Pickleball Canada December Newsletter

Pickleball Canada December Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

Christmas Potluck Party Dec 20, 2011

A very nice gathering of about 35 pickleball players at our 3rd Annual Christmas Potluck Party at ARC. Lots of delicious appetizers, main dishes, salads and desserts !!! So nice to see Julie and four excellent players from Lynden, Wa., two Rons, Vi, Ione, and two players from Langley, Bert and Judy. Everyone had a wonderful time to celebrate Christmas together !!! Merry Christmas !!!

Schedule of Events & Hotel Accommodations, 2012 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship

Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 7 - 8, 2012
DIVISIONS OF PLAY
OPEN – Open to all ages
55+ - 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+
UNDER 55 - Ages under 55, a 55+ player may play down with a partner under 55.
EVENTS: Men's and Women Open Singles, Men’s and Women's Doubles, Mixed Doubles
AWARDS: Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each event.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all players.
NATIONAL TOURNAMENT FORMAT:
All events in all divisions will follow a round robin or double-elimination format. Awards will go to the top three teams in each event. A player may play in a maximum of 2 events.
A player may play only in the age group event for which he/she is qualified. He/she may also sign up for Open Division events. The tournament ball will be the yellow Jugs ball. Current IFP rules will apply. Format and events are subject to change.

ARC has plenty of parking outdoors and underground parking.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday, July 7 Mens Doubles 55+,60+, 65+, 70+, Womens Doubles 55+,60+, 65+, 70+,

Mens Doubles Under 55, Womens Doubles Under 55

Open Mens Doubles, Open Womens Doubles

Open Mens Singles, Open Womens Singles

Sunday, July 8 Mixed Doubles 55+,60+, 65+, 70+, Open Mixed Doubles, Mixed Doubles Under 55


HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
Pickleball Canada has listed these possible accomodations for your convenience and makes no recommendations. All players must make their own arrangement for lodging.

COAST HOTEL AND SUITES
2020 Sumas Way, Abbotsford, BC V2S 2C7 (604) 853-1880

BEST WESTERN PLUS REGENCY INN
32110 Marshall Road, Abbotsford, BC V2T 1A1 (800) 771-3077

BEST WESTERN BAKERVIEW INN
1821 Sumas Way Abbotsford, BC V2S 4L5 800-780-7234

RAMADA INN
36035 North Parallel Road, Abbotsford, BC V3G 2C6 (888) 411-1070

SUPER 8 HOTEL
1881 Sumas Way, Abbotsford, BC V2S 4L5 (604) 853-1141

SANDMAN INN (New)
32720 Simon Avenue, Abbotsford, BC V2T 0B8 (604) 556-7263
(800) 726-3626

SWEET DREAMS LUXURY INN
32288 King Road,
Abbotsford, BC V2T 5Z5 (604) 851-5101


RV ACCOMODATIONS

Aloha Trailer Park and Campsite
29666 Fraser Hwy, Abbotsford, BC V4X 1V2 (604) 856-2366

BILLETS
Anyone with rooms available for Pickleball player billeting, please post your information in the comment box. This is a great way to welcome our pickleball friends !!!

REGISTRATION

You can register at ARC or print out the registration form below from the blog and return completed form & payment to "City of Abbotsford", please send to Mandy Hadfield, Recreation Coordinator, Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road,Abbotsford, B.C. V2S 7R3.

2012 Pickleball Canada National Championship July 7-8, 2012

2012 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 7-8, 2012. A player may play in a maximum of 2 events. Please register early as spaces are limited and it is a first come, first serve basis. We are now accepting registrations.

DIVISIONS OF PLAY          OPEN – Open to all ages
          55+ - Ages 55 and older
          UNDER 55 - Ages under 55, a 55+ player may play down with a partner under 55.

EVENTS:  Men's and Women Open Singles, Men’s and Women's Doubles, Mixed Doubles

AWARDS:  Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each event.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all players from any country.

