Capital Area Pickleball Association
Serving Dane County Wisconsin

The 2025 Madtown Pickleball Open pickleball tournament is scheduled to take place at Wyndham Hills Park in Sun Prairie this summer from July 11-13. The organizers of the tournament have reached out to the Capital Area Pickleball Association and to me, your humble Pickleblog writer, to ask if we might be able to provide a few volunteers to help out in various capacities at the tournament.

In exchange for your willingness to volunteer, you will receive the following perks:

•  One waived bracket fee for this year’s tournament ($15 value)
  (credited after volunteer shift completion)
• A volunteer shirt & swag bag
• Complimentary snacks and hydration

Now that I have your attention, here are the volunteer roles that the tournament organizers need help with on all three days of the tournament:

• General Float: Assist tournament directors in organizing, tracking, and executing athlete awards. Temporarily relieve court monitors for bathroom or water breaks. Deliver water and help keep water jugs full for athletes and volunteers.
• Court Monitor: Make sure scores are entered correctly and submitted after each match, provide new balls upon request, keep pace of play going by limiting excessive warm-up or standing around time, ensure athletes are on the correct courts once they arrive, etc.

To sign up for your preferred role(s) and shift(s), click this link.

Keep pickling!

DUPR stands for Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating and is designed to help players compare their pickleball-playing abilities relative to those of other players. A DUPR rating is based on actual match results, not guesswork.

The DUPR rating scale goes from 2.0 (beginners) to 8.0 (pickleball experts). As you improve, your rating climbs higher, serving as a tangible measure of progress.

DUPR uses a complex algorithm to determine your skill rating. DUPR has disclosed certain elements that go into calculating its ratings, however. These include:

•          Match Results: DUPR analyzes your wins and losses over time to calculate your rating, with more recent wins and losses being weighted more heavily than older ones. Also, every time you win a game, your DUPR rating will go up, and every time you lose a game, your DUPR rating will go down.
•          Opponent Strength: DUPR factors in the skill level of your opponents, so if you win against tougher competition (players rated at or above you), your rating will be boosted higher, and if you lose against a significantly weaker opponent, your rating will drop lower than it otherwise would.
•          Partner Strength: DUPR factors in the skill level of your partner when determining your DUPR rating, whether you win or lose a match.
•          Match Type: DUPR takes into account whether you are playing in a tournament or recreational play, assigning greater weight to tournament matches.
•          Score Margins: DUPR takes score margins (meaning the amount by which you won or lost a match) into account when assigning a given weight (up or down) to a particular match. Winning by a large margin increases your rating more than a tight match.
•          Frequency of Play: Consistently playing more matches over time leads to a more accurate and reliable rating. Players with more matches will see less fluctuation in their ratings compared to those with fewer matches.

The increasing use of DUPR in tournaments and even recreational leagues is based on the belief that more consistent and widespread use of DUPR can result in:

•          Fair and balanced play, helping players find equally skilled opponents for truly competitive games.
•          Better ability to track growth and progress as your DUPR rating steadily improves over time.

Now that you are ready to fully embrace the DUPR rating system and dive headfirst into this exciting world, you will have to create an account (if you don’t already have one). To create a DUPR account:

•          Visit the DUPR website at dupr.com or download the DUPR app from your favorite app store.
•          Click "Sign Up" and enter your personal information, including your name, email address, and phone number.
•          Verify your account via the confirmation email or text message.
•          Note that your default DUPR rating when you first set up an account will be 3.5.

Once you have a DUPR account, you will want to start entering scores to get a more accurate rating for yourself! Sometimes, tournament directors, league organizers, or club managers will do this for you automatically. If you want to enter scores manually during recreational play, however, here is how you would go about it:

•          First, make sure all players are okay with having game scores entered into DUPR. It can be a sensitive subject for some players, so please approach the topic with caution.  

o   Note that for you to be able to enter the game scores into DUPR, all players must have a DUPR account.

