FLIP + CHING

Mid-South Diamond Regional Tournament

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.

Finally sitting down to recap Mid-South Diamond Regional, the tournament that wasn’t actually on my list of planned tournaments this year but happened anyway. At the beginning of the year I really didn’t have much planned for May because I was going to use it as my recovery month from the US Open. Also, May is when we have the Rotary Club of Andover’s Picklemania pickleball tournament so I would be busy planning for that all month. Besides that, I didn’t plan on going to Florida for Diamond Amateur Championships this year so Mid-South really wasn’t on my radar. I did, however, have Nationals on the agenda for this year since I’m already qualified for singles and women’s doubles so I had APP Vlasic Classic on my list of potential tournaments so I could earn my mixed doubles ticket.

This is what the month of May looked like at the start of the year:

May 13 – APP Vlasic Classic in Cincinnati, OH
May 20 – Picklemania MMXXIII

Then shortly after the Picklemania tournament at Life Time in OKC, Melissa Hawk invited me to play in PPA Texas Open. She is a player that I admire and have been wanting to play with for a while so I said yes. We were planning our outfits and I was actively looking for a mixed doubles partner to make the trip worthwhile so I reached out to Casey Dominguez, my mixed partner for the OKC Picklemania to see if he would be interested in running it back with me at TO. He said he wasn’t doing TO this year but I was welcome to join him at Mid-South if I wanted and so that’s pretty much how Mid-South happened. Casey is super fun and I enjoyed playing with him in OKC so, even though it wasn’t the tournament that I was wanting to do initially, I was willing to add it to the list.

At this point, my May began to look really crazy:

May 5-7 – Mid-South Diamond Regional
May 13 – APP Vlasic Classic in Cincinnati, OH
May 20 – Picklemania MMXXIII
May 26-29 – PPA Texas Open

Add the ICT Summer Classic on June 2-4 weekend and I basically was looking at a tournament every weekend for five consecutive weeks. So much for recovering. I was still actively looking for a mixed doubles partner for TO when PPA announced their agreement with USA Pickleball which resulted in Nationals moving to Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas and PPA Texas Open and PPA Kansas City Open becoming golden ticket tournaments for Nationals. Along with this change was a date shift for the TO. TO would now be June 2-4 (same weekend as ICT) instead of its original dates.

Despite me trying to kill myself playing all these tournaments, the universe decided to give me a break after all. But then I was faced with a choice TO or ICT. Obviously, I was going to choose ICT because not only is it far cheaper (registration is $50 compared to $200) but I wouldn’t have any additional travel expenses since it’s in Wichita. It’s a good thing I hadn’t found a mixed partner yet because I only had to notify one person of my withdrawal.

That brings us to Mid-South on Cinco de Mayo weekend. Even though Mid-South wasn’t originally on the list, I was actually really looking forward to it after securing a couple of great partners. I got Casey for mixed and then Molly Sager for women’s doubles. This was our second time playing together. Another reason I was excited for Mid-South is because it’s a tournament that we can drive to so we could take Saki with us. She was such a good girl on the drive to and back.

We finally got to experience a Buc-ee’s first hand. It’s the only gas station convenience store I’ve ever been to with its own door greeter like at Walmart.

As massive as the place is, we still managed to run into a couple of friends. Molly and I got a selfie with Drake and Cassidie Johnson.

Drake, Cassidie, and the McAllister clan (Karen, Danny, and Josh) except for youngest Isaiah who stayed in Oklahoma came out to play some rec on Thursday evening. Cassidie and I were unintentionally matching so naturally I need a pic.

It was pretty much warmup for women’s doubles day on Friday when everyone was matchy matchy. The ladies definitely like to play in matching outfits.

In the pic above are Kali Wilson and Olivia Bond, a couple of friends who were in our same women’s doubles division.

These ladies were so matchy matchy, they even had matching paddles, matching shoes, and matching sunblock bottles.

Molly and I played in 4.0 19+ (because she is a baby) ended up finishing just outside the medals. We were actually 3rd after pool play but ended up having to play 1st place in the playoff bracket and then lost the bronze medal match. That tournament was all sorts of jacked up because they had 1st vs. 3rd and 2nd vs. 4th in the playoff bracket, instead of the normal 1st vs. 4th and 2nd vs. 3rd. I’m not sure if the ultimate outcome would have been different but I guess we’ll never know.