NATIONAL TOURNAMENT FORMAT:
          All events in all divisions will follow a double-elimination format. All upper and lower bracket matches will play to 15 points, win by 2 points. Awards will go to the top three teams in each event. A player may play in a maximum of 3 events.
          A player may play only in the age group event for which he/she is qualified. He/she may also sign up for Open Division events. The tournament ball will be the yellow Jugs ball. Current IFP rules will apply. Format and events are subject to change.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:          Check the posted or online schedule for your event’s start time. Check in at least 30 minutes before your event. You must be warmed up and ready for your match when it is announced. Players who do not report to their assigned court ready to play within 10 minutes of their announced match will forfeit that match.

          Saturday, July 7:    Men's Doubles 55+, Women's Doubles 55+
                                      Men's Doubles Under 55, Women's Doubles Under 55 
                                      Open Men's Doubles, Open Women's Doubles
                                      Open Men's Singles, Open Women's Singles

          Sunday, July 8:      Open Mixed Doubles, Mixed Doubles 55+,
                                      Mixed Doubles Under 55

REGISTRATION FEES: Total Registration Fees = Registration Fee + all applicable Event Fees.
          Registration fee $30.00
          Pickleball Canada Member Registration Fee $25.00

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:  June 20, 2012

EVENT FEES: ( includes lunch and eligibility for prizes)
          Open Division = $5 per event entered.
          55+ and Under 55 Divisions = $5 per event entered.
          Non-Player = $10 includes lunch

REGISTRATION FORMS:    Abbotsford Recreation Centre,
                                      2499 McMillan Rd.,
                                      Abbotsford, B.C. V2S 7R3
                             Payment must accompany registration form

Pickleball Christmas Potluck Dinner Dec 20, 2011

Pickleball Christmas Potluck Dinner Tuesday, Dec 20, 2011
Please bring a dish (appetizers, main dishes, salads, desserts) to share at our annual Christmas Potluck Dinner at ARC. After pickleball, dinner will be served at about 4 - 5 pm. See you there !!!

Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 7-8, 2012

2012 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be held on July 7 - 8, 2012, hosted by Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C. The 2012 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be open to all players including USA. There will be open (singles and doubles), 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, under 55 in mixed, mens and womens doubles divisions.
There are 20 events with limit of players:

OPEN Singles Mens,
OPEN Singles Womens,
OPEN Doubles Mixed,
OPEN Doubles Mens,
OPEN Doubles Womens,
Under 55 Doubles Mixed,
Under 55 Doubles Mens,
Under 55 Doubles Womens,
55+ Doubles Mixed,
55+ Doubles Mens,
55+ Doubles Womens,
60+ Doubles Mixed,
60+ Doubles Mens,
60+ Doubles Womens,
65+ Doubles Mixed,
65+ Doubles Mens,
65+ Doubles Womens,
70+ Doubles Mixed,
70+ Doubles Mens,
70+ Doubles Womens

You can register at Abbotsford Recreation Centre 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C.
Spaces are limited. Please register early !!!

Pickleball Canada Ambassador Peachland, B.C.

Peachland Pickleball News

The little town of Peachland is really BIG on Pickleball. We have over 40 members who play at various times. There are four courts available and we have recently implemented a Fair Rotation/Participation System which seems to work when there are players waiting.

Through the Peachland Recreation Centre, there have been three beginner clinics, and one advanced clinic in October and one more scheduled on December 5th. More beginner and advanced clinics are being planned for the new year as follows:

Beginners’ Clinic: Monday, January 9, 2012 from 1 to 2:30;
Advanced Clinic: Monday, January 23, 2012 from 1 to 2:30.

Registration may be done through the Peachland Recreation Department by calling 250-767-2133. These clinics are definitely worthwhile and the cost is only $5.00. Space is limited to 16 per clinic. As these clinics fill up quickly, please sign up ahead of time to ensure your spot on the courts.

Maria Dagis
Peachland Pickleball Canada Ambassador

Pickleball Canada Ambassador Victoria, B.C.

From Greater Victoria:
In addition to all the regular places and times to play, some local centres have increased their availability.

The George Pearkes Arena Field House (behind Tillicum Mall in Victoria) added a second session. Their Pickleball times are Tuesdays and Wednesdays 100-300pm with four courts and usually intermediate to higher level participants, although beginners are always welcome. In fact some picklers from Ladysmith came down for a change of venue and said it was loads of fun and a great facility for PB.

