POOR PUBLIC RELATIONS

PICKLEBALL BEGINNERS SENIORS CLASS TURNED AWAY FROM TAX P[AYER FUNDEDCOUNTY REC CENTER GYMNASIUM

The incident in question involved six (6) Senior Center registered members, and students in the Beginners Pickleball Instruction Class, I, the undersigned, was the sixth member, and “Certified Pickleball Coaching Instructor” for that class.

It should be noted that the Community Center Indoor Gymnasium was open and occupied at the time of my arrival at approximately 11am, but the “staff offices” were closed for the Holiday.

I entered the building and I was greeted by the Staff Member on duty, The Staff Member informed me that he had received a phone call from his supervisor, informing him that “he” cannot allow any members of the Pickleball Beginners Class to use the gym for their normal Monday Instruction Class, scheduled for 11am to 12:30pm.

The Staff Member said that he was informed by his supervisor , that the Senior Center“ had not renewed the date and time usage permit for the Beginner Pickleball Class, and if any Beginner Class members would show up they are not allowed access to the gym.

I explained to the Staff Member I had contacted the Director of the Senior Center, in the latter part of last week, and verified that the “Permit” had been renewed. The Staff Member decided to contact his supervisor, and let me speak directly to that person.

I asked the Supervisor to "temporarily lift this restriction and allow the six seniors present, who were unaware that they would be turned away at the door, to use the gym for our class?" The Supervisor said "no" and would not discuss this matter with me. The conversation was ended without any resolution.

I believe that a last minute “good faith concession” could have been made to grant the six SOSC members access to the gymnasium. This adverse action was based solely on paper work glitch, without any prior notification to the seniors involved, who in turn, experienced gross inconvenience, and unnecessary humiliation by being denied access to a tax payer funded County Recreation Center.

These seniors were the innocent victims of “poor decision making.“ The seniors involved are owed an written apology from whoever made this decision to deny access to attend the Senior Center Pickleball Instruction Class on January 15, 2018.

It would be consistent with good public relations practices by the County Recs and Parks Department, Regional Park Community Center to immediately restore, without further delay or paper work glitches, and any more inconvenience or humiliation to seniors pickleball players from the , the Seven Oaks Senior Center Beginners Pickleball Classes on Mondays, 11am to 12:30pm, indefinitely to compensate for the disservice and disruption of a Senior Recreation Instruction Activity.

I am sending this incident report to the Director of the Senior Center, for what ever action is deemed appropriate. My sole objective in this matter is to provide professional pickleball instruction to seniors and the public at large, to protect the rights of pickleball players, and to represent and promote Pickleball throughout the State of Maryland and the United States of America.