Northeast Washington Pickleball Association
Welcome to NEWPA! We're a friendly group of pickleball enthusiasts who love to play, compete, and have fun together. Come join us for a game!
Welcome to NEWPA! We're a friendly group of pickleball enthusiasts who love to play, compete, and have fun together. Come join us for a game!
NEWPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting pickleball in Northeast Washington. We advocate for pickleball as a means to enhance personal wellbeing and strengthen communities throughout Stevens County. We offer regular play sessions, clinics, tournaments, and social events for players of all skill levels.
Our Mission
To support the growth of pickleball in Northeast Washington by:
Official Club Sponsor
Selkirk SportBuy our merchandise to support the club
NEWPA Merchandise
June 1, 2025
Greetings everyone. This is Jeff Tetrick, your Northeast Washington Pickleball Association Vice President.
Hope you are having a good start to your summer! Hope you are getting out and playing lots and lots of pickleball!
Here is a little bit about the origin of the game we love so much:
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. They created the game to entertain their families during a summer vacation, using badminton equipment and improvised paddles. The three men, all dads, were looking for a fun activity to keep their children occupied during a summer vacation on Bainbridge Island.
· The Setup:
They had a badminton court and improvised using ping-pong paddles and a wiffle ball.
· The Innovation:
They realized the ball bounced well off the net, so they lowered it from 60 inches to 36 inches.
· The Rules:
They devised the rules for the game, heavily inspired by badminton.
· The Name:
Joan Pritchard, Joel's wife, is credited with naming the game "pickleball," possibly inspired by the term "pickle boat" in crew races or a dog named Pickles who loved retrieving balls.
· The Spread:
The game quickly gained popularity in the Pacific Northwest and has since spread across the country and internationally, with 48.3 million adult Americans saying they have played pickleball. That’s an increase of 311% over the past year, making pickleball the fastest growing U.S. sport.
It is an exciting time to be a pickleball player! New innovations in paddle designs and compositions have made even us recreational players look good! Recently, our fearless leader Lee Dunbar held a paddle workshop, and I hear through the grapevine that many attendees are looking to upgrade to a new Selkirk paddle!
This summer there are many special events being hosted by our club, and it’s professionals. Kathy Ballew just recently finished up a series of classes for beginners. They were held at the Colville branch of Spokane Community College, and helped sharpen the skills of many players!
As mentioned before Lee Dunbar has been teaching many clinics to help improve your game. Three upcoming events are:
Got to our website NEWPA.CLUB to find out more, and HEJA as well.
Also remember Kathy Ballew is organizing a tournament for Town and Country Days in Kettle Falls on June 6 and 7. Kettle Falls Town and Country Days
Pickleball Tournament - Happy Dell Park - June 6 & 7
Fun Friday Open Play - 4:00 - 6:00
Door Prizes!
No need to sign up
Round Robin Tournament Saturday
Beginner/Intermediate Players (Limited to 16 players)
8:30 ~ Check in and warm up
9:00-11:00 Games
Intermediate/Advanced Players (Limited to 16 players)
Noon ~ Check in and warm up
1:00 – 3:00 Games.
Tournament sign up on the
Swish App or email
kfpickleball@gmail.com
Door Prizes and Raffle!
On June 27 there is a field trip planned to Christina Lake B.C.. Contact Lee for more information.
On July 12 it is the Chewelah Picklefest, aligning with Chewelah’s Summerfest activities.
And I hear there is a major Tournament the weekend of July 18, 19, and 20 in Colville, coinciding with the new Yep Kanum Days!
For more information on any of these fun events, contact Kathy or Lee!
And remember, June is a good month to renew your membership. Just follow the instructions at NEWPA.CLUB. It is only $40 this year, so renew soon!
Remember to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen when playing this summer! Also, be courteous to new players. It’s not about winning every game, it’s about having FUN!
Take care pickleball peeps.
See you on the courts!
Jeff Tetrick
June 1, 2025
Volley Pickleball Clinic
Proper volley is an ESSENTIAL counterpart to the soft game. We will discuss, drill, and train 3 different
types of volleys. Your confidence at the net will improve and you will move from FEARING the banger to
FEEDING ON the banger… from blocking defensively to volleying offensively.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
To keep the number of attendees manageable, only the players who registered in advance will be allowed
to participate in the clinic. Class size is limited to 8 participants.
WHERE AND WHEN?
The outside Pickeball courts at Chewelah’s Golf and Country Club (www.chewelahgolf.com/sport-courts)
June 14, 2025 (Saturday) from 9:00 to 11:00am.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Dress appropriately for the weather, court shoes, paddle, water, clinic fee, and a good attitude.
Other equipment will be provided by the sponsors, Northeast Washington Pickleball Association (NEWPA).
WHO WILL BE THE INSTRUCTOR?
Lee Dunbar will be the instructor. Dunbar is a PCI Pickleball instructor and has played Pickleball for a
number of years, attended many camps, and has had individual lessons from pros. He is also a local
Selkirk Advocate for Pickleball and area USA Pickleball ambassador. He has been offering free
instructional sessions as well as paid private, semi-private and group lessons. You can email him
at lee.dunbar.pb@gmail.com. #selkirk, #selkirkadvocate
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
It’s free.
You can support NEWPA by joining as a member or making a donation at www.newpa.club
WHERE DO I REGISTER?
You can register on Heja team “Chewelah Pickleball Club”.
