MAOPT
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS​
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT PDF VERSION OF FAQ
Welcome Players!  Please read this important document.
 
It’s easy being green!  Please bring your own water bottle.  Water will be available onsite.
 

CHARITY PARTNERS

We believe in giving back to our community.  We are sponsoring a canned food drive (low sodium please) for the Arlington Food Assistance Center, our local food bank, collecting new and gently used athletic shoes for the MORE Foundation and collecting new and used pickleball paddles for the Thomas Jefferson Middle School physical education program.  Look for collection boxes when you check-in.  We are also supporting Educate the Girls, Inc. who will be selling beautiful handmade baskets to support their efforts to help educate girls in Uganda.


SILENT AUCTION

Did you know the average paddle wears out after 12 months?  This is a perfect time to replace your paddle, get a spare, or get a gift for a friend.  We’ll have paddles from major manufacturers, and the bidding will start at HALF PRICE.  The auction closes at 3 pm daily.  Don’t want to wait until 3 pm?  OK, use our “Buy-it-now” option, and get it right NOW for 25% off.  Such a deal!  See Silent Auction Team Lead Andy Leighton.  There are other items, too including clothing, backpacks, even a couple hotel stay certificates. We have LOTS of nice items donated by our sponsors and vendors including paddles, backpacks, hats, personal training sessions, two hotel stay certificates and more.  Bring your cash, check book or pay with Paypal.  Each item will have a BUY NOW feature so you can walk away with your desired item immediately.  All proceeds will help cover the cost of putting on the tournament.  You must claim your item(s) by 2:30pm Sunday.

Thank you and a special thanks to our sponsors and vendors.


SPONSORS, ONSITE VENDORS, and FRIENDS OF THE TOURNAMENT

We are so grateful to our generous tournament supporters.  Please visit our online and onsite supporters to learn more about their products and services

Sponsors:  Gamma (Ball Sponsor), Bicycle Realty Group, Onix Pickleball, Paddletek, Pickleball Central (String bag Sponsor) and Pittsure Company Inc.

Friends:  Hilton Arlington Towers, Pickleball Channel (Server band Sponsor), Pickleball Magazine, Pickleballtournaments.com, Residence Inn Arlington Courthouse

Onsite Vendors:  AARP Virginia, Bicycle Realty Group. Eastport Pickleball, Engage Pickleball, Gamma, GymGuyz, The Dink Shop



REGISTRATION

We have reached our capacity of 300 registered players for the event!
We want to encourage more junior participants.  Please check your events to make sure you are playing in the correct skill level and age group.
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Please send all questions relating to registration to [email protected].

PARKING

Pay attention to and obey all parking signs.  Parking may be challenging due to a new school construction project which took away a major parking area. Look for “Pickleball Tournament” signs.  Refer to the Parking Map on www.maopt.org/parking  Consider your walk to the gym as part of your warmup!  

Friday:  The lot near the entrance (Door 12) is available.  Street parking on the north side of 2nd St. South is not available from 1-3 pm in one section and 1-4:45 pm in another section.  Your car will be towed if it is parked on that side of the street during those times.  The lot near the tennis court is available after 5pm.  You may park on the other side of 2nd St. South and on the streets in the adjacent neighborhood.  At 6pm, the residential streets are zoned for resident parking only.
Saturday:  Two parking lots are available – the lot near Door 12 and the lot near the tennis courts.  Ample street parking is available.  

Sunday:  None of the center’s parking lots are available until around noon because of church services.  Parking attendants will be enforcing this. There is ample street parking, especially in the adjacent neighborhood. Local participants should consider parking on the north side of Route 50 and take the pedestrian bridge to cross Route 50.  Please allow additional time to park your car.  Your tournament staff sincerely appreciate your cooperation and understanding of the parking situation.

We encourage you to car pool and/or take Uber or Lyft.  If you are a first time user, you will receive free ride credit to use towards your first ride!  Breakthrough Community Sports, Inc will receive a referral reward that will help support the event.

Download the app, register, and use the promo codes before taking your first ride
UBER Promo Code: KOWLQ    
LYFT Promo Code:  TANIA621316

FACILITY AND COURTS

The Thomas Jefferson Community Center is a joint-use facility hosting a middle school and a spacious gymnasium shared with the community. It is a smoke-free (vape included), drug-free and alcohol-free environment, so please honor this policy in the building and on school grounds. This will be strictly enforced.

Enter through Door 12.  Then turn to your right and go through a second door to enter the gym.  The door to the left takes you to the Community Center room.  The Check-In area is straight ahead as you enter the gym.   

