If you’re signing up or have signed up for your first pickleball tournament, you may be looking to prepare yourself. Here are 8 tips to set yourself up for success.
Tips For Your First Pickleball Tournament
Be Prepared For A Combined Bracket
Before the tournament even begins, there are cases when certain events may combine skill brackets. For example, if there are not enough 3.0 or 3.5 men’s singles players, they may combine both brackets. The same applies to men’s doubles, women’s doubles, or mixed doubles. If you signed up for a lower bracket, you may play with those that are a bit higher in skill level.
However, this should not make you nervous. You will be updated throughout via email. Many players in their first pickleball tournament may not know their own ranking. So some people rank themselves lower or higher accordingly. Be mentally prepared in case it can go either way.
Pack Mindfully
Whether you’re local or coming out of town, you should be packing mindfully for everything you may need. If it’s allergy season, you may want to bring non-drowsy medication. During the spring and summertime, you may want to pack sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. If the weather will be cold and windy, bring extra layers.
It is better to have multiple layers that you can take off as you get warmed up, rather than one large one that you may not be able to move around in. Bringing the right gear will set you up for success in your first pickleball tournament and beyond.
Plan To Arrive At The Event Location Early
Depending on where the tournament is held, it is important to arrive at the event location early. Some pickleball tournaments are held in stadiums that share events with other sports. For example, the APP tournament held at Legacy Sports Park in Mesa Arizona shared events with football, baseball, and volleyball.
That means you should expect traffic arriving at the stadium and finding parking. You want to give yourself plenty of time to find parking, register, and use the bathroom. You don’t want to arrive at your first pickleball tournament stressed that you may be late for your match.
But more importantly, you want to have enough time to warm up. A 30-minute warm-up can make or break how you (and your partner) play in your matches. When you’re playing in a rec game, a few minutes of dinking may be enough. But for a tournament, you want to give yourself the best chance.
Brings Snacks And Water
While you’re not allowed to bring outside food like a full meal, you should pack plenty of nutritious snacks to replenish your energy between matches. There are usually water stations where you can refill your water bottle.
Some matches may go longer than others. The first match is played up to 3 games if both teams win a game. So while you may win your first match early, you may still have to wait around for the team that you will be playing next. Since you don’t know how long the tournament may take based on you and your team’s performance and other teams, it is smart to be fully prepared.
Anticipate Bad Calls
On tournament day, there may not be a referee who will be at your match. Referees are normally volunteers and some tournaments may not get enough of them, especially for non-pro matches. That means you and your opponents are expected to play fair with integrity.
This also means that everyone playing must be clear with their line calls. Be confident when you call a ball out. Similarly, anticipate that there may be bad line calls made by both sides. If your team and your opponents’ teams cannot move forward, you can request a referee.
If In Doubt, Ask The Referee
While not all matches may not have a referee, if you happen to have a referee on your matches or you moved up enough in the brackets, you can ask them whether a call was correct. For example, if your opponents called a ball out, you can ask the referee if the call is correct.
While referees may not be allowed to make calls themselves, if a call was made, and you ask, they can confirm or deny if the call was correct. If you’re playing doubles and you and your partner are stacking positions, it can be easy to lose track of who’s serving or receiving. If you’re not sure who’s supposed to be doing what, ask the referee so that you and your team do not lose a point.
Pay Attention To Your Next Match
If you’re moving on from your previous match, the tournament will either text you for when and what court your next match is. Or they will announce it over the intercom.
There are many games going on at the same time so you can watch matches in between your games. But make sure that you’re checking your phone often or are listening to the announcements. You don’t want to miss a match and not get to move on in the tournament.
Stay Relaxed
There is a lot of excitement and adrenaline rush during sports tournaments. You may even find that your nerves have worked up way more than you expected. Playing sports competitively requires a lot of mental preparation and control. You will be in an unfamiliar place, playing with unfamiliar people.
The key to playing as you have in your home court is to stay relaxed. While that may take more effort than can be said, work on cues that will allow you to stay relaxed. You will have much more fun that way.
Last Tips
As with anything you may look forward to, make sure you’re getting a good night’s rest. This is especially important if you’re traveling from out of town. A good night’s rest is essential to making sure you’re able to relax and give your body a chance to do its best.
While it may be cliche, the most important tip for your first pickleball tournament and all future tournaments is to have fun. Entering and playing in pickleball tournaments costs a lot of money. You don’t want to have to spend the time and money it takes just to beat up on yourself, be nervous, or be upset at the result.
Read Also: Entering A Pickleball Tournament? What You Should Know Before Signing Up