Special Board Meeting Tuesday February 17th Constitutes New Board and Elects a President for FY 2024: Pickleball BC (PBC) convened a special Board meeting (minutes will be posted soon) to constitute its FY 2024 Board and elect a President given Walter Knecht, PBC founder and past President, stepped aside as President at the recent AGM (read Walter's Tribute here). The FY 2024 PBC President and 11 member Board as elected (or continuing their term of office) with currently assigned remits are as follows:
David Snell said "filling Walter's big shoes (literally) is a challenge but one that I need not attempt alone - we have a full complement of 11 Directors on the PBC Board now with their remits assigned. We are eagerly ready and willing to provide the services that our BC 100+ Clubs and a forecasted 20,000 members this year have come to expect, and are planning new strategic and tactical plans to expand our services in BC." With pickleball burgeoning in BC, Canada and elsewhere, amongst other issues PBC would like to prioritize and address in FY 2024 include but are not limited to: challenges in getting new courts to meet the increased demand experienced by our Clubs and communities; Government and sport association partnerships to benefit our members; purpose built programs to support our BC Clubs and members; designing and supporting inclusive intake programs like youth and players with disabilities programming; supporting BC's coaching, refereeing and information needs; "give-back" events and community and youth grants; and helping to expand pickleball's reach to all age groups. Meanwhile, let's get out there and participate!! PS: Sign up for your local PADS event April 20th :) From left (top to bottom on mobile): David Snell PBC President; PADS companions who may make guest appearances at your local PADS Event;
and, Walter Knecht and his doubles partner (at least for the picture) Ben Johns, world's number one mens player. Pickleball BC (PBC) AGM Tuesday February 20th 2024: Walter Knecht Formally Announces Stepping Back as President PBC Walter Knecht stepped back from the President's role at the annual PBC AGM last week, but will remain on the Board as a Director through his FY 2024 term. Given the number of initiatives we have in the works this year, including many of his own, this is welcome news! As Estha Parg Murenbeeld, President of the North Shore Pickleball Club (NSPC) aptly stated: "...over a period of 10 years, Walter has built a significant and lasting structure upon the foundations laid by earlier BC founders. BC pickleball players, today and in the future, are thankful for Walter Knecht’s abilities, passion and gift of time in the pursuit of pickleball excellence." As further mentioned on the NSPC website that Estha posted "when pickleball took hold of Walter in the summer of 2013, he insisted on taking us all along for the ride! Beginning on the North Shore, Walter organized indoor and outdoor play (2014), chaired the BC 55+ pickleball games (2015 in North Vancouver and 2016 in Coquitlam), started up and ran the North Shore Picklemania tournament (2016-2018) and established the very successful North Shore Pickleball Club (2017)." Here is a chronology of early "Walter Events" courtesy Kerry Strongman NSPC:
Rod Williams PBC Registrar said "I met Walter around the beginnings of PBC. I was pleased to be asked to work with him on a couple of early projects surrounding ratings and performance recording, before he approached me to get involved with the project to help birth a membership program for all Canadian Pickleball Players. Walter always has asked, expected and recognized that those working on any level of organization in Pickleball provide their best efforts. But we have always known that he has worked even harder than us. He has compiled a large list of successful accomplishments that have helped make our sport a success. And specifically he has helped our Provincial organization operate in a manner that has made us a respected part of our National Organization. He has never lost sight of who is really important in the Individual, Club, Provincial and National hierarchy of our sport, and continues to be a Champion for local organizations and members. As the Founder of Pickleball BC, he has left an indelible mark on our sport." Amongst other more recent accomplishments, these are a few that stand out to us:
