Pickleball BC Association’s (“PBCA”) President David Snell Receives Sport BC Presidents’ Award

Above: Left picture, Dave ready to work; Right (bottom on mobile) Dave ready to play!

PBCA President David Snell 4th from left wearing blue polo shirt. 

​February 11th 2026, Vancouver, BC—David Snell has been selected by Sport BC to receive the highest sport volunteer recognition award in British Columbia—the Sport BC Presidents’ Award. The Presidents’ Award recipient is recognized for their outstanding dedication and commitment as a sport volunteer. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. 

See all The Presidents' Award recipients listed here.

About The Presidents’ Award
According to Sport BC: “The Presidents’ Awards celebrate outstanding volunteers from Sport BC member organizations who go above and beyond in supporting their sport and community. These awards recognize individuals whose dedication, energy, and commitment make a meaningful impact on their organization and the athletes they serve. Each member organization may nominate one volunteer per year, highlighting the incredible contributions of those who embody the spirit of volunteerism in BC sport.”

David Snell’s Pickleball BC Association (“PBCA”) Accomplishments
Over the years, David has had several assignments with PBCA over the past 4 years (as of June): initial website management and tech support; MARCOM story teller and spokesperson; pickleball governance policy maker and strategic planning; and most recently 2 years leading PBCA as President and Chair of the Board of Directors.

Some highlights of his tenure:

• Activating Youth Pickleball in BC (“AYPBC”) Phase 1 and 2 (now in 7 Regions across BC). Team accomplishments included: applying for the first viaSport Grant in 2024 which kicked off the BC AYPBC Project with 11,000 introductions to pickleball K-7 youth in Phase 1 (20,000 planned in Phase 2); provided 20+ Elementary schools in the program with equipment for the youth (nets, paddles, balls and bags); and, trained 33 teacher coaches 23 of whom obtained NCCP Level 1 certification
• Helped to grow PBCA membership to 21,500+ active pickleball players (only second to membership in Ontario) as of year-end 2025
• With the PBCA Tournament Committee helped in the creation and support of the first BC Provincial Team who won gold in the inaugural Inter-Provincial Team Competition at the 2025 Canadian National Championships. More planned for 2026 and beyond as PBCA looks to support the BC players on our Canadian World Cup Team
• Organized and led the first in-person Board Strategic Planning Sessions in 2024 and 2025 to review PBCA’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan resulting in a revamped 2026 Strategic Plan with new initiatives which the Board is currently undertaking
• Spokesperson for PBCA, such as the CTV News story on “Crushed Paddles” and presentations at events and tournaments such as the PBCA BC Provincial Championships
• Oversaw the redesign of the PBCA “The Kitchen Sink” Monthly Newsletter and continues to provide his President’s Report updates to the membership in that Newsletter and other social media channels
• Spearheading the new PBCA website to be unveiled mid 2026
• On-site events’ presence to support our Clubs, players and our BC Provincial Team including: the 2024 Regionals and 2025 Vernon Provincials; the upcoming The Nest Tsawwassen 2026 Provincials; the BC 55+ Games in Nanaimo; the Pickleball Charity Challenge supported by the Canucks, Whitecaps and BC Alumni’s; and attendance at other Club announcements and facility openings

“It’s truly an honour to win this prestigious award and to be mentioned with the other notable recipients is remarkable to me. It goes without saying that receiving this award was made possible only by having great teammates … including but not limited to the PBCA Board and our hard-working Committees; our Members and Clubs throughout BC; Executives and staff at Pickleball Canada; the many pickleball players, pros and coaches who I’ve learned from and play with; and my family who round out my incredible journey and forgive me for my pickleball obsession. I’m looking forward to many more PBCA adventures helping to grow the sport that we all love”, says David Snell.