Southern Pickleball presents the Third Annual It Takes Guts - Gastric Cancer Foundation Fundraiser Pickleball Tournament. This will be an exciting event to have fun and raise money and awareness for the Gastric Cancer Foundation with our friend Hans Rueffert, a survivor of stomach cancer.

The 2024 It Takes Guts Pickleball Tournament is being dedicated to an active member of our pickleball family who recently lost his battle to stomach cancer, Don Plante. Don was planning on playing in the tournament and volunteering but succumbed to his disease August 2024. Friends who knew and loved him are heart broken. With the blessing of Don Plante's Family and in honor of his memory - we play for you.

To learn more about the Gastric Cancer Foundation, please visit https://gastriccancer.org/

To learn more about Hans Rueffert, please visit https://hanscooks.com/

The event will be three days (November 22-24) with the schedule below.

November 22 - Men's & Women's Singles

November 23 - Men's & Women's Doubles

November 24 - Mixed Doubles

We will be selling shirts to benefit the Gastric Cancer Foundation for an additional $25.00. Shirts are unisex and run larger than gender sizes specifically for women.

All matches will be played at in the climate-controlled Rome Indoor Tennis Courts.

Registration is $60 and includes one event. Additional events are $10

Competition each day may begin as early as 8:00 AM. Specific start times for each event will be posted and emailed to players approximately one week prior to the event.

As registration proceeds, tournament management reserves the option to combine brackets as needed if brackets do not fill. Brackets will be combined by age if possible to avoid combining skills.

Skills levels include 2.5,3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5+

Skill levels will be divided by age after registration is completed.

A team must play at the skill level of the higher rated player (or higher) and the age group of the younger player. Age is calculated as of 12/31/2024.

RATINGS

- DUPR ratings will be used when registering.

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You may register and identify your partner or request "Need partner". Selecting that you "need a partner" allows other players to see that you are available to play in the tournament. We do our best to introduce players that need partners, but this selection does not mean that the tournament will find a partner for you. It is still your responsibility to find a partner.

There are no referees. Matches are self-monitored. If a referee is requested, we will do our best to provide one.

Tournament Director reserves the right to make any changes at any time for any reason.

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Withdraw deadline is November 20th at midnight. Players may withdraw prior to midnight on November 20th for any reason and receive a refund minus a $20 administrative fee. After November 20th there are no refunds for any reason unless a player has purchased weather and injury tournament insurance. This is an indoor tournament. Weather and Tournament Insurance covers a player if the tournament is canceled due to weather or if a player or a player's partner must withdraw due to injury. Documentation might be required. Additionally, player registration fees may not be transferred to other players.

ALL REFUNDS will be sent within 7days after the tournament is completed.