Brentwood Community Hall in Brentwood Bay expanded its times to include Sunday afternoon during the summer months whereas the locals usually play outside during that time. It seems that some picklers just like an indoors venue - which is close to facilities if you know what I mean - and BCH is well suited with its "Wimbledon" green walls and good lighting. The hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 100-300pm-ish. And it accommodates some very skilled picklers!

Saanich Commonwealth Pool Gym with its two indoor courts added a Thursday evening to its lineup: Monday & Friday 100-300pm, Thursday evening 7-9pm... And it offers a free one hour skill session every Saturday morning from 8-9am!

Another option for pickleball are the two courts at the Esquimalt Rec Centre: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 115-315pm.

Around town outdoor tennis facilities are being double-lined for pickleball. Recently the courts at Carnarvon near the Oak Bay border have been adapted and a local tennis coach gave a free demo to fourteen tennis instructors. How cool is that!

Well the temperature has plummeted to ten degrees so that means half the retirees on the island are off down south and that includes many local pickleball enthusiasts. Sooo... if you know someone who wants to learn now is the time as most of our courts are open to just about anyone wanting to hit a plastic ball over a net with a large paddle. See you on the other side of a net...

Len Taal
Pickleball Canada Ambassador
BC Seniors Games Zone 1 Pickleball Coordinator

2012 Pickleball Canada National Championship July 7-8, 2012

Great News !!!
2012 Pickleball Canada National Championship will be held on July 7 - 8, 2012, hosted by Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C. The 2012 Pickleball Canada National Championship will be open to all players including USA. There will be open (singles and doubles), 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, under 55 in mixed, mens and womens doubles divisions. Full information will be on the registration form which will be printed soon. It will be posted on our websites, blogs and newsletters.

Pickleball Canada November Newsletter

Pickleball Canada November Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

2011 USAPA National Tournament, Buckeye, AZ

http://usapa.org/ 2011 2011 USAPA National Tournament
11/07/11 - 11/14/11 Sun City Festival, Buckeye, AZ
Over 400 players competed in 50 Divisions of Open, Age 19+, 35+, 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+ and Juniors in Mixed, Mens and Womens Singles and Doubles.
Congratulations to our local player: Carol Haworth, Pickleball Canada Abbotsford/Chilliwack Ambassador for winning a bronze medal in the 70+ Womens Doubles !!!

Congratulations to Beverley Butt, Pickleball Canada Rules Chair for winning a Bronze medal in Mixed Doubles 70+ !!! Pickleball Canada President Colin Caldwell from Cloverdale and Dave Touchet from South Surrey also competed in the men's doubles 60+. Although they didn't win a medal, they held their own, winning 3 sets until they were eliminated. Mark Friedenberg (creator of pro-lite paddles) & Alan Christiansen (creator of Spikes/ZZ2 paddles) eventually won the division. Mark Friedenberg won two Golds and one Bronze medal. Congratulations to Earl Hill who won a Gold medal.

Steve Wong (creator of S-type paddles) won 4 silvers in many different categories including the 19+ mens singles.

University of the Fraser Valley - Pickleball Program

UFV Pickleball: Thursday 4 -5 pm
Pickleball University by Grant Brittain:
Last week I had the great opportunity to attend a Pickleball session at our local University, or UFV. I didn't even know that a pickleball group existed there until I was invited to bring some paddles and balls to their group by their pickleball promoter: Bill Neudorff. Bill had mentioned that they usually average 8-12 players for their 1 hour session comprised of Faculty, staff, and students. Either there was a news that an outsider was attending, or they were new people excited about pickleball ( I choose the latter) there were 25-30 pickleballers in attendance. After giving some correction to their net heights, and some mistaken rules, I was able to give some instruction to this great group of players. The gym coordinator was overjoyed at the response, and even played along for the games, and was excited for the new outlet and sport to be offered at UFV. The students have a UPASS that allows them to use any rec center in Abbotsford free, and invited them to our nightly pickleball sessions to further their game. They play Thursdays from 4-5 pm in the gym, but according to the gym coordinator they are looking at extending the time.