May 31, 2025
Free Beginner Pickleball Clinic
If you are new to pickleball and want to learn how to play this fun and social sport, join us for a free clinic.
The Northeast Washington Pickleball Association (NEWPA) and Selkirk Sports have partnered with Lee
Dunbar, a Pickleball Coaches International (PCI) member, to teach you the basics of Pickleball,
WHERE AND WHEN?
The outside Pickeball courts at Chewelah’s Golf and Country Club (www.chewelahgolf.com/sport-courts)
June 14, 2025 (Saturday) from 11:00am to noon.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Dress appropriately for the inside play, court shoes, paddle (if you have one), water, and a good attitude.
Other equipment will be provided by the sponsor, NEWPA.
WHO WILL BE THE INSTRUCTOR?
Lee Dunbar will be the instructor. Dunbar is a PCI Pickleball instructor and has played Pickleball for a
number of years, attended many camps, and has had individual lessons from pros. He is also a local
Selkirk Advocate for Pickleball and area USA Pickleball ambassador. He has been offering free
instructional sessions as well as paid private, semi-private and group lessons. You can email him
at lee.dunbar.pb@gmail.com. #selkirk, #selkirkadvocate
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
It’s free. You can support the Chewelah Pickleball Club by joining as a member or making a donation at
www.newpa.club
WHERE DO I REGISTER?
You can register on Heja team “Chewelah Pickleball Club” or by contacting Lee Dunbar at
lee.dunbar.pb@gmail.com or by phone at 206.972.9718
May 15, 2025
1. Change in BOD membership
a. President change
b. Treasurer change
c. Member at large change for Chewelah
2. Reports of Officers
a. Lee – past president and president now
b. Jeff – vice president report
c. Jim – secretary report
d. Jim – financial report
e. Kathy – member at large report
f. Dave – member at large report
3. Unfinished Business
a. Review 2025 goals and accomplishments to date
i. Filed for 501(c)3 organization with IRS
ii. Recognize new chapter – Loon Lake/Springdale, aka Lakers
iii. New website details (Zeffy, communications, membership)
iv. Limit PlayByPoint to support tournaments, if desired
b. New membership fees
4. New Business
a. Finalize 501(c)3
b. Establishment of committees
i. Nominations
ii. Information/Technology
iii. Social Activities
iv. Chewelah Chapter
5. Close Business
a. Agree on date of next general meeting
b. Agree to adjourn
May 10, 2025
North East Washington Pickleball Association (NEWPA)
Dear NEWPA members and friends, May 11, 2025
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Ladies in our Club that have kids in your life. Your positive influence on them makes a difference.
Your NEWPA Board has been busy since our ANNUAL MEETING working on the execution of our goals that were established. Please take the time next Sunday afternoon, 5/18/24 at 1pm at the Chewelah Court Center, or at 3pm at the Colville Jeff Weeman Memorial Courts, to attend our first Anniversary Member Meeting and social round robin. The intent of the meeting is to update you on club happenings and solicit your input as to how the club should grow in the coming year. Please bring your own chair, weather protection, and your continued support for the club.
The club now has 123 members from all over Stevens County as well as Spokane, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties and 250 followers (members and friends). As our club grows, so do the opportunities. I can envision having more places to play, more clinics, better competitive play, larger tournaments, and being able to attract larger corporate sponsors. What do you want to see in the club’s future? Check out our new
website at www.newpa.club to see the latest happenings and how to connect to local chapters. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me or any other board members.
Organized Play Schedule Summary – Details found on Heja with chapter team IDs found on website.
Events Schedule Summary
Watch Heja for various local chapter (team) events as they become available.
Pickleball News in the Area
Global Pickleball News
Our club’s first year is upon us. I am proud of the club for being a supportive member of our community. I hope you are too. I’m hoping to see our club grow; get to know more of you and work together to make a stronger community for our families and friends. Your board has been committed to making our coming year a success, and I appreciate all of you. I’ll see you on the courts soon.
Lee Dunbar
President
$40 per year
985 S Elm St, Colville, WA
Heja Team Code: WS-888514
500 N 4th Street, Springdale, WA
Heja Team Code: RJ-104311
4001 Maple Street, Loon Lake, WA
Heja Team Code: RJ-104311
243 Par Place, Chewelah, WA 99109
Chewelah play schedule has changed. Check out their Heja team for details. Now includes open, competitive and soft time plays.
Heja Team Code: CF-901771
425 E 3rd Ave, Kettle Falls, WA
Heja Team Code: JJ-185389
436 S Union Ave, Newport, WA. 99156
Heja Team Code: N/A
160 SW Railroad Ave, Wilbur WA 99185
Heja Team Code: N/A
Many of our local player communities use the free Heja phone app to chat with one another and view court schedules. To participate, download Heja and join in.
Questions? Want to join? We'd love to hear from you!
NEWPA - c/o Chewelah Pickleball Club
PO Box 407
Chewelah, WA 99109-0407
USA
About Zeffy
NEWPA uses Zeffy to handle credit card transactions.
Zeffy is a not for profit organization that pays the processing fees credit card companies deduct from your on-line donations. This means the Northeast Washington Pickleball Association (NEWPA) receives the full dollar value of your donation. To do this Zeffy asks for a voluntary "tip" that Zeffy uses to pay processing fees for thousands of not for profit organizations. Think of your Zeffy "tip" as a way of paying it forward to benefit the NEWPA and other charitable and not for profit organizations.
