Open Letter To Our Members posted in the October 15th Newsletter: Hello fellow Pickleball People and Aspiring Pickleball BC Association (PBC) Board Members!! Given our 2024 AGM is just around the corner and planning for FY 2024 has started, amongst other things we have established a Board Nomination Committee. The Committee is reaching out to our members for applications from qualified nominees (see below) who are interested in being elected to and serving on our Board of Directors at our upcoming February 2024 AGM. We know you love this sport and we are hoping that you are looking forward to giving back to our provincial pickleball community in a meaningful way – can we join forces to help in that endeavor? A few points about our PBC Board of Directors and its current needs:
We love this sport and as you know, it is continuing to grow exponentially everywhere in the province. We now have over 16,000 PBC members with a forecast of 20,000 in 2024. As a result we now need more help on the Board, or as a contributor, assisting us in delivering programs and services to our members. What a great way to give back! To learn more about this opportunity, please contact us at boardnominations@pickleballbc.ca by email and tell us a little about yourself, your qualifications and how you can help. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best Regards, PBC Board Nomination Committee The Canadian e-platform Pickleball Today is having a contest to name Canada's Best Pickleball Club 2023. Voting open until October 15th!!! A preliminary round resulted in 12 finalists - three of which are from B.C. - Vernon Pickleball Association, Richmond Pickleball Association, and White Rock Pickleball Association. The current standings for the top 6 are:
Given the popularity of Pickleball in B.C. and the number of our members as compared to other provinces it only seems right that one of B.C.’s clubs should receive the recognition granted through this contest! Voting is live now and will end October 15th - one vote per device/machine (IP address). Vote your heart or vote strategically – but vote – it only takes a minute. Click on the link below (or copy and paste it into your browsers URL, then hit enter), then scroll down to the Association logo (it should appear raised when your mouse scrolls over it) and click on the logo to cast your vote. You do not have to be a pickleball player to vote, so feel free to share with your friends who know how much you love pickleball. You will be asked for your email address and first name to ensure there is no "double voting" taking place. https://pickleballtoday.co/cbpc-final-vote-2023/?fbclid=IwAR0TzGgkCsbU2Is8 ZCgvo8LGL5PyiRBZifoOWhsTXnCjC6lm6OcwweegHXg This link first shows an odd page but in a couple seconds you will get a redirect. September 29th 2023, Vancouver BC - Court Planning and Operation Guide released: The overall purpose of the PBC Guide is to provide a guideline for a fair and consistent approach to court development and usage for outdoor pickleball play for clubs and the public. While the focus of this document is on outdoor play, some of these principles apply to pickleball when played indoors as well. The British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA), a not-for-profit organization, plays a central role in leading the enrichment and improvement of the quality of life of British Columbians and their communities. BCRPA does this by championing the power of recreation and parks. One of the Sections of this Guide address the issue of noise and quieter environments and the acoustic investigation carried out by PBC, BCRPA and a 3rd party consulting firm: "The sounds of pickleball have been recognized as a significant issue in recent years. There are circumstances where these sounds can be an irritant in residential neighbourhoods. PBC, with the support of BCRPA, engaged an acoustic consulting firm in the spring of 2022. The objectives were twofold: perform a series of equipment noise tests both in a laboratory setting and real game situations; and, in conjunction with the noise testing and the consultant's prior work, develop a mitigation report/guideline..." The full report/Guide can be read here and also posted under 2023 Reports. PADS (Pacific Assistance Dog Association) and Pickleball BC Team Up For Province-Wide Tournament20/9/2023