Congratulations and thanks to Walter on behalf of our PBC Board of Directors and what we forecast will be our 20,000 members this year! We'll look forward to yet another year of accomplishments with Walter's continued assistance. :) From left (from top on mobile): Walter and a PADS companion; PADS Management and Burnaby Pickleball Club; Walter (his serious look); Provincials 2023 at Vernon Pickleball Complex; Walter with Ben Johns world #1 ranked mens player; PBC full court at the Vancouver Wellness Show 2023 and 2024 The Grand Forks Pickleball Group play pickleball outdoors all winter long: They clear the snow from the courts with a snowblower and shovels. Then they use squeegees and towels to dry them. It is pretty dry in Grand Forks so the courts often stay clean for days. Four ladies played outdoors on Jan 16, 2024 at -16°C. They play everyday at noon at Barbara Ann Park in Grand Forks. Usually there are 12-20 players each day. Evidence below and congratulations to the club/group with the best winter perseverance on behalf of playing pickleball in the province that we have seen so far!! The PBC Board wishes to visit them - this summer :) Yes actually snow blowers, shovels and squeegees - the pics are real!!! And bottom picture proves they are not just a winter club :)
North Vancouver February 8th 2024: Hollyburn Country Club (HCC) Pickleball Committee has donated $15,000 to various BC based charities over the last 18 months, and has continued with their "giving back" tradition today. Below, a cheque for $1,600 from their recent Bash N' Dasher event was presented to Family Services North Shore (FSNS). The event included a pro exhibition arranged by Tim MacVinnie HCC pro and included our very own Steve Deakin, a member round robin with the pros and a well-attended and enjoyed reception. HCC PC gave thanks to HCC for hosting, and all the volunteers and participants for their help and donations to FSNS which go to help approximately 2500 individuals in need on the North Shore through their programs and services. About FSNS Family Services of the North Shore is a non-profit, community-based agency. For over 60 years, they have been committed to making deep and lasting impact across the entire North Shore, from Deep Cove to Bowen Island and every point in between. They offer counselling, support, education, and volunteer engagement opportunities to help you reach your full potential throughout your life, whenever you need them most. Pictured above from the left are: Rebecca Telfer (FSNS); Dave Snell, Barb Soos and Jamie Dean (members of the HCC Pickleball Committee); Alison Sawers (HCC organizer of pickleball-themed donated products); and Amy Lynn Taylor and Mihira Appnender (FSNS).
$250,000 Capital Grant Provided to Vernon Pickleball Association FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Vernon Pickleball Association, Vernon BC, January 30, 2024: The BC Gaming Commission has approved a $250,000 capital grant to the Vernon Pickleball Association (VPA). These much needed funds will help with the construction costs for a reception centre as part of the VPA’s awesome OWA Pickleball Complex. The new reception centre called Herrmann House is dedicated to the late Wally Herrmann, a VPA founding member. The 2300 square foot building is attached to the existing 12 court pickleball enclosure located at Marshall Field in Vernon. The Herrmann House will add permanent washrooms, a registration area, meeting room, office and a footwear change area. The construction project is expected to be completed in early June. The Phase I outdoor facility cost $750,000 and opened in August 2018. In the spring of 2021, the VPA enclosed the pickleball courts to allow year round play. This Phase II cost a further $1,450,000. The Herrmann House final Phase III will cost close to $1,000,000 bringing the total facility cost to $3.2 million. Rob Irving, the grant application author, said “this last phase was required in part because the BC building code required us to have permanent washrooms integral to our building. Secondly, this very active club needs all the other components of the reception centre for its daily operation. With the rapidly increasing cost of construction, we could not complete all the essential components without the $250,000 cash infusion from the BC Capital Gaming grant. The funds are greatly appreciated. The thousands of volunteer hours by our talented members are also essential to the completion of this project and the on-going operation of the club. In addition to the volunteer hours, the VPA members have contributed an astounding $2.3 million via debentures (loans), donations, pre-paid club credits and through court fee & tournament revenues. Most of this funding was done when we had 400 members. Now the membership has ballooned to 1200!” Since 2017, local governments have provided $500,000 towards the project plus the City of Vernon looked after the project’s Development Cost Charges (DCCs). The end result is a tremendous community asset that will serve Greater Vernon younger and older pickleball players for decades to come. Currently 1200 club members and many public players enjoy about 100,000 pickleball playing hours annually in the OWA Pickleball Complex. It’s a busy facility operating 12 hours