Steel City Pickleball

The second day/song in the series of music I'm sharing with all of you is a song near and dear to me due to my affinity for the one and only Freddie Mercury (as... shown by my amazing halloween costume below). I love the upbeat nature of this song. It is a song that you literally can't be unhappy while listening to it. The title and chorus of the song speak for itself "Don't Stop Me Now!" At 2:03 in the song, all instruments cease except for the drums which makes for an AWESOME 30 second musical moment that you will LOVE. Let this song be a remainder to anyone struggling out there today, that YOU are the only one who can stop YOU! Don't let anyone or anything else stand in your way of your own happiness! Link to this fantastic feel good song below! Thanks again to DJ Howard for the inspiration! Make sure to check out his "Daniel's Daily Does of Encouragement" if you haven't yet! Gamma Pickleball Never Stop Playing Pickleball Camps Rudy Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgzGwKwLmgM

As we all know, 2020 has been a very difficult year to say the least. For those that know me personally, the professional/personal struggles extend another 6 mo...nths or so prior to COVID, with the virus just being icing on the cake! The power of music can not be understated in helping create a mindset to help combat the multitude of stressors we are all dealing with this year! So I've decided to "borrow" an idea from my friend, co-worker, and mentor DJ Howard. If you haven't previously checked out his "Daniel's Daily Dose of Encouragement" I HIGHLY suggest it. DJ offers inspirational quotes, pictures, videos on the daily that really help put life into perspective and shed positive light! With DJ's inspiration in mind, I will be posting music videos of FEEL GOOD songs. Songs that are perfect for lifting my spirit on those days that are especially tough to get through! I hope they can do the same for you during these difficult times! Without further adieu, the first video is one that sticks with me the most and is by far my most listened to in recent times. As most of you can attest, just when things seems to get better, something else comes along seemingly trying to push us down. I love thinking about the premise of this song, that no matter what life throws at me, "I'm still standing, better than I ever did!" Don't let life, all the negativity, all of the stressors keep you down. We're all going to get through this together, and come through still standing! Enjoy!

Pittsburgh representing in the top plays from APP Cincinnati Open this weekend!

Website is live and registration is open! Sign up today for a camp near you!

MOVE THOSE FEET! While many of us can cover almost the whole half of the court, we lose our strong core and rely on smaller muscle groups by reaching to hit sho...ts. This will raise our chance of making an error. If we get used to shuffling our feet, so we don't have to reach for many balls, our consistency will go up tremendously. See more

The camps you have been waiting for.. Introducing Never Stop Playing Pickleball Camps, brought to you by GAMMA Pickleball! Our camps will be led by Team GAMMA C...ontracted Players who will specialize in the teaching of technique, as well as, the implementation of those techniques as they apply to actual match-play situations. Never Stop Playing Pickleball Camps will educate players on techniques and game strategies needed to excel on the court that encourage them to Never. Stop. Playing. Camps will begin in December and will be held across the country in over 30 states. Stay tuned!

We're announcing something big in 2 weeks! If you want to be the first to know, sign-up by clicking the link below! Sign-up here: https://bit.ly/2PpsGCV

Andrea and Justin are on the courts today hosting this month's Live from Inside the Kitchen! We have a lot of great stuff in the works and can't wait to share e...verything with you all. Sorry Monica for the last name - we're working on it! Drop what tournaments you're most looking forward to in 2021 in the comments below!

Tyson McGuffin has some openings left in his Pittsburgh sessions this weekend! Message me quickly to make sure you don’t miss it!! Friday Aug 7, 1-3pm, 4.0+ cou...rt, Doubles IQ, Creating Offensive Weapons / Wrapping Your Game Around Your Strengths and Weapons $90 + $5 for court = $95 total Saturday Aug 8, 3.5 - 4.0 Court, Doubles Analytics & Play, $159/person Location TBD but most likely Community Swim Club in Fox Chapel. Message me directly and we’ll get you added to the session!

Great giveaway by Gamma!

Thanks Gamma for all your continued support and this cool article! Gamma Pickleball #neverstopplaying

All courts full at Shenango Park tonight in New Castle for 4.0+ night! Contact Terri Flynn for details on all leagues at Shenango Park!