•          Assuming everyone is onboard with the idea:

o   Log in to your DUPR account on the website or app.
o   Add your match results by clicking "New Match." Enter your opponent's name, match score, and other details. Your opponents will then be prompted to verify the scores.
o   DUPR will then calculate your (and everyone else’s) rating based on the data provided.

With your DUPR account and rating now set up, you will be equipped to play in most leagues and tournaments out there! Get ready to embrace the journey, challenge yourself, and grow as a player. Happy pickling!

The Capital Area Pickleball Association (CAPA) is excited to announce that it now has an online store that is open for apparel orders featuring CAPA’s official logo!

A great selection of clothing is available, including:

•          Short and long sleeve T-shirts
•          Full-zip lightweight sweatshirts for women
•          ¼-zip sweatshirts for men
•          Shorts
•          Caps

Orders placed by Saturday, May 18th will be ready for pickup or home delivery by June 10th.

If you choose to pick up your order, you can do so for free at Top Promotions, located at 8831 South Greenview Drive in Middleton.

If you prefer to have your order shipped directly to your home, shipping fees will apply.

To show your CAPA pride, click here to place your order today!

Keep pickling!

Are you tired of arriving at your favorite outdoor public pickleball courts with friends you want to play with, only to find that all the courts are taken? Did you know that you can reserve some of the outdoor public courts to ensure that you have a court when you arrive? Not all the public courts let you do this, and sometimes there is a difference in cost for residents versus non-residents, but here are some parks where you can reserve a court in advance:

Middleton:

• ·         Taylor Park: 5280 Bishops Bay Parkway

Reservation Website: https://middleton.recdesk.com/Community/Facility?type=14

Cost: $5.00 for Middleton residents, and $7.50 for non-residents for 2-hour time blocks.

Additional Information: Courts 1-4 are available to reserve in 2-hour time blocks. Reservations can be made 5 days in advance now through the end of October 2025.

Fitchburg:

• ·         McGaw Park: 5236 Lacy Rd.

Reservation Website: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/fitchburg/reservation/landing/search?locale=en-US&resourceType=0&equipmentQty=0&equipmentEventTypeIds=20&facilityEventTypeIds=20

Cost: $10 for Fitchburg residents, and $15 for non-residents for 1-hour time blocks.

Additional Information: Courts 2-8 are available to rent. Reservations can be made 7 days in advance now through the end of October 2025.

Verona:

• ·         Harriet Park: 414 Mary Lou St.

Reservation Website: https://secure.rec1.com/WI/verona-wi/catalog

Cost: Free for Verona residents, and $10 for non-Verona residents for 1-hour time blocks.

Additional Information: Courts 1-3 are available to reserve. Reservations can be made for the same day, now through August 2025. Non-residents can reserve up to 2 hours in one day, 2 days a week. Residents can reserve up to 3 hours in one day, 3 days a week.

• ·         Veteran’s Park: 113 Lincoln St, Verona, WI 53593

Reservation Website: https://secure.rec1.com/WI/verona-wi/catalog

Cost: Free for Verona residents, and $10 for non-residents for 1-hour time blocks.

Additional Information: Courts 1-6 are available to reserve. Reservations can be made for the same day, now through August 2025. Non-residents can reserve up to 2 hours in one day, 2 days a week. Residents can reserve up to 3 hours in one day, 3 days a week.

Cross Plains:

• ·         Baer Park: 2620 Church St.

Reservation Website: https://crossplains.activityreg.com/selectfacility_t2.wcs

Cost: $10 for Cross Plains residents and $20 for non-residents for 2-hour time blocks.

Additional Information: Courts 1-4 are available to reserve year-round. Reservations can be made for the same day.

Madison:

• ·         Garner Park: 333 S Rosa Rd.

Reservation Website: https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/pickleball

Cost: $6.00 for both Madison residents and non-residents for 1-hour time blocks.

