The citywide pickleball tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska, is making quick changes to its schedule due to a heatwave expected on Saturday, 21st June. With temperatures set to reach triple digits, organizers decided to cancel all afternoon matches to keep players safe from extreme heat.
Fast Changes for Player Safety
Lisa White, vice president of the Pickleball Association of Lincoln, said that weather can always be unpredictable when planning events in Nebraska. “When you plan a tournament, you usually try to plan months in advance, and we all know in Nebraska, you can’t always predict the weather,” she said.
To adjust, the team worked quickly to rearrange the matches. “We quickly had to retool and think of some alternative solutions,” said Lisa White.
New Plans and Locations
To make sure all teams still get to play, organizers added a third venue, Peterson Park, to the tournament. This helped make up for the lost time from afternoon matches and kept the tournament schedule on track.
Pickleball player Lance White shared that his team had to change their approach after the new schedule was announced. “You have to decide who’s going to be where and who’s going to play who because it’s a team tournament, not just two individuals playing against each other,” he said.
Preparing for the Heat
Athlete Heather Terry, who has run marathons in hot weather, is thinking about joining the tournament. She stressed the importance of getting ready ahead of time. “It can be really draining,” she said. “But I think as long as you are prepared beforehand and have eaten the correct things and drunken enough electrolytes, you can probably do pretty well for yourself as long as you’re prepared.”
The event will go on as planned in the morning hours, allowing players to stay safe while still enjoying the tournament.
News in Brief: Citywide Pickleball Tournament
Lincoln’s citywide pickleball tournament is adjusting to a heatwave by canceling all afternoon matches. Organizers added Peterson Park as a third location to ensure all teams can play. Players are changing their prep routines to stay safe while still enjoying the competition.
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