Adult Fitness and Athletics

Bring friends or pair up with someone at the courts. Game experience and knowledge of the rules is encouraged in order to participate in open pickleball. Participants must comply with posted house rules. Pickleballs are not provided during Open Play. You should bring your own paddle but the PAC does have ones that you may borrow.

Pickleball Open Play 
Open Play follows a weekly schedule during the school year and is subject to change based on school needs and closings. Open Play sessions fall under the following headings:
All Level Play
Beginner/Advanced Beginner <3.5
Intermediate/Advanced 3.5+ 

General Rules:

• Pickleball Game Rules - www.usapa.org
• Waiting players will place their paddles in the paddle holders and rotate onto the courts in groups of 4. 
• One paddle permitted per person.
• If there are less than 4 people waiting, remaining players may determine who will stay on the court and who will sit out.
• When a game is complete, immediately exit the court. If you wish to play again, put your paddle in the paddle holder and wait for your next turn.
• All player(s) must rotate if others are waiting.
• Players should play during the session that is aligned with their skill level.
• No single games, drilling or lessons during court times. Games are played to 11, win by 2.
• Regardless of score, all games should end at the end of the session time. 
• Players are asked to help set up and take nets down

Etiquette:

• Begin each game by acknowledging the other players and introducing yourself if you don’t know them.
• Before serving, make sure that the receiver is ready and facing you. Then call the score.
• If a ball is going towards another court, do not chase it onto the court. Yell “Ball on Court”, and let the other people stop playing and retrieve the ball. 
• If a ball lands in your court from another court, pause your game, look where it needs to go, make eye contact, and throw it directly to the person.
• Do not walk behind or across a court that is in active play.
• If the ball is out, and it’s on your side, call it out. If it’s close, give the benefit to your opponent.
• If you or your partner step into the kitchen on a volley, call it on yourself.
• Never ask for, or accept, line calls from spectators.
• Never leave a game without acknowledging the other team.

Rent a pickleball court for an hour or more. Pickleballs and net are provided. Rentals will be available for registration one month in advance. Each reservation must be made online and cancellations must be given a 48 hour notice. There will be a $5 cancellation fee. Cost $20 per hour per pickleball court. There are no senior discounts. Dates and times of rental availability will be posted online on the 15th of the month prior. 

• Private court reservations include up to eight participants per court. 
• Courts can be reserved for two hours maximum. 
• Court reservations are not to be used for private tournaments or lessons, unless designated by PAC staff. 
• The person reserving the court, must be a PAC member. The reservation will cover all participants in the group with or without an active PAC membership.
• Check in with the PAC staff is required upon arrival and all players must provide a photo ID for our visitor management process.

Register for Private Court Reservations

Do you want to improve your pickleball game? Individual or small group private lessons will help your skills, strategy and rating level. During the one-hour session, participants will be coached through skill repetition and drills specific to improve your pickleball game.

Beginner - The beginner course will introduce pickleball rules, body positioning, footwork, drills and doubles game strategy. Drills and strategy will focus on serves, returns, drop-shots, and dinks. Participants should bring their own paddle or borrow one from the PAC.

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Beginner - Improve your basic skills and strategy in this series of classes. Participants should bring their own paddle.

Prerequisites:

• Understands the rules of pickleball
• Gets in at least half of all serve attempts
• Gets at least half of return of serves deep and to middle of opponent's court

Intermediate -The intermediate lessons will drill spin serves, drop shots, footwork, dinks, fast action at the net, and defensive techniques, with an emphasis on winning doubles strategy. Participants should bring their own paddle.

Prerequisites:

• Understands the rules of pickleball
• Gets in at least 75% of all serve attempts
• Gets at least 75% of return of serves (ROS) deep and to the middle of opponent's court and gets forward to capture the kitchen line on most of their ROS's.
• Occasionally performs successful third shot drop shots. (Success is defined as a third shot drop shot that is not returned or can only be dinked back)
• Can perform at least 5 dinks in a row without placing the dinks in the net, out of the court, or popping them up.
   

Lumberjack Days Pickleball Tournament

When: July 2025
Where: Northland Park - 8 dedicated pickleball courts. 12975 75th St. N. Stillwater, MN 55082
Cost: $30 per player for the first event, $5 for each additional event, tournament t-shirt included in fee. 

Format: The tournament format will consist of a minimum of 3 pool play games, followed by single elimination tournament play based on pool ranking. Our goal is to get everyone at least 5 games.  All games are officiated by the individuals playing and must make their own calls. This is an unsanctioned tournament. 

Men’s and Women’s play Saturday.  Depending on the number of teams registered for men’s and women’s play will dictate the start times of each tournament. The goal is to maximize court time for pool play for each level and gender will be dictated based on registrations. 

Mixed Doubles play Sunday. Depending on the number of teams registered for mixed play will dictate the start times of each tournament. The goal is to maximize court time for pool play for each level and will be dictated based on registrations

Competition in mixed, men’s and women’s will be offered at 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 divisions, As well as 50+ divisions in mixed. Teams are self-ranked according to USAPA criteria.

Tournament Director has the right to reclassify and combine divisions if necessary due to number of teams.

Register online: Lumberjack Days Pickleball Tournament

• Each player needs to have their own separate online registration and payment. 
• The first registration should be $30. You can register for the second event by going into the new event and selecting the $5 registration fee. 
• There is a $5 processing fee if cancelled.
• There are not late refunds as t-shirts and brackets will be created and modifications to the brackets must be made.

Tournament Director
Pete Heldstab
heldstabp@stillwaterschools.org
651-351-8454