We’re Testing PickleballChicks™ League Play in The Villages 👀✨

Big news, Chicks 💖
We’re officially testing PickleballChicks™ League Play in The Villages — starting with one League session running across two locations: Clarendon and Saddlebrook.

This is a pilot League session, designed to fine-tune format, flow, and vibe before League Play expands further. Which means:

You get structured, competitive play
You help shape what League Play becomes
And yes… there’s a Crown involved 👑

Who this test League session is for 🎯

Strong Intermediate players (Intermediate 3 in our lingo but in DUPR lingo 3.4, 3.5, 3.6)

In PickleballChicks we have Intermediate 1 (Under 3.0), Intermediate 2 (3.0 - 3.3) and Intermediate 3 (3.4 - 3.6)

This League is for Intermediate 3 Chicks - these are strong players (but not yet Advanced Hostshots (ie: DUPR 3.7+)/ These Chicks are looking for real competition in a supportive, high-vibe environment.

Intermediate 3 and this session of our League is a good fit if you:

In DUPR terms, would land at 3.4–3.6
Understand and can execute positioning and shot selection
Can sustain long rallies (including dink rallies)
Mix power with patience
Love competitive play without ego, drama, or bad vibes

No DUPR is needed to register and no scores will be submitted to DUPR.

This League is competitive — but not cutthroat.
We play hard, respect great shots, and lift each other up along the way.

Not sure if this level is right for you?
👉 Check in with the League Captain before registering.

Captain contacts:

Clarendon: Cindy & Cheryl
Saddlebrook: Sharon & Janet

📧 Email: hello@pickleballchicks.org

This League Session: Locations & Times 🏓

This League session runs across two locations — Clarendon and Saddlebrook — with both feeding into the same Regional Crown Showdown mini-tournament.

📍 Clarendon Rec Center

Mondays | 2:00–4:00 PM
January 5, 12, 19 & 26 (4 weeks)

📍 Saddlebrook

Wednesdays | 2:00–4:00 PM
January 7, 21 & 28 (3 weeks — no play Jan 14 due to court cleaning)

Each location will have its own teams, weekly play, and standings — all competing to finish top 3 and move on to Regionals.

How PickleballChicks™ League Play works

Register as a team

You register with your partner
You stay together for the full League session
(Note: Saddlebrook runs 3 weeks because of an inconvenient court cleaning Jan 14; Clarendon runs 4 weeks)
No partner swaps (except a true emergency, approved in advance)

Game Format: Queen of the Court 👑

League Play uses a Queen of the Court–style format designed to keep games competitive, fast-moving, and fun.

Short, timed games
Win = move up
Lose = move down

Starting courts each week

Lady Luck decides. When you arrive, you’ll draw a card to determine your starting court.

⚠️ If you’re prone to complaining about unlucky draws, we lovingly suggest this League may not be for you.
Drama, eye-rolling, and poor sportsmanship are wickedly frowned upon. Don’t be that Chick.

A fun twist: Dinking-Only Week ✨

We mix things up with a Dinking-Only Week during the session.

Weeks 1, 2 & 4: Regular League Play — full games, full strategy, full Queen energy
Week 3: Dinking-Only Week
- No banging
- No speed-ups
- Dinks only from the serve to the winning point

It’s a fun twist that rewards patience, control, and smart shot selection — and levels the playing field in the best way.

Weekly scoring (simple + fair)

At the end of each week:

Note your final court number
Add +1 for a win in the last game
Subtract –1 for a loss in the last game

Final League standings are calculated by totaling all weekly scores across the session.

What’s on the line? 👑

At the end of regular League play in this League session, the top three teams from each location earn a Golden Ticket 🎟️ to the PickleballChicks™ Regional Crown Showdown.

That means:

🏆 Top 3 teams from Clarendon
🏆 Top 3 teams from Saddlebrook
👑 6 teams total advancing to Regionals

This intentionally small field is perfect for our test run — plenty of court time, great matchups, and a high-vibe Sunday afternoon showdown.

📅 Regional Crown Showdown date: TBD

A few important things to know

Teams cannot miss a week
One emergency substitute may be approved once, in advance, using a player of equal or lower skill
No-shows are not okay and may result in removal from this League and future PickleballChicks™ Leagues
Unsportsmanlike behavior may result in removal at the Captain’s discretion

This League is competitive, respectful, and intentionally curated.

Skill Fit Check (After Week 1) – IMPORTANT!

We want League Play to feel competitive, challenging, and fun for everyone.

After Week 1, the Court Captains will do a quick skill-fit check to make sure teams are in the right place.

Too strong after Week 1?
If a team is clearly dominating the league (think repeated blowout wins), we may lovingly say:
“You’re too good for us, Queens!” 👑
That team will be politely removed from the league and replaced with a waitlisted team that’s a better fit. No drama, no judgment — just keeping the competition balanced and enjoyable for all.

Feeling like the league might be too tough after Week 1?
If a team realizes after Week 1 that the pace or competition feels overwhelming, you’ve got options. You’re welcome to stay in and keep playing (sometimes it clicks!), or you can choose to withdraw after Week 1 — no hard feelings, ever.

Our goal is for you to feel challenged but not crushed, supported but not bored, and excited to come back each week.

Why we’re calling this a “test” League 👀

We’re rolling League Play out thoughtfully and we're looking for and anticipating a few bugs (it's new after all and we're not super human, so you know, bugs :)

This Villages League session helps us:

Fine-tune scheduling and flow
Confirm the right competitive sweet spot
Protect the fun, supportive PickleballChicks™ vibe as we scale

If you love being part of something as it’s being built, this is your moment.

Ready to jump in? 💖

If you’re an Intermediate 3 Chick who wants structured competition, great energy, and a real shot at the Crown…

👉 Head to our Events page to register for:

Clarendon — Mondays, 2–4 PM
Saddlebrook — Wednesdays, 2–4 PM

Let’s test it.
Let’s tune it.
Let’s Chase the Crown together! 👑✨