Kathi has been co-admin of the Chittenden-Franklin County region for several years. We were surprised to consistently find it on our list of most active regions despite Vermont's small size. We asked Kathi a few questions about her experiences with the site, and more about her local community.
 

How long have you been playing pickleball?

I started playing in 2018. A local Rec Department offered lessons for beginners. Five of us signed up. We had the best time and of course we all got hooked! Then in 2019 I escaped the cold Vermont winter to attend a pickleball camp in Arizona. That was a real eye opener! Watching pro players teach finesse, strategy and patience was a great experience.

When did you first join PlayTime Scheduler as a regional admin?
In Spring of 2019 our local group was looking for a way to manage the endless emails bouncing back and forth while trying to set up games. This is when I came across the Playtime Scheduler. It seemed like the perfect solution and the price was right. Since someone had chosen Southern Vermont as their territory I picked Northern Vermont. At this point I was thinking no one would ever use this program but us. We started with 1 location and 35 users. Fast forward to 2022 and we have reduced our territory to two counties and now have 1,095 users. Pretty amazing for a small state like Vermont.

How would you describe your local pickleball community?

Welcoming! I’m happy to see seasoned players scheduling sessions specifically for newbies. These volunteers have been offering their time and expertise, at no charge, for all who are interested in learning to play. This helps grow our pickleball communities which in turn should help us build the case for more indoor courts. There’s no year round outdoor play here. Even the hardiest souls tend to give up when the temperatures start dipping below 50.

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

Go for it! The program is easy to use and doesn’t take much time to administer. But if you’re really pinched for time there’s always the option of sharing duties with a co-admin. That’s what we do here and it works well. Bottom line: this tool really improves communication and the players in your area will thank you for implementing it.