USA, Ontario New Players at ARC

All 8 courts were busy with about 40 players, some waiting to play. Many new players including international and national players: Ron and Vi from Lynden, Wa., Wendy and Greg from Ontario. Greg and I had a long close game against Ron and Bill. Excellent players Ron and Vi won a game against Nigel and me. Remember a code of conduct: Be a Good Sport – Win with Modesty and Lose with Dignity.

Grant has some colorful new paddles (ProLite, Predstor, Kryptonite) for sale, great selection and prices!!!

At snack time about 30 players enjoyed red grapes and homemade cookies. Thanks to Jean and Mel for contributing to our fun social get together. We chat about everything from pickleball, politics to health topics which we can learn something from each other. Thanks also to Vi who brought some delicious donuts which we all enjoyed.

S. Delta, Ladner, Richmond New PB Schedule

South Delta, Ladner, Richmond new Pickleball schedule by Pickleball Canada Area Ambassador Peter Darvill:
There has been a change in the schedule below for Sundays at South Delta RC. It is now 1:30 to 3 pm , no longer 3:30 start.

As well please note that on Wednesday November 9th, PBall will be played at the Richmond Olympic Oval, from 10 to 12 noon. The cost is a little high at $10. Please let me know if you want to attend.

Finally we had an impromptu outdoor session at Cromie Park on Saturday. Who says you have to be in Palm Springs in November to play outdoor PBall!!! It was quite comfortable in Ladner! If we get a nice day, we will try it again.
And don't forget the Christmas Eve PBall event will be held at 2 pm Dec. 24th outdoors @ Cromie Park. Santa has promised a nice day and I'm bringing the beer to toast him!

My PBall list is building slowly... but surely. We should have an "Olympic" event soon....
Please be reminded the Schedule from now on....

Sundays Richmond Thompson CC from 1 to 4pm
SDRC from 1:30 to 3:00pm

Mondays and Wednesdays SDRC from 12:30 to 3 pm

Tuesday and Thursday LadnerCC fro 3 to 5 pm.

See you there!
P.

Volunteer Instructors for New Players Wanted

Volunteer instructors for New players wanted !!! As we are getting more new pickleball players, we need more volunteer instructors to teach new players.

Veteran players are encouraged to teach the newcomers to let them feel welcome so they will stay around longer to learn the game. It takes at least half an hour to several hours to teach new players the basics of the game: serving, scoring, non-volley zone, two bounce rule, etc.

Please contact Shirley if you are interested. We can set up a court for teaching new players and have at least two volunteers, each volunteer will teach one hour in the two hours session on a weekly or monthly basis. Your help to teach new players will be much appreciated !!!

20 New Pickleball Players This Week

All 8 courts were full of players on Tuesday afternoon, four new players: Tina, John, Margaret and her husband. Grant taught them for an hour and they pretty well know how to play the game afterwards. Later Mandy and I played a couple of games with Tina and Margaret and they really enjoyed it. Thanks to George and Claire for bringing the fresh red grapes and cookies, enjoyed by about 25 players.

Tuesday evening was full of mostly energetic younger players: Nathan, two Mike, Matt, two Warrens, 5 new players. Grant brought more new players from his church and introduced them to the game.

Wednesday's New to Pickleball was all full of players, at least 5 new players. Catherine and Allan were very busy teaching them.

Thursday afternoon was full with about 36 players, some waiting time to play, at least four new players: Wendy and Greg from Toronto visiting her mom Henrietta, Wendy is in Yoga apparel business and she will attend a trade show next week in Vancouver. A new line of her products is bamboo socks that made from bamboo, are naturally antibacterial, so they don't smell, interesting !!! About 20 players enjoyed some snacks and coffee. Tom bought 4 dozens of brown eggs from Al who has a hobby farm.
At night four courts were full of players. Mike and I taught new players Robert and Victor. Robert is a CGA, Victor is a real estate agent, so they can only play in the evenings.

New Pro-Lite and Spike Paddles

Thursday afternoon 8 courts were full of players: Henry, Barry, Andre, George, Claire, Nigel, Leslie, Tom, Al, Bill, Catherine, Joyce, Iris, Henrietta, Herb, Linda, Brian, Jerry Rudoplh, Dutch Jerry, Hermann, Ken, Mandy, Mat, Pat, Grant, Warren, Allan, Ganbat, Dave, Mike and me. Warren is a new player who can play very well. Hermann is back from Europe selling his hand made violins and violas in France and Italy. Nigel and Lesley came back from their trip to northern India where they saw people bathing in the Ganges.