Once we got a lay of the land and figured out the tournament flow on Friday, we decided to pitch our canopy on Saturday (which we brought with us, just in case — better to have it and not need it, than need and not have it). The McAllister clan got there early and were already set up so we just pitched our canopy next to theirs.

Michael Harris grabbed an Adirondack chair and claimed it for the day. It was the perfect size for his giant frame.

I only mention his gigantic frame because he made EVERYTHING look miniature in our Airbnb. He could barely fit at the dining table. LOL.

Anyway, Saturday was mixed doubles day. I didn’t really get any pictures because I mostly focused on not letting my partner down. I say this because I agreed to play 4.5 this time which is the highest level I’ve ever played in a regional tournament. I mostly play 3.5 for regional and national level tournaments. I’ve dipped my toes in 4.5 and 5.0 in smaller, local tournaments but only when I’m tricked into doing so.

Casey wanted to play 5.0 but I wasn’t ready for that I really wanted to play 4.0; however, guys can be really proud sometimes and he felt like he was too good to play 4.0 (which I would agree with, unfortunately for him, he had me as his partner and I am “3.5 at best” or so the Pickleball Studio guys would say) so we decided to split the difference and play 4.5. He was super confident we could podium at 4.5 because he assumed I was more like a 4.2 and had absolutely no idea how much of a handicap I would be.

For someone who is “3.5 at best” I actually didn’t play too terribly. Here’s a video from my most favorite match of the day. It was my favorite because we had a lot of amazing rallies and, according to DUPR, we should have lost this match against Jonathan Hill and Courtney Glenn. But even though they had match point against us, we didn’t give up. We fought hard and ended up winning 16-14.

There were 10 teams in our division so we were split into 2 pools for round robin pool play. Considering I was probably the lowest rated female in the group, we actually did pretty well. We had a 2-2 record (2 wins and 2 losses) but our only losses were to the Gold and Silver medalists. We ended up 3rd in our pool but only the top 2 in each pool advanced to play for medals.

I don’t think I would have predicted these results based solely on our ratings. I think this a definite case of 2 + 2 = 5. Casey is one of the few guys that I actually have synergy with. When I play with most people, I end up not playing up to my full potential and I also end up making them play worse.

When I watched our matches at Mid-South, I was amazed at the shots I was making. Sure, I made errors but there weren’t as many as I could have made and, at the end of the day, I felt good about how I played. I felt the same as I did after the OKC Picklemania earlier this year. It was disappointing not to medal but I had an amazing time and enjoyed every minute of playing. This is saying a lot because I’ve played in tournaments before where, at the end of it, I’m left feeling like I never ever wanna do that again.

Of course, just because I loved playing with him it doesn’t mean that he felt the same. He could have hated it and probably wouldn’t have said anything. I mean, I don’t usually tell people I hated playing with them. I just don’t play with them again. It’s like when I order food at a restaurant and I don’t like it, I don’t send it back to the kitchen. I just know either (a) don’t go back to that restaurant or, if I do go back, then (b) I don’t order that dish again.

I can only assume that he doesn’t mind playing with me because he agreed to play with me a second time but I am kind of glad that he didn’t look me up before we played Mid-South because I’m thinking he wouldn’t have agreed to play with me. When we all got back to the Airbnb that night and we were recapping the day, he was completely shocked at how low my DUPR is. I think, had he known he possibly had the weakest female partner in the bunch, it would have completely changed the dynamic. I feel like we played based on what he knew from when we played together in January and he trusted me to handle my business. Often the lack of trust is the biggest detriment to having synergy with your partner and if you think your partner is not very good then that can definitely be a detriment to you trusting your partner and, whether you mean to or not, it affects your on court chemistry and teamwork.

Anyway, don’t have any future tournaments planned with Casey but, if he asks, the answer is definitely 100 percent yes because he’s made my list of most favorite partners to play with; however, he doesn’t generally play with people below 4.0 and now he knows. Ratings are a big factor for a lot of people. I know it is for me, specially when I know nothing about the other player.