a day, 363 days a year. Pickleball is an amazing community building, inclusive social sport that is having a positive impact, both physical and mental, on a large number of people in our community. We sincerely thank BC Gaming for this timely funding contribution. The Vernon Pickleball Association was recently voted “Canada’s Best Pickleball Club for 2023”. In July of this year, the VPA will host the Western Canada Regional Pickleball tournament for over 600 of the best pickleball players from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC. Further information on pickleball, the Vernon Pickleball Association and the Herrmann House Project can be found at: www.vernonpickleball.com Further information on what makes pickleball unique can be found at: https://sportsedtv.com/blog/what-makes-pickleball-different-than-any-other-sport VPA Contact : Brent Bolin, President vernonpickleball@gmail.com. (250) 439-8376 Within five years, China may have 10,000 pickleball courts and 100 million players, according to Seymour Rifkind ("Rif"), US pickleball ambassador, as outlined in a recent The Dink Newsletter story quoted here: ‘Rif’ says in a recent Front Office Sports article that this was a pledge given to him from “top sports officials in China.” If Rif’s prediction is correct, that means China will have outpaced the United States in less than a couple of years, since the APP claimed only 36.5 million Americans played in 2022 (assume Canada is 10% - 15% of this or more?). Sure, America may have the upper hand in terms of total courts built already. But as Front Office Sports points out, China has a dozen cities with larger populations than New York…if pickleball does become popular there, they’ll be forced to build quickly. Imagine the wait times otherwise. China doesn’t just have the numbers to make it the most popular nation for pickleball, it has the engagement to match. According to the article:
Does this help pickleball achieve inclusion in the Olympics...if China’s interest in pickleball literally funds the sport’s future, how could we complain? Ben Johns in China; demonstrations in China like our PickleballBC upcoming Wellness Show Vancouver; and a DUPR competition Vernon Pickleball Association’s (VPA) New Officiating Program (also posted on Pickleball Canada's site here): The Vernon Pickleball Association (VPA) is located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The VPA is home to over 1100 members with 300 on the waitlist. In 2023 the association was voted the Top Pickleball Club in Canada by Pickleball Today, as covered by our story here. The VPA runs three one day tournaments and one three-day sanctioned tournament each year. Additionally, they hosted the first B.C. Championships presented by Pickleball BC in 2023 with 620 competitors. In order to successfully run provincials, they utilized 40+ officials. At the time the VPA only had three accredited referees. And so, in preparation for the 2023 Provincial Championships a referee training program occurred that resulted in the number of accredited referees in the VPA reaching 14 by the end of year. There were many bumps and bruises along the way, and lots of learning of what not to do! From this experience the VPA knew that it should create a referee training program that facilitated the development of new referees in a supportive environment in preparation for hosting the 2024 Pickleball Canada Western Canada Regional Championships 26 - 29 July, 2024. Starting in October of 2023 Richard Chambers the Tournament Director at the VPA recruited Shannon McClean and Suzan Ross (both Level 2 credentialed referees at VPA) as coordinators of the referee training program. As well, five Level 1 referees volunteered to act as mentors. On November 2, 2023, the program launched, and seventeen potential referees began training. During the first few lessons they learned the basics of the program such as how to hold a clipboard and how to call the score. These basic steps were taken slowly in order for the new referees to develop confidence in their abilities. From there they started to include the script and brought in time-out and game procedures followed by faults and most recently they introduced disciplinary actions and procedures. “Once people gained more confidence after the first few lessons people really started enjoying it and having fun. They started to realize the impact referees have on their club”, stated Suzan Ross one of the Coordinators for the Referee Program. Many of the referees in training have found this program to be very helpful and appreciate the steps the VPA has taken to create a supportive program that has built their confidence. “I am thrilled the VPA is holding a referee training program. They are making a huge effort to train new recruits for our organization, and they are taking