Regular followers of this byline – I like to believe there are a few – know that the Landings Pickleball Association (LPA) is the brainchild of Charlie Bradford. Charlie, once an avid, low handicap golfer, discovered pickleball soon after he and his wife Reggie, also an avid golfer, moved to The Landings seven years ago. While Reggie is still a golfer, Charlie switched his alliance to pickleball and now is a ubiquitous presence at Franklin Creek. Several years ago, sensing the need for a vehicle for organized, competitive play, Charlie worked with court sports director Chris Kader to create the LPA. The LPA in turn adopted the new DUPR rating system, which gave players the opportunity to discover where they rank within the growing population of dedicated picklers. Since inception, the LPA and DUPR have become extremely important to those players who thrive on competitive play.
On May 16th, Charlie was honored by the LPA members for his hard work and dedication to pickleball at The Landings. Led by A J Goldman and Chris Britten, the group surprised Charlie at the beginning of the regular Thursday night play by honoring him with a gift certificate. Over seventy picklers chipped in a total of $1150 as a way of saying thank you for all the time and energy he has spent raising the level of competitive play at Franklin Creek. Now, of course, Charlie is faced with deciding how to spend his windfall.
Charlie could invest in pickleballs, new paddles and the hottest new pickleball fashions. That would be suitable for an individual who spends the majority of his waking hours at the courts. But he might want to refer to a recent article in Dink Magazine about an adults only, ‘Bare-adise’ Caribbean cruise. That’s right, the travel company Bare Necessities has teamed with Norwegian Cruise Lines for an 11-day cruise from Miami to the Caribbean on the Norwegian Pearl with stops in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and St. Maarten. It’s not entirely a nude cruise, one must wear clothes in the dining rooms. Clothes, however, are not required on the pickleball courts. Think of it this way, Norwegian Cruise Lines has redefined the concept of bare-boating and Charlie might want to give it a try. I doubt Reggie will be quite as enthusiastic.
After being honored, ever gracious Charlie sent an email to the LPA members saying: “I am proud to represent our group and pickleball as a whole. When the timing is right, we will work with Chris Kader and whomever the current board members are at the time to have them help to continue to grow our sport. Thanks again. I'll have a nip of tequila to salute ya'll tonight.”
For those not familiar, the LPA is an organization for those who enjoy competitive play. For more information go to tlcpickleball.com, LPA, LPA Information, or contact Charlie Bradford directly.