Saturday was my final day of competition because I ended up withdrawing from singles. I really wanted to play but the event started at 1 pm and Brian and I really wanted to be on the road back to Wichita by then because of the 6 hour drive. I was hoping my start time would have been 8 am (or anything 10 am or earlier could have worked). We really just couldn’t get home super late because we still had to do laundry and then I had to pack for Kansas City since I was working there on Monday and Tuesday that following week.

That’s pretty much it for this post. Next few posts will be of the food we ate while we were in Rockwall. We did get to try a few different restaurants so we had some very interesting dining experiences. I’ll also write about the whole storm breaking the bedroom window fiasco, which startled the crap out of me and really did a number on Saki. Until next time, GNG.

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Pickleball Matchmaking

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Ching under Pickleball.

Tried my hand at pickleball matchmaking again and hooked two of my favorite guys up to play together for Mid-South Diamond Amateur Regional earlier this month. Michael Harris needed a men’s doubles partner and so I suggested Tanner Rice. After a bit of back and forth, they decided to play together and Tanner came up for a practice session. I got some breakfast out of it as my referral bonus. LOL.

If you’ve never had the junkyard dog burrito at Chicken N Pickle, I highly recommend it. That brisket is so good!

And, of course, the mimomas are a must.

Michael put together a great practice session for them with Dustin Herman and Chris Heck. Tanner posted a couple of their matches on his YouTube channel. Tanner has some great pickleball content — mostly match footage from practice sessions and tournaments and such — so if you’re not already a subscriber, you should do it right now.

Here are a few action shots from their practice session.

I hadn’t seen Tanner play in person since last year and it’s amazing to see how much progress he has made in just a few months. Since quitting his job, he has dove in full throttle with pickleball and he has been teaching pickleball a lot. They say “to teach is to learn twice” and all of his drilling and teaching I think is not only helping his clients but also improving his game tremendously.

Above is a video of one of their practice matches.

When Tanner came up, he brought me a set of Powerhands rings/bands — I don’t even know what to call these things. However, I have used it a few times and I think it actually works. Having suffered from tennis/pickleball elbow before, I’m really glad that I have something to help prevent it from recurring.

I asked my chiropractor friend his thoughts on it and here’s what he said:

It (Powerhands) is focusing on lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow in layman’s terms). The muscles that extend your fingers attach to the outside of your elbow and the muscles that flex your fingers attach to the inside of your elbow; so extending your fingers, abducting your fingers, and flexing your fingers all provide support for your elbow. These motions can be achieved with various devices or at home with a towel or by grabbing handfuls of rice out of a bucket, but what is beneficial about these small bands is the portability they offer so you can take them with you on the go.

Anyway, I am super glad Tanner brought me a set and am looking forward to making it part of my regular routine. If you want to try and buy a set for yourself, you can get them at www.powerhands.com and if you use discount code CHING10, you get $10 OFF! ‘Til next time, GNG.

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Naples Pier with Mom and Dad

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Ching under Family, Travel.

It was a little chilly for a beach day but mom and dad wanted to check out the Naples Pier and so we went.

There were surprisingly quite a few people at the beach that day having cookouts and hanging out.

And then there was us.

We didn’t stay long. We just walked around and stayed long enough to get a few pics. We might have to build in a beach day on the schedule next year. And hopefully it will be warmer.

Until next time, GNG.

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US Open Recap – A Month Later

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.

I didn’t get the results I was hoping for at the US Open this year so, understandably, I’ve been holding off on a recap. I played in five events and got zero medals. To say it was a disappointing venture would be an understatement. I’m not particularly emotional when it comes to playing. I approach failures more logically and just try to learn from every single experience.

I basically played every single day except for Wednesday. It was very ambitious and probably not the best decision but I honestly didn’t think I would be able to get all of the events I signed up for — that’s Murphy’s Law for you.

My friend Katie Merrill who I registered with for both of my women’s events ended up with an injury and could not play on Monday so I had to find someone else to replace her. I thought it would be much easier to find her replacement but I forgot to take account how crappy I look on paper. I think my ratings being ridiculously low was a huge turn off for potential partners. I was lucky that Alan Hans and Whitney Lichtenberg from Nebraska remembered me from the year before and convinced Alan’s mixed doubles partner Katie Fagan to play with me on Monday.

We arrived on Friday this year so we could attend the kick off events on Saturday — mainly the Joola Party in the Park and Simone Jardim’s seminar.

