12 days of Dinkmas
12 Ways to Celebrate, Give, and Play.
Stay Active, Give Back & Spread Joy This Holiday Season
A month of giving back, staying active, and celebrating our incredible community.
The holidays are filled with treats, twinkle lights, and to-do lists—but around here, we believe December is also for dinking, giving, and laughing together.
Join us for our 12 Days of Pickleball Cheer, running December 1–20! Each day celebrates a different way to get involved, give back, or just have some lighthearted fun on the courts. Complete as many as you can for a guaranteed holiday prize, plus an entry in our Grand Prize Drawing for every challenge you complete.
This season, let’s swap stress for smiles, sugar cookies for sweet shots, and gift lists for good times.
🕊️ 1. Community Cheer
Bring a kid or pet toy, food item, or used tennis shoes for our holiday donation drive (Dec 1–20).
We’re kicking off the 12 Days of Pickleball Cheer with what matters most—giving back.
🎁 Toys will go to local families in our community. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped in the donation boxes by the courts.
🥫 Canned food will support The Refuge Community.
🐾 Pet donations go to S.N.A.P. in Palo Cedro, where we adopted our kittens (You know how much I love animals…sometimes more than people 😜).
👟 Shoes: Last year’s used shoe drive brought in 17 pairs for local high school athletes, and we’d love to do even more this year. You’ve heard my speech on good footwear—it can truly change how someone plays.
We believe giving is the heart of the holiday season, which is why this comes first.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
👕 2. DNA Spirit
Play in your favorite DNA pickleball shirt at any event—or send us a photo!
Our DNA shirts have become a badge of community pride—and honestly, one of our favorite creative projects. We love seeing our courts filled with color, laughter, and players repping the club. Each shirt tells a story, and we plan to keep that going with a new design every season.
And for those who’ve been making their own (looking at you, Lisa 😄), next league will include shirts, so you can finally retire the DIY version.
💜 Shameless plug: We’ve made some fun holiday pickleball shirts you can check out here! We’ll also be selling them (and other goodies) at the Bethel Bazaar on December 6th—stop by, say hi, and explore all the amazing local gift options for the holidays.
If you have ideas for future designs, favorite fabrics, or shirt styles you love, let us know! This is your community—and we want you to wear it proudly.
🧥 3. Ugly Sweater League Night (Dec 3 & 4)
Wear your ugliest Christmas sweater to league night!
We haven’t done this one before, but we all know you’ve been waiting for the chance to showcase that ugly Christmas sweater you’ve been saving all year. My mom thinks half my sweaters are ugly—which is probably why I’ve kept them so long. 😆
There’s nothing quite like the look of disappointment on a mother’s face during the holidays (moms, they’re so abused). Even if your sweater jingles, blinks, or lights up like a Christmas tree and you can’t actually play in it—just show up for a quick picture! We wanna see it!
🎄 We’ll even have a small contest for “Best Worst Sweater”—because some fashion crimes deserve recognition.
Below are some of our favorites.
🍪 4. Sweet Treat Showdown
Bring something tasty to share at any December event.
Cookies, pies, pumpkin bread, or even something from a local shop —it’s the thought and the sugar that count. Sharing food is one of our favorite ways to connect and celebrate the season together.
Don’t worry, you’ll burn it off while you play. 😉
If you have a healthy option too, we’ll give it a try... I guess. My sister makes an amazing gluten-free cinnamon roll—not healthy, but “healthier.” And while we’re on the subject of sweets, Emily’s new cookie company has our full support (and sweet tooth)! Do you have a favorite local sweet spot? We’d love to try it.
And if your dessert disappears in record time, we expect the recipe! Bring a copy to share or snap a photo so we can keep the holiday magic going.
🎁 5. Holiday DUPR Day (Dec 13, 9AM–12PM | $20)
Unwrap a higher DUPR score—and some festive competition.
If you’ve never played in one of our DUPR Days, here’s what they’re all about: it’s a fun, social event where every match counts toward your official DUPR rating (your dynamic pickleball score that tracks your progress). You’ll get matched with different partners and opponents, so every game feels fresh and keeps you improving.
This is our final DUPR Day of the year, and we’re going out in holiday style—festive tunes, sweet treats, and hot cocoa on the sidelines. It’s the perfect mix of fun and friendly competition.
And if you have friends or family who haven’t played yet, this is the perfect day to bring them along! We’ll be hosting a Learn to Play session from 10–11AM during DUPR Day so they can join the fun, too.
🎾 6. The Gift of Pickleball
Bring a newbie to play with us at any event!
We’ve taught hundreds of people this amazing sport, and even if we never see them again, it’s exciting to know they’ve gained a skill they can use for the rest of their life. My mom, sister, brother-in-law, aunt, uncle, cousin, in-laws, and plenty of local friends have all been some of our students over the years. We’ve taught people the sport at Redding Parks and Rec, Shasta College, YMCA, local schools, summer camps, and anytime we find a nearby court with friends.
