February 2026 Habersham County Pickleball Club
- Feb 17
- 3 min read
The 2026 DINK YOUR HEART OUT TOURNAMENT DETAILS BELOW.
But first let's look to the future and.... it's here. The "everybody in the pool" format we used for the DINK event revealed some new developments in our club.
First, the newer players are advancing quickly.
Next, our more experienced players are focused on improving their doubles play and skill development as the '26 outdoor tournament season begins.
So, now is the time for the "newer" players to begin identifying their leaders; those peeps who will read the rules and watch YouTube videos (YouTube provides great videos on shot making, tactics and strategies). Drill leaders do not have to be the "best" players, they only need to be dedicated to learning the game and organizing activities. If you are uncertain or wish to be guided through this process, contact any Board Member for assistance. We want you all to succeed !!
WE ALL GOT HEART
OUR CHAMPIONS
MICHELLE WIGGERS
PAUL LEET
Our Runners Up
Rachel Delise
David Juhasz
DINK YOUR HEART OUT RESULTS ARE IN
Despite a strong challenge from Austin Elliott and Tiffany Elliott in the semifinals, our 2026 Champions, Michelle Wiggers and Paul Leet survived and then battled from behind to defeat Rachel DeLise and David Juhasz for the honors. Forty-eight players participated in the fun and fund-raising event designed to allow players to "strut their stuff" by randomly mixing players of varying skills. It's a cliche' but everybody wins, including Habersham County which received our donation of an AED for the Diamond Memorial baseball field. This brings the total to five AED devices we have donated to the county from registration proceeds.
Thanks also to those who donated serviceable footwear and canned goods as well.
RULES CLUES:
Playing Doubles with Injured/withdrawn Partner
2026 Rule: 21.C.9 Match Retirement. A match retirement is imposed when a player is not able to continue play after the 15-minute medical time-out period expires. A player may use their available standard time-outs to allow more time before the match must be retired (Rule 21.A.4).
In doubles, if the retiring player's partner decides to continue, the match will resume following all applicable rules. The retiring player must leave the playing surface.
Reason for this change: There are situations where a player on a doubles team may need to retire from the game, but the partner is able to continue to play. The partner may continue to play provided all rules of the game are followed. The retired partner is not allowed to return to the game or match.
The remaining players must remain in their original playing positions, which is starting server and rotation. If the retired player should have been the server or receiver, a fault will occur. When the opposing team serves to the court that would have been occupied by the retired player, the serve must still be legal and in 13 2026 USA Pickleball Rulebook Change Document the correct service box for the point to count. If the retired player is the one who should be serving, an immediate fault is called after the score is announced. A 10-second serve count is not required.
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PICKLEPALS IS BACK Starting Thursday 2/19 from 9:00am to 11:00am, the PicklePals drill and play group begins the season. Experienced players play with, against and coach newer players. This highly interactive and skill developing training is FREE and FUN. To register please go to our website and sign up. First Come/First Serve.
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PICKLESHAM PALOOZA
Our premier event of the year, Picklesham Palooza, will be held on May 1&2 at our courts. A great tune up for the upcoming tournament season and an opportunity for new tournament players to gain experience in a familiar "home field" environment. Registration is now open at PickleballBrackets.com.
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LAUNCH OF YOUTH LEAGUE Our Austin Elliott is starting a league for area youth (9-14 years). The new league will operate from White County Rec Center starting April 3rd and run through May10. Cost is $70. For more info, please go to www.launchpickleball.club.
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HCPC Board
Our next Board meeting will be Wednesday, March at 12:30 in the Meeting Room in the Aquatic Center. There is time on the agenda for your thoughts and suggestions. As always, we welcome you to join us.
And that will be enough of that.
John Bigelow
706-499-8588