There are many more new paddles on the market now. I bought a new paddle Pro-Lite Blaster from Grant. At first I tried a Spike ZZT and it felt very light (I think it's made of aluminium), the grip is smaller but it was hard to get used to the lightness. Some ladies bought this paddle. Then I tried the Pro-Lite Blaster which hits well and has a colorful image so I bought it.

New Place to Play - Prince George, B.C.

Prince George - New Place to Play
New Pickleball program at the Family YMCA of Prince George. The address is 2020 Massey Drive. The phone number is 250-562-9341 . There are 2 indoor courts. The facility is open to the public. There will be 2 times to begin: Monday 1:30-3 pm for Seniors and Thursday 7-8:30 pm for all ages. There will be a $3 drop in fee.

Prince George pickleball promoter says...

"This is a great game especially for those of us no longer able to play tennis. The group in Prince George is incredibly welcoming and friendly. Ya gotta try it! The Y is the perfect place for it and the price is right."

Paddle Material Specifications

Oct 22, 2011 USAPA and International Federation of Pickleball have determined that the POP paddles with the cork core (model Q-1), both graphite skin and aluminum skin have been disallowed for sanctioned tournament play. This is because the paddles, as manufactured, to not meet the deflection test. It is highly recommended that all players be notified of this as soon as possible so they can have correct paddles at the tournaments.

From the USAPA and IFP websites: List of Commercial Paddles Not Meeting Specifications of the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP)

Paddle Name Reason
Apike Fails the deflection test. See Paddle Material Specifications.
Hush Fails the deflection test. See Paddle Material Specifications.
Performance One Paddles (POP). Model Q1 (graphite and cork), Model Q1 (aluminum and Cork) Fails the deflection test. 10-22-11 Fails the deflection test. See Paddle Material Specifications.
Pickleball Now Whomper Some paddles have been slightly oversize. Models at tournaments can be measured for compliance.
http://ipickleball.org/rules/IFP_Paddle_Material_Specifications.pdf

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Province of B.C. Video Shoot at ARC

Province of B.C. Video Shoot at ARC:
There were 14 players enjoying an extra two hours of pickleball this Friday morning at ARC while a crew of four (2 cameramen, an interviewer and a producer) from the Province of B.C. did a video shoot of our group playing pickleball. Dave and I were interviewed about the positive health benefits of pickleball for seniors. The players included Henry, Mandy, Elaine, Dorothy, Martin, Annette, Henrietta, Bill, Grant, Jerry Rudolph, Jerry from Holland, Dave, Mike and me. We all had some great games to be featured in the video.

Pickleball Canada October Newsletter

Pickleball Canada October Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre, Sechelt, B.C.

Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre
5604 Trail Avenue, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0
Phone Reception: 604-885-8910
Monday 6:30 - 9:30pm
Tuesday 3:00 - 5:00pm
Wednesday 3:00 - 5:00pm
Thursday 3:30 - 5:30pm
and 5:30 to 9:00pm

New Place to Play in Airdrie, Alberta

New Place to Play in Alberta
Genesis Place
800 East Lake Blvd. NE - (403) 948-8804
Airdrie, Alberta T4B 3C3
Drop-in Pickleball
Tues & Thur 9 - 11 am
Wed 5 -6 pm
Adult $10.50 Senior $6.50

http://www.airdrie.ca/genesis_place/index.cfm

South Ladner Rec.Centre & Ladner Community Centre and Outdoor Courts

Pickleball Canada Area Ambassador Peter Darvill asked the City of Ladner to paint pickleball lines on some newly surfaced outdoor tennis courts in Ladner, B.C. He purchased one USAPA portable net and then he bought another one because there are too many players coming out to play. He has organized a league of more than 12 players and they played almost everyday!!!

At South Delta Rec Centre { Tsawassen } Starting this Monday we will have 3 days alloted for PBall. Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 3pm, and Sundays from 3:30 til 5:30. We have the 4 courts available for all these times. Let's try and show up as much as possible so we can keep these times for us, and pls. pass the word around to others who may be interested.

