The 32nd Annual Wellness Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre took place February 11th - 12th 2023 - with 15,200 attendees and a full size pickleball court as our booth!

Karen Watson President of the Burnaby and Area Pickleball Association stated "The Wellness event at the Vancouver Convention Center was a great way to talk about Pickleball. We were able to talk about the benefits of playing;  how it is a fun way to get the recommended 150 min of activity/week, get a good cardiovascular workout, that it’s an all round activity, player friendly sport, social opportunity and affordable.

​The show was a bit of a surprise in that going in, the expectation was that advanced players would demonstrate the sport for the most part but instead, we had so many wanting to give it a try that there wasn’t much time to do the demonstrations. Nearly 250 people tried pickleball and they all loved it! We also had so many come and ask about pickleball. They had heard about it but had never seen it and left interested. "Karen concluded "The show met our expectations of advancing the benefits of pickleball and I would do it again if given the opportunity".
Jeannette Savard, Founder of The Wellness Show, said in her thank you letter to Sponsors and Exhibitors in part: "Thanks to our sponsors and our exhibitors putting on their best to showcase the latest in all things Wellness, our 30th live show came back with a bang. On February 11th and 12th, 2023, the Vancouver Convention Centre West Building welcomed approximately 175 exhibit spaces and 15,200 attendees. A few sponsors and exhibitors have already expressed their gratitude for the success they had over the course of the two days. Sales were brisk, and public engagement was very positive." Full text of her letter can be read here.

Nelson Pickleball Club announcement: British Columbia’s own Tracy Bennet and Alberta’s Sean McCartan have won the prestigious GOLDEN TICKET at the APP Daytona Beach, to gain direct entry to Nationals, held at Indian Wells California, this Fall. They battled hard, and came up with an incredible win after being down 1-13 in the final game of the Gold Medal Match. Final score was 11-7, 11-9, 15-13.

"Incredible" doesn't describe this adequately enough!! Congratulations to Tracy and Sean and all the players!!! 

About the APP: Founded in 2019 by Ken Herrmann its CEO and Creative Founder, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) serves professionals, senior professionals and amateurs in the fastest growing sport in the USA. The first and only tour officially sanctioned by USA Pickleball, the 2023 APP Tour slate has already announced 16 tournament stops, in addition to International and Collegiate Series events. The APP also prides itself on developing the next generation of champions through its Next Gen Series and other youth initiatives.

#app #ppatour #pickleball #nelsonbc

Sport BC Press Release February 2nd 2023:

"Sport BC recognizes the importance of volunteers in sport. The significant role volunteers play in the sport sector is celebrated through Sport BC’s Presidents’ Awards. The Presidents’ Awards presented by Sports With Balls are given to volunteers from Sport BC member and partner organizations who demonstrate the spirit of volunteerism through the dedication, commitment, and tireless energy they give to their sport organizations. The 41 recipients will be celebrated during Sport BC’s 55th Athlete of the Year Awards taking place on Thursday, March 9, 2023. Congratulations to the 2022 Presidents’ Awards Recipients, thank you for all you do for sport in British Columbia."


Walter Knecht, President and founder of PickleballBC ("PBC"), is one of the 41 recipients who has been honoured by Sport BC through their Presidents' Awards. Walter founded PBC in March 2017 having discovered pickleball several years prior and realizing that this sport was special - and was he right! He has worked tirelessly to promote pickleball in BC and elsewhere growing membership to over 13,000 members, and signing partnerships with 84+ affiliated or associated clubs in BC. In addition, he has spearheaded pickleball policies and procedures recommendations throughout the Province, and established our first BC Provincial Tournament scheduled in Vernon May 11th - 15th 2023. Other notable achievements include, but are not limited to: affiliation agreements with Pickleball Canada; establishing PBC as a registered not-for-profit society, and gaining Provincial Sport Status in 2021.

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PBC's Board of Directors loudly and unanimously applaud Walter on this achievement and on his leadership and unwavering commitment to PBC and the growth, development, promotion and enjoyment of pickleball in BC.