CTV Vancouver, September 20th 2023: Today PADS and Pickleball BC announced their plans for a Province-wide Tournament on April 20th 2024. See the CTV news broadcast here. At a news conference held Wednesday, September 20th 11:00am PDT at the beautiful Robert Burnaby Park in Burnaby BC, Walter Knecht President of Pickleball BC welcomed everyone: "I am very pleased to have you join us as we introduce the first annual PADS Pickleball BC Charity Pickleball Tournament event, scheduled for April 20, 2024... We probably all have dog stories – stories of their personalities, their empathy and their undying love. With training, many dogs can pull all these traits together and be of great service to individuals with a wide variety of life challenges. PADS is one great organization – taking on the task of not only training these wonderful companion animals but matching a dogs personality and skill with an individual in need. I and the Pickleball BC Board of Directors are in awe of the work and dedication required and wholeheartedly are throwing our support behind the PADS organization. And therefore our joint province-wide pickleball tournament... Furthermore – [one] legend has it that pickleball drew its name from the founder’s family dog. So how could we resist!" Pacific Assistance Dogs (PADS) breeds, raises and trains fully certified assistance dogs. Our service (mobility & PTSD) and hearing dogs provide life-changing independence to those with disabilities. Our accredited facility dogs work with community professionals such as teachers, RCMP and psychologists to help support healthy communities.PADS is a fully accredited member of Assistance Dogs International. Pickleball BC and PADS are planning for every community and club in BC to join in with their own tournament or event, so please save the date now: April 20, 2024. We expect to have registration open province-wide by Jan 1 2024. And with our membership size now 15,000+ strong - and we will be open to non-members to join us – we expect thousands to play for PADS that day. Burnaby Pickleball Club and Hollyburn Country Club have already committed, so please do so soon by replying to Walter Knecht President PBC's email announcement and request for expressions of interest! For more on this story, please go to Cornelia Naylor's comprehensive article in Burnabynow here. Pictured above from the left: Cadence getting ready to play; Walter Knecht President PBC with a PADS Lab (the PADS dog won); rest time; and Walter, Dave Snell (PBC Board Member) and the Buraby Pickleball Club with PADS staff and their remits Hollyburn Country Club (HCC) of West Vancouver held their Dinks and Drinks MS Charity Tournament September 15 - 17. David Snell (PBC Board Member) was the Tournament Director, while Tim MacVinnie did all the hard work managing the successful tournament (again) - and Mother Nature was kind! MS Canada was represented by Nadia DiSpirito, Coordinator, Community Fundraising MS BC, and Jan Snell member of Hollyburn. On behalf of MS Canada Nadia said "That’s an amazing total donation that you and your event attendees were able to raise at your Dinks and Drinks MS Charity Tournament, on behalf of the MS cause!! Thank you so much, for raising the $5,000. Your efforts help to shape the present and future of those living with MS. We truly appreciate you taking your passion of pickleball, and creating an opportunity to raise funds for MS." The end result from the Tournament and onsite donations is that the HCC Pickleball Committee will be donating $5,000 to MS Canada to help them find a cure for this disease. Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. Currently there are over 90,000 people living with MS, with approximately 12 diagnosed every day. Other facts of note:
Various Medal Winners in Front of the Pickleball BC (PBC) Booth Jane Mundy, British Columbia Magazine Fall Issue 2023: "If pickleball mania has reached your community it’s likely that you already know a picklehead, or pickler, as they fondly call themselves. Possibly it’s the kid next door or your grandparents—there’s no age barrier. Maybe you play: Pickleball is Canada’s fastest growing sport and BC accounts for nearly one-third of all the registered pickleball players in the country." In fact Pickleball BC (PBC) membership is at an all time high of 15,000+ members and growing as fast or faster than any other Province - but that's just us saying so! Read the full article here [Editor's Note: Rob Irving Past-President (not President) of Vernon PC's quote was attributed to Walter Knecht, President of PBC] The Washington Post, September 4th, 2023 by Jaclyn Peiser: "The pickleball craze overtaking recreation centers and repurposed tennis courts across the country is ushering in major shifts in the retail landscape. Running stores are stocking up on pickleball shoes. Walmart has tripled its shelf space for paddles, balls and other merchandise. Start-ups like Picklemall are turning ailing malls into indoor courts... The rise of professional circuits and breakout stars like 16-year-old Anna Leigh Waters — who has endorsement deals with