At Ladner Community Centre, effective November 1st, the times are changing on Tuesday and Thursday to 3 pm to 5:30 pm rather than the past start time of 4pm.

Four Excellent Players visiting from Lynden, Wa.

Today we welcomed two couples (two Rons, Ione and Vi) from Lynden, Wa. They came to play with us the second time. They are friends of Carol and Earl Hill. Ione is a 4.5 player in Arizona. She said they have no indoor courts in Lynden and they enjoyed playing with us. They joined us in the Seniors Room with about 20 players for the celebration of Bill Vroom's 82th birthday with cakes, cookies and fruit. Ione said "Thank you for your warm welcome and hospitablity". I told her that they are very welcome anytime. We taught two new players Ed and Paul and they enjoyed many games with us.

Prince George - New Place to Play

Prince George - New Place to Play
New Pickleball program at the Family YMCA of Prince George. The address is 2020 Massey Drive. The phone number is 250-562-9341. There are 2 indoor courts. The facility is open to the public. There will be 2 times to begin: Monday 1:30-3 pm for Seniors and Thursday 7-8:30 pm for all ages. There will be a $3 drop in fee.

They have been active promoting the game. They had a table at the recent Leisure Fair in Prince George. They will be holding another session at the Active Aging event at UNBC tomorrow. They are expecting more interest, and apparently CBC wants to do a story. Should be fun!

New Brunswick Pickleball Canada Provincial Ambassador

New Brunswick New Place to Play
http://www.pickleballnb.ca/

If you have any questions about pickleball, the rules, or are looking for somewhere to play, drop us a line. As we work to get the sport off the ground in New Brunswick, we can help you find a court or help arrange a match.

Raymond Doiron

Pickleball Canada Provincial Ambassador – New Brunswick

info@pickleballnb.ca

New Players and Back Pain Cure

We welcomed a new player Perry from Vancouver. Perry is Michelle's daughter and she is a busy mother of two. She started playing pickleball about two weeks ago and really enjoys it. At ARC, she can play pickleball, her daughter can skate. We enjoyed having them at snack time to chat about our life stories.

I met a new player Bill who started playing pickleball about 3 weeks ago. He played very well because he played tennis before.

Another new player told me that he learned pickleball in Las Vegas. He is five years from retirement and still works at a youth prison and they are teaching youths to play pickleball there. Pickleball is a good sport for youths!!

I heard from another new player who got rid of his back pain after he started playing pickleball for about three months. There are so many players got rid of their back pain from playing pickleball. One player told me that it certainly is cheaper than going to a chiropractor !!! More enjoyable too !!!

ARC Pickleball Meeting with Laura

It was a well-attended ARC meeting with about 25 players with Laura after pickleball with lots of snacks brought by Ken and Mandy: delicious homemade cake and melons. Many topics of discussion:
1. Most players agreed to move the evening sessions to different nights: Monday and Wednesday instead of Tuesday and Thursday.
2. Laura will ask the City to get outdoor pickleball courts lined on tennis courts.
3. Matt may be able to use one court on Wednesdays to teach 'skill improvement'.
4. Pickleball nets may have to be put down at 3:30 pm instead of 4 pm if there are other activities scheduled.
5. Thanks Laura for booking 8 courts on Tues and Thur afternoons.

Thank You Notes from our Pickleball Friends

We are very happy to receive many wonderful thank You notes from our Pickleball friends:
Christine from West Bank, B.C. wrote "I would like to thank Dave and Shirley for welcoming me, when I came and played with them.. I had a great time and met some wonderful people.. I HIGHLY recommend all of us going to another venue and playing there.. I will have to make a point of only coming down there on tues/ thur so I can play.. will make sure that next time I am in town i will come.. say hello to all for me.. C."
Jesse from Abbotsford wrote "Special thanks to Dave, Shirley, Mike, Grant for "letting my Dad and I" in to the group to learn this great sport."
Beryl from Surrey wrote "Thanks so much for welcoming us whenever we come to play in Abbotsford."
Terry from Scotland wrote "say hello to all at the pickleball, not getting any PB over here in Scotland but have been getting lots of golf and walking. We will be heading back in January and will get back to some pickleball then."