Below are some GREAT pickleball opportunities in Western Pa and Eastern Oh! New castle 3.0 and 3.5 leagues still looking for teams at Shenango Park! Wednesday night is 3.5 league and Thursday night is 3.0 league. You need a partner of similar ability. It can be mixed, 2 women or 2 men (with special permission). If anyone is interested, please text Terri Flynn at 724.612.6906 for more details or to register. $10 league registration for entire session.... Top men’s player Tyson McGuffin teaching camps in our area in July!

Now available on our website for purchase! Click the link below to start shopping. Click here: https://bit.ly/2YfneI8

A must see interview tonight at 5:00pm EST on Golden Boy Pickleball’s Facebook page!!

Well I’ve had my beard longer than I’ve been playing Pickleball. So anyone I’ve met through Pickleball hasn’t seen me without one. So here you go! I figure we h...ave AT LEAST another 3 weeks of quarantine to grow it back? So here’s the challenge... at this point in time in Pittsburgh, we’d be starting to grow our playoff beards for NHL playoffs. Since that’s not happening, I figured we could grow beards another way... Who else will go clean shaven today or tomorrow and grow a Pickleball Quarantine Playoff Beard with me? We can’t shave (or trim) the beard until quarantine has been beaten! Gino Cicconi Jason Neuenschwander Scott Golden Justin Stephens Jeff Giles Jeff Gehm Riley Burgess Josh Grubbs Josh J Pickleball Eden Lica Ernesto Pickleball Daniel J Howard Pickleball Scott M Smith Kenny Chou Jim Enger Grant Klutch Johnston John Enger Evan Charles Andrew Evans Gary Willmon Gary Conroy Gary Tipton Joey Jones Karel Kedles Jr James Lawson James LaRosa Joe Lutz Tim Manwaring Zach McDivitt John Murray Abraham Post Kevin Rectenwald Kevin Faber Aaron Rekich Timothy J. Roach Timothy Tice Timothy Klee Tony Roig Michael Leonard Michael Stephens David Seckel William Stults Sean Williams Will Willson Edward Shaftic Eric Wilson Eric Tuten Steve Vozza Steve Smith Dale Wagner ( it only lets me tag 50 people) share with others!

Did you know that 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease each year? Each year, the GAMMA Pickleball Classic is proud to provide financial contributions to support the Parkinson Foundation Western Pennsylvania.

IMPORTANT UPDATE! The dates of the 2020 GAMMA Pickleball Classic have changed. The new dates for this year's tournament are Friday, August 28 to Sunday, August 30 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA! For more information, click here: https://bit.ly/2QWjcAp

It's important to stay as active as possible under the current situation. Contracted Player, Justin Umbs, from Steel City Pickleball shared one of his favorite ...drills, Protect the Dots. Justin and his wife, Casey review how to do the drill, and the purpose of it. Even though he is playing at his facility, Protect the Dots can be done on your driveway, in your garage, and even in your basement.

IMPORTANT NEWS: As many of you have heard, Governor Wolf has mandated that all non-essential businesses close as of 12am, Tuesday March 17th. Sadly, this will include all operations at Steel City Pickleball for AT LEAST 2 weeks. We will continue to provide updates for operations as the situation progresses. Stay safe and hopefully we will see you all on the courts soon!

Some great people at Steel City on Tuesday mornings! Join us next week! Email at [email protected] to reserve your spot! Thanks Gamma Pickleball for the support!

Steel City Ladder Championship Belt Matches! John Murray, Gino Cicconi, Ron Volland, Luis Rojas Gamma Pickleball

Congratulations to Rose Ayres on winning the Gamma backpack giveaway! Thank you to Gamma Pickleball for the support!

And the winner of the Gamma backpack is!?!?! Thank you Gamma Pickleball for making this possible!

Winner is going to be picked live this Wednesday night! Make sure to leave your review on our Facebook page to ensure your chance to win the Gamma backpack! Thanks to Gamma Pickleball for your support!

Join us tonight as John Murray continues his defense of the Men's League Championship Belt! Men's league takes place EVERY WEDNESDAY starting at 6:30pm at Steel City Pickleball in New Castle! ALL SKILL LEVELS WELCOME! Only $5 to play! Contact us at [email protected] to join!