The court surface is poured polyurethane over a hard foundation and was recently refinished.  Most players find this is a slightly soft surface that is gentle on the joints.   Locker room facilities including showers are available.  Please bring your own towel and soap.  The venue is air conditioned, so bring a sweater or warm-up jacket.  There is bleacher seating and a limited number of chairs, so you may wish to bring a folding chair.  The tournament is open to the public and there is no admission fee, so tell your friends.

BALL:  We are using the optic green Photon pickleball by Gamma.  This ball is approved for tournament play by USAPA/IFP.

Pickleball players may not use the fitness equipment at any time during the tournament.  On Saturday, the fitness equipment will be available for use by Thomas Jefferson Community Center members.  On Sunday, the center is closed to members.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY FOR BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

The estimated start times for all the brackets are listed at http://www.pickleballtournaments.com/welcome.pl?tid=1190.  
Click Here for Play Schedule.  Review the schedule carefully because some skill and age groups have been combined.  Brackets are subject to change until each event starts.

Brackets:  The Men’s and Women’s Doubles brackets will be posted online at 12:01 am on Saturday, Sept. 30.  The Mixed Doubles and Junior Open Doubles brackets will be posted online at 12:01 am on Sunday, October 1. Brackets will be accessible by your smart phone at http://pickleballtournaments.com and will be posted at the venue.  Instructions for accessing the brackets and court assignments via your cell phone will be available at the gym.

Player Check-in:  Players are required to check in at least 30 minutes prior to their event start time on both days.  If the tournament is running early, then your event could start up to 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.  Pick up your event t-shirt, server band and other free items.  Drop off your donated items (canned food, athletic shoes and pickleball paddles) near the Volunteer Check-in table.

Match Announcements and Court Assignments:  All matches will be announced via a loud speaker.  Listen carefully for new match announcements or watch the listings on our two TV monitors (in the gym and Community Center room).  When you hear your name and court assignment, report immediately to your assigned court.  Players must report to their assigned court within five minutes or their match will be forfeited.  A Court Monitor will greet you and help get your match started. Look for a small plastic basket by the net containing two pickleballs.

You will choose a “1” or a “2” to determine serve, receiver or side.  The first server on each team must wear a yellow wrist server band (available at the Check-in desk or ask your Court Monitor).  Hopefully all players have already warmed-up so the game can begin immediately. If time is needed to warm-up, please just take 3 minutes.  After each game, a player on the winning team will circle the score for both teams on the score sheet.  After the match is over, a player on the winning team will circle their names.  Your Court Monitor will verify the scores by writing them on the lines in the middle of the score sheet and ask a member of the winning team to sign the score sheet.  A Court Runner will take your verified score sheet and clipboard to the Events Desk.  Please return the balls to your court basket and vacate the court quickly so we may more efficiently schedule matches.

TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

Friday, September 29
  4 pm:  Exhibition match featuring Ben Johns
   5 pm to closing:  Tournament volunteers begin to tape courts and set up
   Volunteers still needed. Sign up to let us know you can help at     
   
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c44a5ab2aaaff2-midatlantic

   5:15 pm – 8 pm:  5 practice courts available

Saturday, September 30 –  Men’s and Women’s Doubles
   7:30 am Doors open    
   7:30 am-8:15 am:  17 courts available for warm-up
   7:30 am-4:00 pm  Check in Desk open (You must check-in on both days)
   8:15 am:  Welcome and Announcements
   8:30 am:   First round matches begin


Sunday, October 1 – Mixed Doubles and Junior Open Doubles
  7:30 am  Doors open
   7:30-8:15:  17 courts available for warm-up
   7:30 am-4 pm:  Check-in Desk open (You must check-in on both days)
   8:15 am:  Welcome and Announcements
   8:30 am:   First round matches begin

Bracket Posting   The Men’s and Women’s Doubles Brackets will be posted online at 12:01am on September 30.  The Mixed Doubles and Junior Open Doubles brackets will be posted online at 12:01am on October 1.  Brackets will be accessible by cell phone via http://pickleballtournaments.com and will also be posted at the venue.

Court Assignments will be displayed on TV monitors in the Community Center and in the gym.  They will also be available via your cell phone at http://pickleballtournaments.com.
​

Referees will be assigned to all medal round matches.  Players are responsible for calling the score and their own lines in all other matches.

MEDALS

Medals will be awarded immediately after a bracket is completed.  Please listen for your name and report to the awards area.  Medals will be given to the first, second and third place teams.

​SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

We are delighted to announce that a top professional pickleball player in the country, 18-year-old Ben Johns, will play an Exhibition match against local talent on Friday, September 29 at 4 pm.  FREE admission.  Immediately afterwards, five pickleball courts will be open to tournament players to practice until 8 pm.