Additional Information: Courts 2-6 at Garner Park are available to reserve year-round. Same-day reservations are available.

Note that there are also several Madison parks with tennis courts that are lined for pickleball that you can reserve. These include:

• ·         Brittingham Park (829 W Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53715)
• ·         Door Creek Park (7035 Littlemore Dr, Madison, WI 53718)
• ·         Elver Park (1250 McKenna Blvd, Madison, WI 53719)
• ·         Heritage Heights Park (701 Meadowlark Dr, Madison, WI 53714)
• ·         Kennedy Park (5202 Retana Dr, Madison, WI 53714)
• ·         Nakoma Park (3801 Cherokee Dr, Madison, WI 53711)
• ·         Norman Clayton Park (6402 Piping Rock Rd, Madison, WI 53711)
• ·         Northland Manor Park (902 Northland Dr, Madison, WI 53704)
• ·         Olbrich Park (3527 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53714)
• ·         Reindahl Park (1818 Portage Rd, Madison, WI 53704)
• ·         Reynolds Park (810 E Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703)
• ·         Richmond Hill Park (6117 Cottontail Trl. Madison, WI 53718)
• ·         Tenney Park (402 N Thornton Ave, Madison, WI 53703)
• ·         Walnut Grove Park (202 N. Westfield Rd. Madison, WI 53717)
• ·         Waunona Park (5323 Raywood Rd, Madison, WI 53713)
• ·         Westhaven Trails Park (3020 Cimarron Trail, Madison, WI 53719)
• ·         Westmorland Park (4114 Tokay Blvd, Madison, WI 53711)
• ·         Wexford Park (1201 N Westfield Rd, Madison, WI 53717)

To reserve a court at any of these Madison parks, you would go to https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/pickleball. The cost would still be $6 for one hour of play.

If you know of any other outdoor public pickleball courts that allow online reservations in the Greater Madison/Dane County Area, please feel free to post that information in the comments.

Keep pickling!

Is there a middle schooler or high schooler you know who would like to play pickleball this summer? From June 10-July 29, every Tuesday evening, there will be youth pickleball happening at the Wyndham Hills Courts in Sun Prairie! Middle schoolers (6-8 grade) will play on Tuesdays from 6-7:30 pm, and high schoolers (9-12 grade) will play afterwards, from 7:30-9 pm! It will be a combination of learning skills and playing games. Prior racket sport experience is preferred but not required. Registration is free! More information can be found in the Sun Prairie 2025 Rec Connection.

Registration is open to everyone! You don’t have to live in Sun Prairie! Parents and guardians can initially register their kids at https://rec.cityofsunprairie.com/1085/Parks-Recreation-Forestry. After the first week, registration for subsequent weeks will be handled through playtimescheduler.com.

Happy pickling!

Madison residents may recall that six tennis courts closed in May 2024 at Vilas Park. This was due to the city’s risk manager deeming them unsafe for play, due to significant cracking and weed growth. The courts there currently have no nets, and fencing prevents anyone from entering.

However, pickleball players (and tennis players) should take heart, because the courts are scheduled for full demolition and replacement! In fact, the Vilas Park master plan calls for the six prior tennis courts to be replaced with four tennis courts, four dedicated pickleball courts, and a basketball court as part of a new outdoor sport complex (the existing basketball court would be removed).

There is, unfortunately, no timeline as of yet being contemplated for completion of the Vilas Park master plan. Before the Vilas Park master plan can be implemented, the cultural resources plan will have to be approved by the Madison Park Commission, according to Madison Parks Public Information Officer, Ann Shea. The planning, design, and construction work for any improvements at Vilas Park will follow the guidelines identified in the cultural resources plan.

Many pickleball players are enthusiastically embracing Minor League Pickleball, the latest exciting format for league and tournament competition! Minor League Pickleball (MLP) is an innovative round-robin team competition where groups of 4 players (2 women and 2 men) are broken into divisions (based on their combined DUPR rating) to compete against each other in four games (2 gendered, 2 mixed). More information about MLP can be found here.