About PickleballBC...pls refer to this website page which overviews PBC's history and objectives. 

About Sport BC

Sport BC believes in the power of sport and is committed to building stronger communities through positive sport experiences. Our goal is to enhance and support sport participation in British Columbia ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Through our KidSport BC, BC Amateur Sport Fund, and ProMOTION Plus along with our services Sport BC Insurance, and Payroll and Group Benefits; Sport BC supports our sixty plus member organizations. Keep up to date @SportBC
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Vikki Hui of Richmond News:

"No one knows when pickleball first landed in Richmond, but the sport has exploded in popularity in the city. According to co-founder Gordon Farrell, the Richmond BC Pickleball Association’s (RBCPA) membership has grown from around 100 to almost 600 since it was established in 2019.

Farrell came to learn about the sport through word of mouth a few years ago when pickleball enthusiasts played at community centre gyms during “sporadic times of the day.” The lack of dedicated courts or even outdoor courts never stopped the enthusiasts, and the high demand and desire to bring the sport to the city’s attention were what inspired the formation of RBCPA.
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“They’d have sessions in a community centre that would be for a couple of hours and they’d only let 30 people in just because you can only have so many people playing,” said Farrell. “But 60 to 70 people would line up an hour before to get in. And you could show up and not get to play that day.” The city eventually took note of the pickleball hype and managed to convert nine dedicated outdoor pickleball courts by 2020 — just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic."

Play for Hope Charity Tournament:

Also in a separate story posted in Richmond News, Vikki highlighted the upcoming January 28th "Play for Hope" charity tournament to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. Grade 12 students Jed Tan and Joar Hussain are hosting the tournament on Jan. 28 where community members will get to enjoy a day of active fun and raise funds to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. 

"Our goal is to raise awareness (for cancer) and help people feel more hopeful," said Hussain.

​A total of 64 players will be participating in the tournament with 15 volunteers helping out on the day. The event will also feature a raffle and community members will be able to pay tribute to loved ones and share inspirational messages on a "Wall of Hope."

By Amy Woodyatt CNN:

Tennis legends Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and Michael Chang will go head-to-head later this year in pursuit of a $1 million prize – playing pickleball. 
The decorated tennis greats are to contest the Inaugural Pickleball Slam, which will take place on April 2 2023 at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, according to event organizers Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E).
Agassi, McEnroe, Roddick and Chang each boast storied careers: 

• Eight time grand slam winner Agassi retired from tennis in 2006
  
• McEnroe, who is a seven-time grand slam singles winner, has become a well-known commentator and pundit
  
• Former world no.1 Roddick is the last American man to win a grand slam – he achieved that feat in 2003  
  
• Chang is the youngest man to win a tennis major, after bagging the 1989 French Open title at the age of 17

David Levy, co-CEO of HS&E called the pickleball slam a “convergence of culture and sport.”“We look forward to bringing together four of America’s most iconic tennis legends for this groundbreaking competition, which heralds a new milestone for the fastest growing sport in America,” he added.

Community Outreach post by Charles Neufeldt: Vancouver Pickleball Association (VPA) members, Janet, Praveen and Cheryl ran a "Learn to Play Pickleball" session for residents and staff at the brand new Covenant House Vancouver. They left behind donations of a net, 10 paddles and 30 balls that youth who visit the centre can use.

​In 2022, Covenant House provided drop-in support for 510 youth. "With over 25 years of experience providing unconditional love and absolute respect to youth experiencing homelessness, Covenant House Vancouver acknowledges with gratitude that our work takes place on the traditional lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations." 

​Their Purpose and Principals as posted on their website here are in part: "Covenant House Vancouver’s purpose is to serve all youth with relentless support, absolute respect, and unconditional love. We help youth experiencing homelessness, and protect and safeguard all youth in need. Covenant House immediately meets the basic needs of youth experiencing homelessness through a nourishing meal, a shower, clean clothes, medical attention, and a safe place to sleep."

