Shuffleboard players are preparing to gather in Hemet for the 2016 California Shuffleboard Association Soboba Classic Team Tournament followed by the National Any Doubles Tournament.

This is the tenth annual competition hosted by CSA Hemet District 7 with the Soboba Foundation and Soboba Casino as principal sponsors. More than a dozen players who have attended all ten years will be honored for their participation at an awards banquet on March 25 at Valley Wide Recreation and Park District’s Valle Vista facility.

The Classic will run from March 21 through 25, followed by the National Any Doubles Tournament from March 28 through March 31.

CSA Soboba Classic Team Tournament Chairman George Hayes has been playing the game for eight years and is a member of the Golden Village Palms Shuffleboard Club, one of the sites chosen for competition.

“I like the competition, meeting new people and making friends, as well as the social activities,” Hayes said.

Hemet venues and addresses for the week are: Hemet Municipal, 800 E. Latham St.; Hemet West Mobile Estates, 5001 W. Florida Ave.; Seven Hills, 3050 Jacaranda; and, Sierra Dawn Southeast, 1050 San Marcos Dr. Golden Village Palms is at 3600 W. Florida Ave. The any doubles tournament will be played at Hemet West Mobile Estates only.

As tournament chairman for the first time, Hayes said 288 players are signed up to play on 18 teams that have 16 players each. He said a captain’s meeting on March 20 will determine the exact play schedule and finalize paperwork and rules.

He works closely with the other 11 committee members to ensure a fair competition and a fun time for players, guests and spectators who are more than welcome to attend.

“Playing in a tournament it is a serious time, while for fun you are in a more relaxed atmosphere,” said Hayes, of Hemet. “We have local players as well as players from all over the United States and Canada.”

The California Shuffleboard Association was organized in November of 1959 and is affiliated with the National Shuffleboard Association, Inc. The purpose of the non-profit and non-political association is to promote interest and play in the game of shuffleboard for the greatest possible enjoyment by the players. Hemet District 7 has 350 members.

Some of the things members do to accomplish the association’s purpose are to encourage the construction of shuffleboard courts; provide member clubs with instructions on the care and upkeep of courts and equipment; and to keep member clubs supplied with copies of the latest Official California Shuffleboard Rules and its Manual of Instructions for Court Officials.

Another important role of CSA members is to promote, sanction and supervise official championship tournaments to be played pursuant to its Tournament Regulations, and give official recognition to the winners as well as do other things “consistent with the stated purpose of the association so that more and more players will get more and more pleasure, relaxation and healthful exercise from the game of shuffleboard.”

It’s not too late to sign up to participate in the tournaments. Interested players can contact Hayes at 658-6503 or 522-6805.