overstaying) would finish a game and get off the court to line up again, they would switch around so they lined up with their other advanced players and not take their turns with us lower level players. They didn't want to play with us at all. They wanted to stay on the court past their allotted time. Thus taking away from our court time.

[Howdy]

This nonsense continues & will never end. Here is a wake up call.

Not long ago a " Entitled " players regularly (everyday) who were the so called Pro's occupied the courts @Lake Miona.

They 100% refused to play with anyone who " They " considered an outsider. Of course people complained about this & nothing was ever done.

Eventually, they drifted away for whatever reason only they know, & the people involved are now just another player and their so called " Status " is now long gone.

What did they accomplish with their attitudes absolutely NOTHING !

Bottom line on this post. There are many, many courts here in The Villages that you can find where players respect another person's abilities, & help.

Sterling Heights, & Rohan are just two that I found when I played were in that category also Saddlebrook.

My best wishes to those who got upset, you will be fine.

The Lake Miona Players ? They learned the Hardway_____Eventually :

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by TheVillageGlossator

The notion of a pickleball ego is rather absurd. Even the world’s best pickleball player ought to feel a certain embarrassment about being the world’s best pickleball player.

Best post of the week!!

[Taltarzac725]

World's best pickleball player. I will have to research that. I did see a few games between some celebrities and a pair of professional pickleball players and I seem to remember the celebritys' butts were kicked. It was a mother and her daughter who were the professional pickleball players.

[npwalters]

Maybe a few of you need to go back and read the OP. There are times and courts designated specifically for beginners or advanced beginners. These times are after open play; i.e. after 10 am. There are often players that are not beginners that use those courts during that time and play against the beginners.

We fully understand that advanced players don't want to play with beginners (I am one of them). The other side of that coin is that beginners don't want to get beat up by advanced players during the time the court is reserved for them.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by CFrance

I don't think that solves the problem. You can't line up with like players when the court is being hogged by upper level players playing in your lower level time slot. And I believe it's not so much an ego thing with them as it is they just don't want to get off the court at the end of their time. Because when we were beginners/advanced beginners playing at 9 AM, and the 7 AM advanced players (overstaying) would finish a game and get off the court to line up again, they would switch around so they lined up with their other advanced players and not take their turns with us lower level players. They didn't want to play with us at all. They wanted to stay on the court past their allotted time. Thus taking away from our court time.

Sure you can, I do it all time, just need to stick together. And the advanced players are ok if we stay out of their way.