Mom and I got a pic with Parris Todd, a top female pro pickleball player.

Also with Tony Roig and CJ Johnson, from Betterpickleball.com.

I got to visit with Jonny Pickleball Andrews during the rain delay. I met him a few years ago when he did the Jonny Pickleball Show at the Chicken N Pickle in Wichita. That was also around the same time I met to female pro Lauren Stratman for the first time and I learned about Electrum paddles (the brand I play with today – I used to play with an Electrum Pro and I currently play with an Electrum Pro II).

This guy is the best. There isn’t much more I can say.

I just realized that there are no pictures of me from Sunday. That’s the day I was playing singles. I ended up being dehydrated and getting a massive headache but somehow managed to make it to the bronze medal match.

I played 3.5 40+ division but I have to say, some of the women did not look a day over 40. Some of them looked like they were mid-20s at best. I lost to Heidi Sung (above) in the main draw and found out she worked for Joola so I asked her for a ball cap, which I earned by taking a game off her. We went 6-11, 11-4, 7-11. I finished on the good side but just could not overcome the hole I hug myself on the bad side. Had I won that match, I would have been guaranteed a silver medal. Sadly, it was not to be. I got a free Joola hat, though. Well, technically Brian did because I gave it to him. He’s been super supportive and was livestreaming the entire time, it was the least I could do.

I ended up facing Katie Taylor, the official pickleball pro of the Pretty Picklers, in the bronze medal match and, of course, she smoked me. I was completely gassed at that point and had a massive headache. But, even at 100 percent, I didn’t stand a chance. Anyway, 4th at the US Open is not a bad finish.

On Monday I swapped one Katie for another when Katie Fagan took Katie Merrill’s place for women’s age 35+ division.

I was completely out of my depth but enjoyed the experience. Katie was super amazing and supportive and probably the best female player I have ever had the privilege of partnering with. And to top it off, she is a lefty! So grateful to Whitney and Alan (below) for hooking me up with a partner. Otherwise, I would have had to withdraw from the event.

Even though she couldn’t play, other Katie (Merrill) came to hang out on Monday. We unintentionally matched.

Monday was a long day because we stayed and watch Mike Wolf and Jim Secrest win their championship match. They are friends of some of our Kansas City friends. I think Mike owns Elite Tennis and Wellness in Overland Park.

It was totally worth it because they won. Tyson got it all on livestream.

Go to see the beautiful ChiChi at the Lucky in Love booth at Vendor Village.

Also got to see Kasandra Gehrke.

And Brendon Long. We actually got to see him on Saturday, the first day we went to the tournament, and mom got a picture with him then. I didn’t get this picture with him until a couple of days later.

Twinned with Tyson Steele.

Hung out with fellow Chicken N Pickle ambassadors.

Watched the guys compete (above: Kyle Rinck and Matt Gerber). Kyle couldn’t make it until Tuesday night so Parker Ward played with Matt for men’s doubles age 19+ division on Monday. Then on Wednesday, Parker played with a blind date from Facebook, Dominic Osborne, in men’s doubles 4.0 19+ division. They ended up winning silver. Not bad for a blind date!

Katie and I played women’s doubles 3.5 35+ on Thursday.

Got to see Jenna Hessert who I first met at Smash a year and a half ago and is now playing in pro events. She is amazing!

Also saw Angela Porto, who I first met at APP Delray Beach a couple of years ago. Her boyfriend Brent Huff was my blind date at that tournament.

Brian was there with me the entire time, making sure that matches got livestreamed. Not just my matches, but others’ matches as well when possible.

In the picture below, he and Parker are making sure that we had the optimum viewing angle for the livestream.

Anyway, that’s pretty much the US Open recap. It’s a “must play” tournament for me because there isn’t any other tournament quite like it. There’s live music every single day, beer samples during happy hour, and all sorts of fun things. The party atmosphere makes it feel like you’re at a music festival — but sporty. I can’t wait to do it all again next year. Until then, GNG.

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Last Meal in Naples

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.

Brian and I found an excellent Mediterranean restaurant close to the park and we had our last dinner there on our final day in Naples. I think it’s new because Brian and I love Mediterranean food and we don’t remember seeing it last year.