ARC Meeting on Tuesday Sept 13, 3:30 pm

Please note:
ARC Meeting on Tuesday Sept 13, 3:30 pm with coordinators Laura Kerr and Ryan Coreau. All players are welcomed to attend to ask questions and give feedback.

Last Tuesday afternoon, many players were upset that we only had 4 courts, many players were waiting to play. ARC staff said that we will only get 4 courts for the fall because there were other activities scheduled. Since we usually have about 40 players, we need 8 courts.

Pat emailed Laura requesting 8 courts. Pat said "I find it difficult to believe that such a popular activity would see the courts availability cut down without any consultation with the group that supports the activity and is loyal to playing at ARC. We have been actively promoting Pickleball and now have players that travel from South Surrey/Whiterock, Langley, Chilliwack and even Lynden WA to play competitive games with the group. No court availability would mean that players will no longer travel here if they virtually get no playing time." Many other players also expressed their frustrations over this problem. Laura told me she will look into it.

Laura said "I have looked into the schedule and have been able to move around several programs that will allow both gymnasiums to be used for Pickleball on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons".

Laura is also currently in the process of programming for the January-June session and she may be able to change the evening sessions to different nights than the afternoon sessions.

Today we get our 8 courts back and everyone is happy !!!

Pickleball Canada Newsletters. Snack Scheldule

Pickleball Canada August and September Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_september.pdf

TUESDAYS SNACKS SCHEDULE:

July 19 -Lesley & Nigel
July 26 - Shirley
Aug 2 - Michelle
Aug 9 - Iris
Aug 16 - Henrietta
Aug 23 - Bill
Aug 30 - Joyce

Pickleball Canada Director Christine from Kelowna

Busy Tuesday on all 8 pickleball courts, we welcomed Christine, a Board member of Pickleball Canada to play with us. She is a strong player from Kelowna. Her husband is enjoying salmon fishing on the Fraser River. She told me they enjoyed eating salmon raw like sushi. Mandy's brother Brian and his wife Audrey from Langley played for the first time. Other new players include Al, Jesse and another Brian who is Mat's racquetball friend. About 25 players enjoyed some delicious watermelon, cookies, cheese and crackers brought by Joyce.

Pickleball Canada Wins the Name Battle

Pickleball Canada Wins the Name Battle by Pickleball Canada President Colin Caldwell
http://southsurreypickleball.blogspot.com/
Pickleball Canada has received a notification from Corporations Canada that Canada Pickleball Association has changed its name to Canadian Pickleball Federation effective August 18, 2011. The Canada Pickleball name was the name Brent Johner and Chuck Lefaive had registered in order to confuse and now they have been required to change the name by Corporations Canada.

Pickleball Canada filed an 'Allegation of Name Confusion' to Corporations Canada and defended our name Pickleball Canada and successfully won the name battle.

It has been a long hard battle to preserve our Pickleball Canada name and to prevent confusion as to who truly is the representative for pickleball in Canada. Pickleball Canada is therefore truly the governing body of Pickleball in Canada. Don't be fooled by imitations.

This confusion has led to many questions being asked of our Board members. The most frequent question is "I've been approached to join Canada Pickleball for free, is that you guys?" To that question I responded, "Absolutely not".

The group Canada Pickleball or Canadian Pickleball Federation who has been offering free memberships so they can pad their numbers with the hope that players and Sports Canada will recognize them as representatives of Pickleball in Canada. If anyone in Canada approaches you to join their group for free, be advised that they are not Pickleball Canada. If you have any concern, feel free to contact me via our website
www.pickleballcanada.org/ or at cbcaldwell@shaw.ca

Mike, Pickleball Canada Ambassador teaches New Players

On Saturday, Mike, Pickleball Canada Ambassador, was teaching 4 new players: ARC attendant Meggie, Jane from ARC Cafe, Jesse and his dad Al. Jesse works as a manager at DHL international courier for 30 years. He now discovered pickleball and loves it, he even learned how to do spins with his groundstrokes.

