Last weekend the Door County Pickleball Club hosted their annual Summer Social gathering at Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay where over 100 Pickleball club members attended.

 Part of the festivities included presenting the award for the 2023 Steve Schmelzer Sportsmanship Award. This award goes to the person that received the most nominations from their peers for demonstrating one or more of the following traits during the outdoor Pickleball season. These traits include kindness, integrity, sportsmanship, encouragement, positive attitude, and teamwork.

Over 20 nominations were received for nearly a dozen different Door County Pickleball players. Guy Fortin received the most nominations followed by Honorable Mention winners Barb and Brad Nikles, and Monica Lauscher.

Jay Renstrom, President of the Door County Pickleball Club stated, “The social aspect of Pickleball is what the sport thrives on and to receive this award is a great honor”. Some of the nominations for Guy included, “he is always encouraging a does so much for all of us”, “Guy is always there when something needs to be done”, “Guy ensures everybody has the best experience possible”, “Guy demonstrates a positive belief that playing Pickleball should be relaxing, fun, and to not worry too much about the shortcomings with their game”.

For more information about Door County Pickleball, please go to: https://www.doorcountypickleball.com/