It’s such a joy when family or friends come home for the holidays and you have a shared hobby that gets everyone outside, laughing, and moving. In fact, research shows that people who play a racket sport can extend their life by up to 10 years—so when you introduce someone to pickleball, you’re not just teaching them a sport… you’re enriching their life.
There’s truly no better gift this season.
💪 7. Jingle All the Way Clinic (Dec 16, 6–8PM | $30)
If you’re going to eat the sweets, make sure you get in your sweats. 😄 You don’t want to start the new year trying to lose the Christmas pounds—but you also don’t want to say no to all those yummy treats!
Come burn off those pies on your thighs and have some fun with us. We’ll mix in upbeat music, creative drills, and fast-paced games to keep your heart rate up and your energy high. It’s one of our fun (and sweaty) events of the season—and the perfect excuse for another cookie after. 🍪
😈 8. Naughty List
Hit someone with the ball? Take a photo with your “victim.”
Don’t worry, “nice” people—I never said it had to be hard. I hit Damon almost every time we drill fast hands. I’m not trying to hit him, and I never hit him in the face—that’s his (our) money maker. 😆 I’m just trying to make his hands faster. Really, I’m just motivating him. You’re welcome, Damon.
(Please don’t say that to your next victim.) Take a photo together, laugh it off, and wear your Naughty List status proudly.
🎅 9. Santa’s Court: Sleigh Mr. & Mrs. Claus (Dec 17 & 18, 5PM | $15)
Challenge Mr. & Mrs. Claus (a.k.a. Damon and Amy) to a festive match!
We’ve never done this before, but since league just wrapped up its 10 weeks, we figured—why stop now? You already have this time set aside for pickleball, so let’s keep it rolling through Christmas!
What better way than taking on Mr. and Mrs. Claus themselves (yep, that’s us 🎅🤶). Show us what you’ve got! Beat us, and you’ll win a prize. Lose, and… well, you’ll still get a workout, a laugh, and a great story to tell.
🎁 10. Pickleball Gift Swap (Dec 1–20)
Send us a photo of your favorite pickleball gift you gave—or got.
We’ve seen (and given) just about everything over the years—paddles (still the best gift), bags, plates, cups, hats, socks, signs, coasters, and shirts. Whether it’s practical or just plain funny, we want to see your favorite pickleball-themed gift! It might spark ideas for the rest of us.
Don’t worry—we’ll make sure the recipient doesn’t find out before Christmas. 😉 Need some inspo? Here is a list of pickleball gifts we recommend.
🥂 11. Joy to the World
Pickleball has changed our lives and we want to know what it has done for you. Send us a short video, photo, or text about how pickleball has made your life better (or worse 😆). We love hearing your stories—how pickleball has helped you meet new friends, stay active, and find joy on and off the court. You can send your story, photo, or video anonymously if you’d like—it all reminds us what makes this community so special.
We feel so grateful that we got to stay in Redding and be a part of this amazing community. We almost moved so we could coach tennis again, and we’re so glad we didn’t. I’m so thankful that I get to work, play, and compete with my favorite person. I’ve got to play tournaments with my childhood friend, Molly (who’s dad used to be the Tennis Director at Riverview, small world). She is my favorite woman to play with. I also got to reconnect with my college tennis coach, Mattias Johansson, who is the #1 in the World for Men’s Singles! Lastly, taking members of our community out of the country for pickleball retreats is the highlight of my year. Getting to grow this program and share the court with all of you has been one of the best gifts we could ask for.
Before our final celebration, we want to take a moment to reflect on what makes this all so special—you.
🌍 12. Deck the Balls (Dec 20, 10AM–12PM | Free)
Dinks, Drinks & Holiday Cheer — our grand finale celebration!
And now for the grand finale — our favorite way to wrap up another year of fun, laughter, and pickleball joy!
We’re closing out our 12 Days of Pickleball Cheer with one big morning of fun, food, and festive chaos—just the way we like it! 🎅🎾
Join us for casual open play, Christmas music, and plenty of holiday laughter. Dress festive—ugly sweaters, Santa hats, or full-blown elf outfits encouraged—and come celebrate another amazing year together.
We’ll have hot cocoa, yummy treats, and lots of holiday spirit on and off the court. This event is free and open to friends and family, so bring the whole crew for one last rally before Christmas!
Thank you all for making this such a wonderful community to be part of—we couldn’t imagine ending the year any other way. 💚
✨ How to Play
Pick up your Pickleball Passport at Riverview or download it online.
Each completed challenge earns you a stamp and entry into our Grand Prize Drawing.
Complete all 12 to receive a guaranteed holiday prize!
Scan the QR code on your passport anytime to return to this post for full details.
🎅 Keep Dinking Through December
This season, don’t let your holidays be all drinks and desserts—fill them with movement, laughter, and community. Invite your friends and family to play, share your moments online, and stay connected through every serve, volley, and sweet treat.
From all of us at The DNA Club, thank you for making this community so special. We can’t wait to see what we’ll build together in 2026.
From The DNA (Damon and Amy) Club,
Happy Holidays & Merry Dinkmas! 🎄
