Kwong Young, USPTA Tennis Professional, IronOaks Tennis Club Think of a tennis court as a vast dance floor—a space designed for movement, rhythm, and flow. Unlike a crowded dance floor where people constantly bump into one another, a tennis court offers generous room for just two players on each side. It’s your personal stage to…
Category: Sports
Sports, January 2026
The Rain Did Not Dampen Our Spirit
Barb Jorgensen Rain can’t stop us. With assistance from our friends/neighbors at the IronOaks Tennis Club, a few matches were held there. Some were moved to Palo Verde, and some players returned to finish under the lights. We were back on schedule by Friday morning for our annual Bradshaw-Neu Charity Tennis Classic, which was held…
Sports, January 2026
The Women Behind the Scenes at Cottonwood Tennis Club—Part 3 of 3
Part 3 of this “Men Behind the Scenes” has been tweaked to spotlight one of the superwomen behind the scenes. Cottonwood Tennis Club is so successful because of the members who are so generous with their time and talent. This month’s spotlight is Teresa Hermsen. Teresa provides leadership to our food court activities year round.…
January 2026, Sports
Lady Sluggers Open Season on January 5
Larry Wolfe The Lady Sluggers will open their season with a home game at the Field of Dreams on Monday, Jan. 5. Below is their entire home schedule for the 2026 season. All games start at noon; doubleheaders are played against each opposing squad. Monday, Jan. 5, vs. the Roadhaven Rebels Monday, Jan. 19, vs.…
January 2026, Sports
Softball Player Profile: Craig Pochardt
Larry Wolfe Sioux Falls, S.D., native Craig “Chili” Pochardt grew up playing baseball, basketball, football, golf, and tennis. If there was a ball involved, he played it! (You can ask him how he got his nickname!) Craig graduated from Washington High and then Augustana College where he earned a B.S. in business administration. After college,…
January 2026, Sports
November Rains Played Havoc with Softball Season
Larry Wolfe Our Fall Softball Season schedule of games was shortened due to the unusual amount of November rainfall. We lost a dozen games and several practice sessions due to the downpours and the resulting unplayable field. At the press deadline for this issue of the Splash, we had close pennant races in both divisions.…
January 2026, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Aggressive Dinking
David Zapatka Dinking is often misunderstood as purely defensive play—a soft, patient exchange while you wait for your opponent to make a mistake. The most effective pickleball players know that dinking can be a powerful offensive weapon. Aggressive dinking transforms you from a passive participant into the player dictating the pace and creating opportunities to…
Sports, January 2026
Play Your Best Pool: Three Simple Steps to Improving Your Game
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool There are three things that can help every billiard player play much better in a short period of time 1. Players must realize that they can’t teach themselves. Books, videos, and the tip of the day from other players will never replace having lessons from a professional instructor. 2. Hiring a…
Sports, January 2026
Behind Every Serve Lies a Story: Meet Pickleballer Jerry Strom
Jeff Dunn You step onto the pickleball court. A quick greeting, two hours of play, and a casual “See you tomorrow.” Yet how much do you really know about the person you just played with? Behind every serve lies a story waiting to be discovered, and this story belongs to Jerry Strom. You’ll often see…
January 2026, Sports
IMGA Upcoming Events
Rick Staszewski, Publicity The course came out of overseeding in wonderful condition! Hats off to the grounds crew! Upcoming Events: Jan. 6: 2 Best Ball Net Jan. 13: Round 1 Ironwood Cup Jan. 20: Round 2 Ironwood Cup Jan. 27: Round 3 Ironwood Cup The annual Member-Guest will be on Feb. 17. Mark your calendars!…