Previously, Madison did not have anything like MLP. Those who were interested in this style of play had to travel to other cities, including Lake Geneva, WI, or Loves Park, IL. Things are about to change this summer, though!

In partnership with the Capital Area Pickleball Association (CAPA), there will be three MLP-inspired pickleball leagues happening this summer on (probably) Monday, Tuesday, and (definitely) Thursday evenings at Pickle Pro Courts at 2907 North Sherman Avenue in Madison and at Hitters Tennis and Pickleball Club at 3170 Deming Way in Middleton. The leagues will be DUPR 12, 14, and 16 (meaning that all players’ DUPR levels on a given team cannot substantially exceed 12, 14, or 16 when added together).

The leagues will be for CAPA Members only. Links to register for the leagues will go out to CAPA members in early-to-mid May. If these leagues sound like fun and you are not currently a CAPA member, there has never been a better time to join! The cost to join CAPA is only $15/year. You can join CAPA by clicking here. Keep pickling!

Madison may soon be getting two new indoor pickleball facilities! At an April 7, 2025 meeting, the Madison Plan Commission heard two requests to approve conditional uses  for new indoor pickleball facilities to move forward, one on the east side and one on the west side of the city.

Dill Dinkers: 5004 Tradewinds Parkway, Madison, WI, 53718

This indoor pickleball facility would go into a portion of an existing multi-tenant industrial building on Madison’s east side. This pickleball facility would contain 10 courts, office space, and a retail shop. It would occupy over 26,000 square feet of the building. The site would have 65 parking stalls and there would also be street parking available along Tradewinds Parkway. In addition, this facility would also be accessible by bike and bus. The proposed hours of operation would be seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. If all goes according to plan, this facility is expected to open in September 2025.

Court and Cork: 8701 Blackhawk Rd., Madison, WI, 53717

This indoor pickleball facility would be constructed from scratch on Madison’s west side. This facility would be a one-story, 31,000 square-foot building. There would be 10 indoor courts and one outdoor court. It would also contain a restaurant-tavern (with a full bar) inside the building, as well as an outdoor eating area located along Blackhawk Road. A parking lot with 76 stalls would be located behind the building. The indoor and outdoor pickleball courts would be open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant-tavern would be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, and the outdoor eating area would have the same operating hours as the pickleball courts. If all goes according to plan, the building is expected to be substantially completed by Summer 2025.

Assuming the weather cooperates, the first outdoor Pickles and Beer of the 2025 Pickleball Season will be at McGaw Park this Friday, April 4, from 4:30 pm – 8 pm. McGaw Park is located at 5236 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg, WI, 53711.

Pickles and Beer is a social gathering of pickleball players of all ages and ability levels that meets every Friday night of the year. During the warm-weather months, the event is held outdoors at McGaw Park in Fitchburg, and during the cold-weather months, it is held indoors at Princeton Club East in Madison.

Pickles and Beer was started in 2022 by Erin and Dan Schettler, who have graciously volunteered their time to run the event for three years now! Pickles and Beer is jointly supported by both the Capital Area Pickleball Association (CAPA) and the City of Fitchburg. You don’t have to be a member of CAPA or a resident of Fitchburg to attend.

Each week, the event draws anywhere from approximately 40-100 pickleball players. If you would like to attend, you are encouraged to RSVP in advance on playtimescheduler.com, but doing so is not required. Feel free to just show up! Pickles and Beer provides an excellent opportunity to meet and mix with other players socially and play some pickleball! Picnic tables are provided, but table seating is limited, so feel free to bring your own lawn chair or canvas chair to sit on. Please also feel free to bring and share beverages and snacks (which should be consumed outside the court area).    