sportswear brand Fila and paddle maker Paddletek — only add to its appeal. Pickleball participation surged 85.7 percent in 2022, year-over-year, and 158.6 percent over three years, according to The Sports & Fitness Industry Association." “Pickleball is a real unicorn sport … in that you don’t find a sport that comes around that has mass participation appeal as well as mass retail appeal,” said Adam Franklin, president of Franklin Sports. Read the full article here. Anna Leigh Waters Continues Her Reign Atop the Pickleball World - Atlanta PPA Open Updated Monday August 28th to include new open link to story in the Globe Sports section: Today (Saturday Aug 26th) the Globe and Mail published an article titled "Pickleball in a pickle: Plan to form national organization thrown into disarray" by Simon Houpt. Walter Knecht, President of Pickleball BC, stated "trust many of you have seen and read it. If not, it is worth the 5 minutes. The story is told from a slightly different perspective than the one I gave over the last 10 months but for the most part the article is factual. The G5 arguments were and still are - Pickleball Canada is about and for the members. I maintain frequent contact with several of the new Board members and have confidence that the value in and for our members is high on the list of criteria as a rebuild is carried forth. Your support over the last year is greatly appreciated. I believe the results will be beneficial to both us as players and the sport in general". Flipboard posted the following Globe and Mail story intro and picture below also today: "Pretty much everyone involved in the Great Canadian Pickleball Revolt of 2023 agrees that things just kind of spiralled out of control. The problems began, as they often do in realms where the stakes are small and the personalities large, with personal sleights that are probably unintended...And before you know it, the governing elite of pickleball in this country has been thwacked, with 16 directors leaving the Pickleball Canada board – which currently has only 17 seats – over the past nine months, throwing into disarray a years-long plan to become a national sport organization (NSO) officially sanctioned". Read the full article now posted in the Globe's Sports section here. Steve Deakin plays at the Pickleball Canada National Championship at Queen City Pickleball Hub in Regina on Aug. 23. HEYWOOD YU/THE GLOBE AND MAIL Pickleball Brackets registrations show that 629 athletes along with 250 volunteers will visit Regina, Saskatchewan to be part of Day 1 of the 2023 Pickleball Canada National Championship's starting Tuesday, and to be held through August 27th. Pickleball Canada also announced previously that "Myoflex® will be the title partner of the Pickleball Canada National Championships from 2023 through to 2025". This announcement took place in Markham, ON, home to Exzell Pharma Inc., with national and local media, as well as City of Markham dignitaries, Mayor Frank Scarpitti and councillor Isa Lee, with local pickleball players in attendance.... "The title partnership for the National Championships further deepens the Myoflex® and Pickleball Canada relationship, with Myoflex® having been previously announced as the official topical pain relief of the organization, and an official partner of the Pickleball Canada National and Regional Championship tournaments for 2023 through 2025." RED DOG VISUAL is producing the live stream (4 championship courts) that will be streamed on YOUTUBE and via CBC. Bookmark the below streaming links so you can watch the live feeds, or the recordings so you can go back and watch your favourite players! YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChS9A-wicTiLAYOFjJXuVrw CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2251794499924 Estha Parg Murenbeeld, President On Behalf of the North Shore Pickleball Club August 19th 2023: "Tragically, a much-loved member of our community collapsed at the courts after a pickleball game and, despite immediate, competent and compassionate care by the people present, passed away. We will never know if he could have been saved; however, the club has committed to being better prepared for any future emergencies. Thought we’d share our process in case its of any use to another club." The need for AED's is outlined in a timely fashion in the open letter Estha published as a guideline for other Clubs. According to a Health Canada, “Early access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation (1 to 3 minutes after cardiac arrest) is vital. These actions may increase the chance of survival by 75% or more.” Please read this important message posted in this PDF here. |
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