by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, October 25, 2024
The Harvard Schools Parent-Teacher Organization held its second annual pickleball tournament fundraiser on Sunday, Oct 20. More than 40 teams competed on the tennis courts behind the Bromfield School, all vying for prizes.
The tournament ran for about four hours and included an advanced bracket and a beginner-intermediate bracket. Event organizer Dana Oliver said that approximately 50% of the teams were local to Harvard while the others were from area pickleball clubs. “We recruited on all the usual forums: Nextdoor, a sign on the Common and at the [Bromfield] courts, posted at the General Store and library,” said Oliver. “We then reached out to all the pickleball communities; Boxborough, Stow, Groton, and Harvard all have pickleball groups that get together.”
Former Bromfield tennis doubles partners Allison Jackson and Katie Kehrl compete in the intermediate bracket finals where they fell to the Pats. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Oliver’s marketing efforts paid off, both literally and figuratively. While the final numbers aren’t available yet, initial estimates indicate an approximate $1,000 raised for the PTO. “Typically, you have to be a parent, caregiver, teacher, or staff member to participate in [PTO] events,” said Amy Nutt, PTO president. “There is a lot of community interest in pickleball, and after a successful event last year, we decided to make this an annual event. It continues to be a fun way for us to engage with a broader audience, and raise money.”
The sunny, warm morning on the courts was something to relish. The bright fall hues of red, yellow, and orange on the trees served as a colorful backdrop. The satisfying sound of balls hitting paddles pickled the fancy of spectators and players.
The puns were almost endless. Team names like the “Day Dinkers” (a dink is a type of play in the game), “Shut Up & Dink With Me,” and “Carpe Dinkum” peppered the bracket whiteboards set up to track the games. Large, inflatable pickles smiled at people with their cartoon faces when they checked the leaderboard for stats.
Team Groton Country Club won the advanced finals and procured free memberships to Marcus Lewis Tennis Center in Acton, donated to the PTO for this event by Marcus Lewis. John Weber of Westford and Phan Nguyen of Harvard have been playing pickleball together in Groton, but this was the first tournament they’ve participated in together. “It took us some time to get used to the court,” said Nguyen, who has two children in the Harvard Public Schools. “It’s a lot longer, and the net is a little bit lower, but it’s great fun.”
From left, pickleball tournament winners Phan Nguyen and John Weber pose with runner-ups Amy McGovern and Carin Hershenow.
The intermediate bracket had two teams that performed really well, The Pats and The Jacksons x 2 took down their early competitors with ease. The teams faced each other in the final match, sweaty and tired after playing for hours. The Pats, who were undefeated, were a father-son duo from Chelmsford. Dad, Ratu Pathak, and son, 11-year old Arav, who took on The Jacksons x 2, two former Bromfield tennis champs, sisters Allison Jackson and Katie Kehrl.
“This was my first time back on these tennis courts since high school,” said Kehrl, who graduated in 1999 and now resides in Cotuit.
Unfortunately for The Jacksons x 2, the Pats took the win. Arav, the only child participant in the tournament, beamed with pride accepting his prize of pickleball gear, provided by the PTO.
“As an organization, we’re trying to do events that help bring the community together and also raise money for the schools,” said Nutt. “Our next event is ‘Running to Class,’ a 5-kilometer race and 1-mile fun run on Nov. 17 at noon. It’s a great event for families and open to the public. The proceeds of all our fundraising efforts help sustain the $25-$35K in grants we give to the schools annually.”