Along with being a PTS admin and President of the Loudonville Pickleball Organization, Darla has been a fundraising force when it came to raising over $140,000 to build new outdoor courts in her town (which finally opened just a few days ago). Along with the usual donation drives, local pickleballers recently came together for "StromboliPalooza 2023" – making and selling 750 stromboli in just 6 1/2 hours. Yum! Congratulations on your new courts, Loudonville! We asked Darla a few questions about her experiences.

How long have you been playing pickleball and where did you learn to play?

I learned to play in Ft. Myers, Florida from a family member. I began to play regularly in May of 2022. My husband and I read the book, Pickleball for Dummies and highly recommend it to other beginners. We also like to watch short videos online on how to improve our game. I tend to watch the professionals play on TV or online and try to focus on watching one player play their game and learn from that player.

When did you first join PlayTime Scheduler as a regional admin?
I believe my colleague, Vicky Stephenson and I became regional administrators in December 2022 when it became necessary to coordinate play sessions for our organization.

How would you describe your local pickleball community?
Our players are a fun and welcoming group ranging in age from 8-80. We have become a close-knit family. They have been extremely generous with their time, talents and finances to the tune of our organization and community recently raising funds to build five new outdoor pickleball courts.

What advice would you give to a new region considering setting up a PlayTime Scheduler?

I would encourage them to look at other locations and see how they set up their region on the website. I would also talk to other administrators first and ask them for any advice and or pitfalls. I would suggest that at least two people be on the admin account to cover for each other when needed. And I would suggest that you be a Power User so you can have the additional benefits of the Admin.