The morning session for 2.5/3.0 level players is now FULL! However, we do have a few spaces left in the 3.5+ level session in the afternoon. Contact us soon before it fills up too! Email [email protected] to reserve your spot!

Join us tonight as Ron Volland continues his defense of the Thursday Ladder Championship Belt! The Thursday ladder happens EVERY THURSDAY starting at 6:30pm. ALL SKILL LEVELS WELCOME! Only $5 to play! Contact us at [email protected] to join!

GAMMA backpack give away! Thank you Gamma Pickleball for the bag! Your great support of Steel City Pickleball is so greatly appreciated!!

Join us tonight as Casey Umbs continues her defense of the Women's League Championship Belt! Women's League is EVERY WEDNESDAY evening starting at 6:30pm at Steel City Pickleball in New Castle. ALL SKILL LEVELS WELCOME! Only $5 to play!... Contact us at [email protected] to learn more or to join today!

ONLY A FEW SPOTS REMAINING IN THE FEBRUARY 22ND CLINIC! Clinic flyer is attached! 2.5 and 3.0 level players from 9:30-11:30am 3.5+ players from 12:00pm- 2:00pm... Email us at [email protected] to reserve your spot!

Looking for a perfect way to hone your skills but don't like drilling? We've got the solution for you! Skinny singles league coming soon! Haven't heard of skinny singles? Well it works exactly how it sounds! No partner to rely on, just you! The catch? You only have to play on one half of the court! This allows you to to hit TWICE as many balls as you would in a doubles game. You also don't have to run around the full court like a crazy person playing regular singles! Even be...tter news.... this is for ALL SKILL LEVELS! Interested in trying it out? We will be doing a FREE skinny singles demo night this Tuesday, February 4th at 6:30pm at Steel City Pickeball in New Castle! Please email us at [email protected] to let us know if you plan to attend this Tuesday!

Look at this good looking group in Punta Gorda!

Back by popular demand! We will be offering clinics on February 22nd at Steel City Pickleball! See attached flyer for more details! Email us at [email protected] to register. Spots are limited!

LEAGUES STARTING NEXT WEEK! We are excited to be starting leagues back up again next week! As a reminder, we have the following leagues available: Tuesday morning ladder (9:30am-12:00pm)... Tuesday evening singles ladder (6:30-9pm) Wednesday evening womens league (6:30-9pm) Wednesday evening men's league (6:30-9pm) Thursday evening ladder league (6:30-9pm) None of these leagues require weekly attendance and they each have play for all skill levels! More detailed information on each league can be found at: https://www.steelcitypickleball.com///facility-pricing-off All players who played in last session's leagues, I will AUTOMATICALLY place you in the upcoming corresponding leagues for next session unless I hear otherwise from you. Any new players wanting to sign up, email me (Justin) at [email protected] to do so! (or if you have any questions regarding any of the leagues). I look forward to seeing everyone next week!

Medal winners from all divisions!

PICK UP PLAY TONIGHT! Happy New Years everyone! Let's start the New Years off the best way we know how! (by playing pickleball obviously). We will be having open play on all 6 courts at Steel City Pickleball tonight from 6-9pm. The drop-in price is $5 per person. ... If you've never been with us before, we're located at 2650 Ellwood Road New Castle, PA 16101. (in the plaza between Aaron's and SCA Credit Union) Hope to see you there! To receive information on all future leagues, pickups, tournaments etc, subscribe to announcements at www.steelcitypickleball.com

Bronze in pro men’s doubles today at Midwest Holiday Open. Not shown- my partner Joe Turner who was a BEAST all day! Great play all day today, such good competition here these weekend! #gammapickleball #steelcitypickleball #neverstopplaying

Had some really tough play today at the Midwest Holiday Open Men’s Pro Singles today! Those two guys to my right were AWESOME. I’m most definitely happy with bronze today! Justin Umbs

Justin Umbs and Neil Mediratta Men’s singles pro

Indy Pickleball Club hard at work!

