- June 3, 2024
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Mala Magic won the men's doubles 50+ 4.0 title at the Florida Pickleball Leagues' state championships and is headed to nationals. Back row: Tony Scirbona, Dan Delevante, George Carlone, Larry Mackey, Todd Emery and Bobby Cabaniss. Front row: co-captain Steve Jacobovitz, Tommy Boone and captain Ken Schwamb. Not Pictured: Richard Gaskalla and Alan Mandell. Courtesy photo
Fit 2 Dink won the women's doubles 55+ 3.0 division at the state championships at Pictona at Holly Hill: Back row: co-captain Rita Lewis, D'Arcy Pitts, captain Sau Chin, Micki Perna, Rhonda Wells and Jean Doyle. Front: Patrice Ambuter and Terry DuRoss. Not pictured: Sherri Sanders. Courtesy photo
The Droppers and Dinkers mixed doubles 55+ 4.0 team won state but their category is not contested at nationals. From left: Dave Turco, Julie Claude, Kathy Whartenby, Scott Furman, Kelly Coyne, Greg Garber and Polly Faux. Not pictured: Tony Scirbona and William Medlin. Courtesy photo
When Dave Turco was asked to organize a team pickleball league in Flagler County late last year, he knew there would be interest, but the numbers of players who quickly signed up went far beyond his expectations.
The Florida Pickleball Leagues formed a league in Flagler and a league in Volusia counties this past winter. Thirty teams of 10-12 players in Flagler and 22 teams in Volusia participated in women’s, men’s and mixed doubles on various competitive levels.
In their first year, two Flagler County teams won at states and advanced to nationals.
“We had 286 people (sign up) in Flagler,” Turco said. “We started thinking about it near the end of November. The league officially started at the end of January, so we only had eight weeks to get it together. It really surprised me how many people came together to play in the league.”
The team of Mala Magic won the 50+ men’s doubles 4.0 level title at the Northeast Florida regional (Flagler and Volusia counties) on April 13 and the state championship on April 28 at Pictona at Holly Hill. The 11-member team will compete at nationals on Sept. 12-15 at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
The Fit 2 Dink team won the 55+ women’s doubles 3.0 level title at regional and state and will play in the Las Vegas national tournament on Oct. 2-6.
“We’re all excited,” Fit 2 Dink captain Sau Chin said. “We just love having this experience. Only one of our players played in competition before (co-captain Rita Lewis). We’re all improving our skill.”
Both teams play their home matches at the Malacompra courts at Hammock Community Center Park. The Flagler teams play on all the courts in the county, including, recently, the new Southern Recreation Center courts, Turco said.
Turco’s 55+ mixed doubles 4.0 team, Droppers & Dinkers, also won at state, but the National Team Pickleball League does not have a 55+ age group for 4.0 mixed doubles.
Ken Schwamb, the captain of the Mala Magic, said he didn’t know what pickleball was when he moved to Palm Coast from Kentucky three and a half years ago. Now he has started teaching pickleball at Flagler Technical College.
Turco has been playing pickleball for about four years.
“The sport is just exploding,” he said. “It’s just remarkable to see what’s happening. It’s a great community. Even if you’re a novice, people are always willing to invite you to play.”