PLAY SCHEDULE

USAPA rules apply – Decisions by Tournament Director and Head Referee are final.  Some age divisions and skill levels have been combined.  All but three brackets are playing a double elimination format.  Two of those brackets are playing a single round robin while the third bracket is playing a double round robin.  This is a non-sanctioned tournament.

Double Elimination Format
   - Winner’s bracket:  best of 3 games to 11 points, win by 2
   - Survival bracket and Bronze medal match:  one game to 15 win by 2
   - Gold medal match:  best of 3 games to 11 points, win by 2.  If the undefeated team   
      loses, another game to 15 win by 2 will be played to determine the winner
      Round Robin Format: Games to 15 win by 1 against all the teams in your bracket.

Players call their own lines unless it is a medal match.  Medal matches will have referees.   More referees are needed.  Check-in at the Referee table if you can volunteer.

For safety reasons, do not bring your personal items to your court.  You may bring a water bottle and a towel.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES- NO FOOD IS ALLOWED IN THE GYM

There are 2 water fountains in the gym and 2 water stations on the bleachers.  Bring your own water bottle.  We have light snacks for players and volunteers in the Community Center room to enjoy.  There are two vending machines in that area.  We do not have an unlimited supply of the snack foods so please be thoughtful of others.

Please consume food and drink in the adjacent Community Center room.  Do NOT bring food or drink (other than water) into the gym

OTHER INFO

You can buy a quick, delicious lunch from one of our award-winning food trucks, Rocklands Bar-B-Q or L-Charro located near Door 12.  Their scheduled hours are 11-3 on both days.

For dinner, we suggest going to one of our three nearby tournament restaurants.  They are offering a 10% discount off your check (alcohol not included) when you mention "MAOPT” or “Pickleball Tournament”.  Street parking and garage parking is available nearby.

Cantina Mexicana
922 South Walter Reed Drive
Arlington, VA 22204
(Behind Cinema n' Drafthouse off Columbia Pike)
571-970-6571

Lost Dog Cafe
2920 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA 22204
703-553-7770
DELIVERY IS AVAILABLE

Rincome Thai Cuisine
3030 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA 22204
703-979-0144
FIRST AID:   Emergency medical personnel are scheduled to be present during most of the tournament.  The local fire department has a four-minute response time to our venue.  There is an AED onsite.  Please report any safety concerns to the Tournament Director.

LOST AND FOUND:  Items will be brought to the check in table.

SEATING:   Bleacher seating is available.  You are encouraged to bring your folding chair. 
 

SPECTATORS:   Spectators get in free, so encourage your friends and relatives to join us!

USAPA AMBASSADORS
 :  We are fortunate to have USAPA Ambassadors from MD, NC, PA, SC, and VA participating in our tournament.


MASSAGES:  Lucelo Delgra (Helen’s go to massage therapist) will be giving free 10-minute massages on September 30 from 10-1:30pm.

LODGING:  If you still need a hotel, check out our two tournament hotels.  Ask if they still have rooms available at our special rates.

The Hilton Arlington Hotel, 950 N. Stafford St., Arlington, VA  22201
703-528-6000 or 800-445-8667
Group code:  MAO

Residence Inn Arlington Courthouse, 1401 N. Adams St., Arlington, VA  22201
703-312-2100

We hope you will enjoy your visit here and the challenging competition, as well as making lots of new friends and catching up with some old friends. We want you to have a great time and play your best in the spirit of good sportsmanship and competition.  More than 70 volunteers have been working hard on this tournament.  If there is anything we can do for you, just ask – we’ll be wearing brightly colored volunteer lanyards.  Thank you for participating in our tournament.  We hope you have a wonderful time playing, visiting our area and enjoying the fun that pickleball brings.

Your Tournament Checklist:
Allow extra time to find a parking spot
Water bottle
Folding chair
Towel and soap
Funds for silent auction and lunch
Donated items for our Charity Partners:
- canned food (low sodium)
- new and gently used athletic shoes
​- new and used pickleball paddles


​Need Assistance?     Have a Question or Suggestion?

See us or one of our tournament volunteers.  We want this to be among your BEST tournament experiences and will do everything possible to make that happen!  THANK YOU for joining us – have a great tournament!
 
                   Tania Yates                                          Helen White
                   Co-Director                                        Co-Director
                   Contact us at [email protected] 
 
Organized by Breakthrough Community Sports, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote active living through playing sports.
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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CHARITY PARTNERS
  • CONTACT
  • 2019 PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
  • 2018 PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
  • 2017 PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
  • 2016 EVENT PHOTOS AND VIDEOS