#neverstopplaying #gammapickleball

Christmas came early!!! I’m going to be looking F-L-Y thanks to my sponsor Gamma Pickleball! Looks like they also knew how much I wanted that new Compass LH! So grateful!! #thankful #gammasports #gammapickleball #steelcitypickleball

Full courts here at Steel City on a cold, snowy winter night!

TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION CLOSES IN 2 DAYS (December 1st). Make sure to get registered before it's too late!! https://www.pickleballtournaments.com/tournamentinfo.pl

Here's a little sneak peak of our SIX COURT INDOOR FACILITY in New Castle, Pennsylvania! Registration open for current leagues: Tuesday morning ladder Tuesday evening singles... Wednesday evening men's league Wednesday evening women's league Thursday evening ladder league Court time available for rentals or lessons at all other times! For more information, go to: www.steelcitypickleball.com

Steel City Pickleball Club is OPEN and booming!

We're just over a week away from opening up our 6 court facility! Woohooo! A huge thanks to GAMMA Pickleball for providing all of our nets at the facility! They have THE BEST portable nets on the market! #Gammapickleball

A short highlight point from Survivor in LaFayette Indiana last month... First off, shout out to Kasandra Gehrke. She is SO fun to share the court with. Such a ...great competitor but ALWAYS enjoys herself out there. In my opinion, she is one of THE BEST ambassadors of the game and all the great things it has to offer. Secondly, don’t unnecessarily step in front of your partner to take a shot on match point. If you do, (just don’t) you better do everything in your power to win that point. Never surrender! #steelcitypickleball #GAMMApickleball

6 indoor pickleball courts coming to Western Pennsylvania! We will be opening a 6 court pickleball facility in Shenango Township in south New Castle, PA in the next few weeks! Although we have yet to finalize an exact date, we feel confident to say we will be open and ready for play by November 1st! As we begin to move forward, please know that the immediate purpose of the facility is for leagues, lessons, and rentals. We won't be offering any "open play" times right away. H...Continue reading

Are you excited for the 2020 GAMMA Pickleball Classic? Registration opens November 15th! Stay tuned for more updates...

We have great news!! Although our clinics at Cool Springs in Mercer PA are SOLD OUT for this weekend, we have another chance next weekend on October 19th! We will be at the Warren County YMCA offering a beginners/novice session (3.0 and below), and an intermediate/advance session (3.5 and up)! ... Email us at [email protected] to register today! There are only a few spots lets, so make sure to contact us soon!

Our friends at PISA are holding a tournament on Sunday October 27th. Attached is the information and registration form! We hope to see you there!

Another successful day for Steel City at the Mid Atlantic Open! Justin Umbs and Tracey Flynn took gold in the mixed 5.0 bracket. Great work guys!

Steel City ran the cycle today with gold, silver, and bronze and the Mid-Atlantic Pickleball Open! Justin Umbs got gold in men’s 4.5/50 age 12-50 with his partner Josh Jenkins Tracey Flynn got silver in women’s 4.0/4.5/5.0 with her partner Mandy Thoburn Gino Cicconi got bronze in men’s 4.5 50+ with his partner Jeff Morrison

Mid Atlantic Pickleball Open Women’s 4.0/4.5/5.0 gold medal matches Tracey Flynn/Mandy Thoburn vs Monica Paolicelli/Sara Maher

Itching for a tournament this fall/winter? We thought so and we got you covered! We are set up to host a round robin indoor tournament at Slippery Rock University on December 14-15th! We hope to see you there! All necessary details attached to the link below! https://www.pickleballtournaments.com/tournamentinfo.pl

A great showing for Steel City Pickleball at LaFayette Indiana Survivor! Justin Umbs brought home gold in men’s 5.0 singles and silver in mixed 5.0. Tracey Flynn came away with gold in 4.5 women’s! Congrats guys!

Justin Umbs and Mary Doten v Angie and Joe Gold 5.0

LaFayette Indiana Survivor mixed 4.5 Bronze medal match Tracey Flynn/Austin Hill vs Amanda Thoburn/ KirbyShedd

LaFayette Indiana Survivor mixed4.5 semis Tracey Flynn/ Austin Hill vs Johnny storm Bradford/Jen Lassandro