Once you arrive, you will see a whiteboard with dry erase markers in different colors attached to the court fence. The whiteboard is divided into many boxes. The different colors of markers correspond to different levels of player ability. You just write your name in a box with other players of similar ability levels, and as soon as a court frees up, you go out and play a single game to 11 (win by 2) with the other folks whose names are written in your box. Since all 8 courts are used for Pickles and Beer (and since 4 additional courts are expected to be added at McGaw Park this summer), new players move on and off courts fairly quickly. This prevents anyone from getting too bored sitting out. But, while you are sitting out, you can eat, drink, and mingle with new friends!

So, please consider this your invitation to join us at a Pickles and Beer event at McGaw Park on a Friday this spring or summer. I can practically guarantee that after you come to one, you will come to more! Keep pickling!

As pickleball continues to gain popularity, new innovations are emerging to cater to the evolving needs and interests of players. One such innovation is the foam pickleball, and the current best-selling foam pickleball on the market is the Gamma Librarian Foam Pickleball. This ball is designed to mimic the size, weight, and bounce of a traditional plastic pickleball but offers a quieter experience. Let's take a closer look at its features, pros, cons, and the types of players who might benefit from using it.

The Gamma Librarian Foam Pickleball is made of soft, high-quality foam, offering a unique playing experience compared to standard plastic pickleballs. Its design ensures quieter and softer gameplay, making it an attractive choice for noise-sensitive environments, such as outdoor courts located close to houses, as well as indoor courts with soft wood flooring that could be damaged by hard plastic pickleballs. Let’s explore this ball’s pros and cons and see how well it stack up in terms of performance and player preferences.

Pros:

1. Quieter Play: The foam material significantly reduces noise, making it ideal for players who want to practice without disturbing neighbors or others nearby.

2. Versatility: Suitable for both indoor and outdoor play, the Librarian ball can be used on various court surfaces, including wood and concrete.

3. Lower Risk of Damage: Its soft foam construction minimizes the risk of damage to walls or floors when practicing indoors.

Cons:

1. Different Feel and Sound: The foam material may take some getting used to for players accustomed to the feel of traditional plastic pickleballs. Sometimes, the ball’s flight path is also different from a traditional plastic pickleball’s, depending on the amount of spin or wind. Players will also notice that they don’t hear that familiar “popping” sound when the ball hits the sweet spot on their paddle. It can take a while to get used to not having audio feedback to know if you hit the ball solidly.

2. Reduced Speed: The foam design may result in slower gameplay, which might not be preferred by competitive players.

3. Higher Price: As a specialized product, Gamma Librarian Foam Pickleballs are slightly more expensive than standard plastic pickleballs.

Which Players Might Prefer the Librarian Foam Pickleball?

1. Beginners: Its slower speed can be beneficial for new players who are still developing their skills and reaction time. It can also be useful to help new players who are working on their volley skills and coming up to the kitchen line more, because even if a volley is hit directly at them, the ball will not hurt if it makes contact with their body.

2. Indoor Players or Those Who Play in Densely-Packed Neighborhoods: Those who primarily play indoors or in noise-sensitive environments may better appreciate the ball's softer and quieter nature.

3. Casual Players: Those who enjoy a more relaxed game may find the Librarian ball's softer feel and slower speed appealing.

Which Players Might Not Prefer the Librarian Foam Pickleball?

1. Competitive Players: Those focused on speed and competitive play may not prefer the ball's slower speed and different feel.

2. Long-Timers and Traditionalists: Players who have been playing a long time and/or who value the feel and performance of traditional plastic pickleballs might not be inclined to switch to a ball made of a different, foam material.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Gamma Librarian Foam Pickleball offers a unique and versatile alternative to traditional, plastic pickleballs, particularly for players seeking quieter gameplay and a softer feel. While it may not suit competitive players or those looking for a more traditional gaming experience, it provides a novel option for those in noise-sensitive environments or who enjoy a more casual game. As pickleball continues to evolve, innovations like the Librarian ball help cater to a diverse range of players, audiences, and their preferences. Click here for more information on the Gamma Librarian Foam Pickleball. Keep pickling!