More often than not, and especially in a crowded gym, it is difficult to hear the score or whether a ball has been called in or out. We think that this YouTube video is a good review of hand signs for both scoring and line calls. Also don't forget that if you use "partner communication" to warn your partner that a ball looks like it's going out ("out", "watch" or whatever you and your partner use), you still need to make the call if it does go out - hand signal, verbal or both! Also, don't assume players can see whether or not the ball is in or out, especially if you are concentrating on hitting the ball, as you should be, or 40'+ away...

CNBC Sports January 5th 2023: Jessica Golden reports that more than 36.5 million people played pickleball from August 2021 to August 2022, according to a new report by the Association of Pickleball Professionals released exclusively to CNBC. "Earlier data pinned the participation rate of the sport at 5 million players in 2021. The latest numbers unveiled in the 2023 APP Pickleball Participation report, via a study conducted by YouGov, shows that 14% of Americans played pickleball at least once in that 12-month period. And over 8.5 million people played pickleball eight times or more."

“When you look at participation rates alongside golf, and basketball and tennis. ... I don’t think anybody would have thought a year ago that pickleball would be right up there with those more traditional sports,” said Tom Webb, chief marketing officer of the Association of Pickleball Professionals, the group that represents professional, recreational and amateur players.

Of course the participants in the 36.5M count include those who may have only played once in the 12 months, but the number that stands out is the 8.5M who played more often, compared to less than 5M in that category in 2021.

​Of note, BC and Canada's participation and growth rates are even higher as reported in our news story here.

Every year, the USA Pickleball rules committee reviews and revises the rules of pickleball. Usually the changes are minor, but over the last few years, we've had some changes that rocked the sport (I'm looking at you, spin-serve and drop-serve).

Here are the "Must-Know" Pickleball Rule Updates for 2023 (Courtesy PickleballCafe):

• NO MORE SPIN SERVE!
  This is the big one!  As of 2023, the "spin serve" will no longer be legal! The quick recap of the change is, if you spin the ball as you release it from your hand, it's a replay / re-serve. You can still hit the ball with topspin, slice...etc, as long as you follow the other serve rules. The only new restriction is spinning it upon release. Here's the video from Zane Navratil explaining what a "spin serve" is. 
• Avoid Wearing Clothing...
  ...that closely matches the ball colour. There are actually two parts to this change. The most impactful change is to rule 2.G.1. which adds the mention of clothing that "approximates the color of the ball" as something that could be a "Safety" or "Distraction" issue, and may require the player to change apparel. 
• Equipment Time-Outs
  Equipment time-outs no longer require the use of your team's time-outs and the limitation of "up to 2 minutes" has been replaced with "of reasonable duration". So if you break your paddle, or the sole of your shoe falls off, not only will you not need to use up one of your time-outs, but it may also be reasonable to take more than 2 minutes to find a replacement paddle, or switch into a new pair of shoes...
• Illegal Service Motion MAY be a Replay (if called by a referee)
  In 2023, if a referee sees what they think MIGHT be an illegal service motion, they MAY call for a replay. Serves that are clearly illegal will still be called as a fault. This call must be made by a referee, not a player. The receiver may call for a replay if they cannot see the release of the ball or see the server spin the ball, but may not call an illegal service motion.
• Other (for those who are interested)
  - "Side" changed to "End" for consistency.
  - Adds 3 out of 5 format clarification for withdrawals.
  - 13.D.1.a. related to calling faults on yourself was clarified - no major change - you should still always call a fault on yourself as soon as you see it.
  - Clarification that if you're forced to make an apparel change, it won't cost you a time-out. (2.G.4.) (no actual change)
  - Rule clarification on round-robin tie breaks. (no actual change)
  - Clarification that you cannot spin the ball during release on a drop serve. (no actual change)
  - Clarification that you cannot spin the ball during release on a drop serve. (no actual change)
  - Additional language to rule 11.E. allowing for a ball change when it's squishy, and not just "broken or cracked"

To be sure and if interested in the details, the Official Rulebook is available from Pickleball USA or here in BC from the Pickleball Depot.