HAGERSTOWN – David Nycum was a man with many passions.
He loved his wife, Debbie. He was a steadfast advocate of Hagerstown’s YMCA. He was dedicated pickleball player.
And as luck would have it, all three had a common thread.
Nycum met Debbie at the “Y” through friends who set up their blind date in 1988. It just so happened that’s where Nycum participated in a number of sports, leading him to becoming a pickleball aficionado.
Now, even after his 2020 death at age 63, Nycum’s thread remains stronger than ever.
The David L. Nycum Memorial Pickleball Tournament and Scholarship keeps them all in sync. The fifth annual edition of the event will be held Sept. 11-14 at its new and bigger venue, the Hagerstown Field House.
“This tournament was started because Debbie and David met through the YMCA, and she wanted to do something to honor his memory,” said tournament volunteer Tom Wheeler. “He was quite a pickleball player. He helped everyone (at the “Y”) get started in pickleball, so we thought it was appropriate to have a tournament named in his memory.
“We do this to raise money to build a scholarship fund. Every year since 2021, a recipient – who is a member of the “Y” who is going to school and needed help – is provided a scholarship.”
The scholarship is available to graduating junior and senior applicants with connections to the “Y” as an employee or a team, program, class or activity member or is related to a “Y” family member. This scholarship has helped recipients go to Wake Forest, Hagerstown Community College, Villanova and Harvard in the first four years.
“They don’t have to go to a college. They can use it to go to a trade school,” Wheeler said. “We just want to help kids in our area who are part of the Y.”
The tournament’s popularity and a hope to add scholarships allowed the tournament to grow and move from “Y” to Hagerstown’s newest indoor sports center.
Honoring a legacy
Nycum was on the ground floor of the YMCA’s pickleball movement.
Besides playing successfully, he served on a committee overseeing the installation of the “Y” outdoor courts. The present six indoor courts were added later.
When Nycum passed away, former YMCA CEO Maria Kramer lobbied for donations to create seating for the outdoor courts named in his honor. She also asked Debbie Nycum to organize a memorial tournament.
The tournament grows and continues to fund a perpetual endowment for scholarships.
Now, tournament officials have set their sights higher.
Wheeler admits he never met Nycum, who died before he moved into the area. But as an avid pickleball player himself, he knew of his reputation.
Nycum was known as a competitive player, who medaled in many tournaments, while qualifying twice for the National Senior Olympics. He was also listed on the Professional Pickleball Registry as a certified coach.
“I never knew him personally, but from what I’ve heard from those who knew him and his wife, he would be very, very pleased we are doing this,” Wheeler said “He’d probably think he doesn’t deserve this, but he does.
“All that knew him say he was the nicest guy, and he was always helping new people learn the sport to become involved. I think he would be happy that we’re doing this and the money is going to help further somebody’s education.”
Nycum Tournament 2.0
Plans for the fifth-annual tournament have advanced to a new level.
For starters, the move from the “Y” to the Field House provides more space, while trying to add more than one scholarship.
“Traditionally, that’s all we’ve done. It’s been rather small but growing,” Wheeler said. “This is why it is so important because it offers the ability to twice as many people compete, allowing us to raise twice the money. We are trying to raise as much money as we can to put into the endowment so this can go on year after year. If (the tournament) gets bigger, we can offer more scholarships.”
With the move, the tournament will offer 12 pickleball courts, double of what was available at the “Y.”
Wheeler said past tournaments had a limit of 180-190 players. Organizers are hoping to reach 400 entries this year.
“I got involved because I knew the tournament was getting bigger each year, and we were surpassing the ability to host it,” Wheeler said. “I made some contacts at the Hagerstown Field House, which is brand new. I met with them and, in talking to them, we decided to move to that facility.”
The move will add a convention-styled component to the tournament, while offering a wider range of competition.
The opening day of the tournament weekend, Sept. 11, will serve as an introduction to all things pickleball.
“We are going to have a demo day,” Wheeler said. “Everyone will be able to come in and try various paddles from different companies. We will have a skill competition – a fun contest where players will be able to use their games to hit targets – and they can get tips improving their game.
“In the evening, there will be a social, where for meeting and greeting people, with hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. We will also have a silent auction and a raffle. We have raised some money, and we are trying to raise more.”
Proceeds will go to the endowment fund.
There are also a number corporate and patron of sponsorship opportunities and packages available. Individuals can also make a donation to the scholarship fund.
Let the games begin
The three days of competition will be designed to give players the best competition.
“We offer age brackets and ability brackets,” Wheeler said. “This year, we are increasing (the competition) to add the local high school kids to play.
“We are trying to get the high school kids and the older kids to play in the tournament because it is growing among high schools. I think Montgomery County has started a recreation program. We are trying to put it in up here and get more people aware. (Pickleball) is the fastest growing sport in the United States. It’s the one sport that anyone can do and you can have a lot of fun and make a lot of new friends. It’s all inclusive.”
Entrants can register by age and skill level
The tournament itinerary is:
Tournament officials are hoping participants find that a trip here would be for more than just pickleball.
“A lot of people travel around the country looking for tournaments to go to and to do interesting things when they aren’t playing,” Wheeler said. “Hagerstown has a lot to offer.
“People don’t realize that we are right by Antietam and all the major battlefields. We’re not far from Frederick, which has its own history. We’re near Washington … so there’s a lot you can do if you are planning a vacation to come to this. We’re trying to support the area, support the “Y” and support the Field House as well.”
Players can register for the tournament at Pickleballtouraments.com and search for “YMCA” or “Nycum.” There is also a downloadable tournament flyer and weblink for the Hagerstown YMCA, along with directions are available.
The registration fee for the tournament is $45.
“They can choose to get a T-shirt, come to the party and get extra things, but we want to encourage everyone to play because the money is going to go for a really good cause,” Wheeler said.
David Nycum is gone, but his passion lives on.
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