The pickleball craze has once again taken the region by storm with the formation of the Oakdale Pickleball Club, a local group that has hosted two pickleball tournaments at Gilbert Park since its inception.
Just weeks after its inception, the Oakdale Pickleball Club has brought together 15 teams for its tournaments. The Oakdale Pickleball Club was founded by four Oakdale High School graduates: Trenton Stanton, Evan Elizondo, Isaiah Hamby and Jebb Fox. These lifelong friends, who competed together on the Oakdale High School water polo team, turned their interest to pickleball as a way to keep themselves busy during summer breaks from school.
“I remember my classmates complaining about the lack of entertainment in our hometown when I was a student at Oakdale High School,” Stanton said.
To remedy this lack of entertainment, the four formed the Oakdale Pickleball Club to satisfy their own and others’ summer boredom. The Oakdale Pickleball Club hosts free tournaments every two weeks at Gilbert Park in Oakdale and invites pickleball players from across the region and of all skill levels to play.
“We have players who had only played pickleball two or three times before the competition,” Hamby said.
A tournament in early August featured 12 different teams, all with fun and unique names. ATP, featuring Trevor Williams and Brian Puentes, took third place; Silky Gazelles, featuring Robert Stout and Riley Wilcox, took second place; Big Dink Energy, featuring Ryan Carey and Moe Moe, took first place and won gold. The first-place team received medals to commemorate their victory in the tournament.
“There was water and Gatorade for participants, everyone was nice and friendly, and it’s just a relaxed atmosphere and a great way to meet people and improve your pickleball skills,” said Jason Jericoff, a participant in the Aug. 3 tournament. “There was no fee; I would recommend a donation. I’m definitely signing up for the next tournament.”
In addition to the bi-weekly tournaments, the Oakdale Pickleball Club hosts weekly “Pickleball in the Park” events on Monday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Gilbert Park and invites everyone to come along and enjoy a fun evening in the community.
“We see so many different groups playing every night at Gilbert Park (North Eighth Avenue/East D Street) and Fish Park (Pontiac Street) that we thought we’d just try to bring them all together,” Elizondo said.
On Saturday, August 17th at 5 p.m., the Oakdale Pickleball Club will host its third annual pickleball tournament at Gilbert Park and expects even more participants than last time. To register for the upcoming tournament, email [email protected] or visit @oakdale_pickleball_club on Instagram for more information.