their time to give us a better understanding of what it takes to become a new Referee”, said Ziggy Kreipe, one of the referees in training. This program has not only been a big help for new referees but also for the referee mentors as it puts their knowledge to the test in guiding the referees in training. It assists the mentors in keeping their skills fresh for tournament season. “It has been gratifying to see these trainees grow their skills so that they will be so much more prepared for tournament time. Plus, my own knowledge base has grown, and I too have benefitted as we discuss as a group the game procedures. In my opinion it’s a fun, casual learning environment that has and will benefit everybody”, said Referee Mentor Sandy Vaughan Hastie. VPA's magnificent indoor courts - waiting for the Western Regionals! The PADS charity event is taking shape – April 20, 2024! Expressions of interest have been received from more than 20 clubs across BC so far. Many are going to use their own tried and familiar registration system. Some will use the Pickleball Brackets tournament site that Pickleball BC (PBC) has set up. Some examples: the North Shore Winter Club is registered on the PBC Pickleball Brackets site and if you are going online to register, make sure that you go to the Winter Club "Events" that you wish to play in; Hollyburn Country Club is going with their own booking software which their members are familiar with. It's up to participating club or organization to do what is best for their members!! Walter Knecht, President PBC said: "If your club has not indicated to you that they are planning to participate – bug them, offer to help organize! It is more convenient to participate close to home. If your club is one of those lingering on the side still and you cannot move them – organize 4 or 20 of your friends. Pick a place to play. And one last important point: those who are not Pickleball BC members are welcome to play (depending on club format) and donate – point them to the Pickleball Brackets site. Email me as I will help you set up through the Pickleball Brackets system if this is what you want to use for bookings, and this is where we will manage the collections for you." Our sincere thanks to those already working to make this a reality, to those about to get started to make it happen and thanks to all those who have already registered! Report From The President of the Quesnel Pickleball Club President and Pickleball BC Director Sharon MacDonald: Last month, Quesnel Pickleball Club held its annual Fun Christmas Potluck and tournament. Liz Sales, our fabulous tournament director provided a point driven fun round robin starting with points awarded to the team who set up the portable nets the quickest. Lots of laughter with a very close finish between the 6 teams. The evening started at our local junior high school with an appetizer potluck and the Club members did not disappoint. It was difficult to even think of playing after indulging in so many culinary delights. Kathy Good, who has taken on the task of being a supplier for Pickleball Superstore, set up a table to display various paddles, accessories and clothing items. We are so fortunate to have a local supplier. Besides food, fun and camaraderie we held a 50/50 draw with proceeds going to a local school charity called Backpacks for Kids. Indoor play continues over the winter season in various schools, halls and the Senior Center. With the temperature dropping it is good to be able to participate in our favorite sport until we can hit the outdoor courts in the Spring. Quesnel PC Members Enjoy Giving Back To Their Community!! Ottawa, ON – January 11, 2024 – "Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce that the Vernon Pickleball Association (VPA) has been selected to host the 2024 Pickleball Canada Western Regional Championship, which will run July 25 – July 28, 2024 in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.
The VPA operated Pickleball BC's Provincial Championship in 2023, which involved 620 players from all over the province. The success of this tournament contributed to the VPA being recognized as Canada’s Best Pickleball Club by Pickleball Today in 2023. “Pickleball Canada is thrilled to have the Western Regionals in Vernon at the beautiful Vernon pickleball facility. We look forward to a wonderful event and some great pickleball!”, said Pickleball Canada President Val Vollmin. The tournament will be played on 12 indoor and 12 outdoor courts. Franklin will serve as the official ball for the 2024 Pickleball Canada Western Regional Championship, under their partnership as the official ball and paddle for Pickleball Canada." Congratulations to VPA and we're looking forward to yet another splendid tournament hosted by VPA! |
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