USAPA Director Earl Hill Visits from Tacoma

At ARC last Wednesday it was nice to meet Earl Hill, a USAPA Director from Tacoma, Wa. Earl winters in Surprise, Arizona. He met Carol in Utah where they played mixed doubles and won Gold medals three years ago. Earl brought two couples (both names are Ron) from Lynden, Wa. We enjoyed some competitive games and shared cookies, coffee and a yellow mini-watermelon that Jane brought, first time I tried a yellow one, sweet and delicious !!

Pickleball Demo Air on Shaw TV, Monday Aug 22

Shaw TV did a video of a pickleball demostration at ARC last Tuesday. It will air on Monday August 22 at 3pm, 6pm and 10 pm Channel 4.
The video is linked on YouTube. Click on the link below and see the video on Wellbrook Winery on the Express Aug 22, 2011 Part 2:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JspmBxOpGLE.html

B.C. Seniors Games 2011 Photos & Winners

B.C.Seniors Games 2011 Aug 16-20 Castlegar/Nelson/Trail Winners:
Abbotsford and Chilliwack - 13 Gold, 6 Silver and 7 Bronze medals:
Womens Doubles Competitive 65-69 Gold Carol Haworth/Diane Hill
Womens Doubles Recreational 70-74 Gold Jane Squires/Bjarnasan
Mens Doubles Recreational 55-59 Gold Dave Shepherd/Mat Khan
Mens Doubles Recreational 55-59 Gold Dave Shepherd/Mat Khan
Mens Doubles Recreational 70-74 Gold Danny Garinger/Cain
Mixed Doubles Competitive 70-74 Gold Carol Haworth/Andy Mezer
Mixed Doubles Competitive 60-64 Gold Kathy Parkes/Henry Meerkerk
Mixed Doubles Competitive 60-64 Gold Kathy Parkes/Henry Meerkerk
Mixed Doubles Recreational 55-59 Gold Mat Khan/Pat Khan
Mixed Doubles Recreational 55-59 Gold Mat Khan/Pat Khan
Mixed Doubles Recreational 70-74 Gold Herb Peters/Jane Squires
Mixed Doubles Recreational 70-74 Gold Herb Peters/Jane Squires
Mixed Dobules Recreational 60-64 Gold Jerry Ruldoph/Beryl Kusch

Womens Doubles Competitive 60-64 Silver Kathy Parkes/Laura Zanen
Mens Doubles Recreational 60-64 Silver Ken Witt/Fred Hubbick
Womens Doubles Recreational Silver Annette McEwen/Pat Khan
Womens Doubles Recreational Silver Annette McEwen/Pat Khan
Mens Doubles Competitive Silver Henry Meerkerk/David Ulis
Womens Doubles Recreational Silver Mandy Witt/Beryl Kusch

Womens Doubles Recreational 55-59 Bronze Shirley Shepherd/Val Priebe
Mens Doubles Recreational 60-64 Bronze Herb Peters/Jerry Ruldoph
Mens Doubles Recreational 60-64 Bronze Herb Peters/Jerry Ruldoph
Mixed Doubles Recreational 60-64 Bronze Ken Witt/Mandy Witt
Mixed Doubles Recreational 60-64 Bronze Ken Witt/Mandy Witt
Mixed Doubles Recreational 65-69 Bronze Gerry Logan/Danny Garinger
Mixed Doubles Recreational 65-69 Bronze Gerry Logan/Danny Garinger

More photos:

s1112.photobucket.com/albums/k493/colincaldwell/BC%20Senior%20Games/

B.C. Seniors Games Infomation

First a big thanks to Fred Hubbick, Ken Witt and Jane Squires for many hours of helping get Zone 3 Picklers organized and registered.

In 2010 there were 53 picklers at the Senior Games, this year it should be 73 representing 7 zones out of the 12, so our numbers are growing. Our objective is the double that number for 2012 when the games will be in Burnaby.

1. Wed. Aug 17th 8:30am - 10pm in Castlegar at 2101 6th Avenue . Accreditation, the picking up of your name tags, travel cheque ($125/participant) meeting other participants, displays from different zones and sponsers. Go to this site http://2011bcseniorsgames.org/index.php/special-events and click on the different events and you will get more details and exact locations and maps than below.

2. Wear your Zone 3 Blue T-shirt + your participation Name Badge to all the Pickleball competitions and events. PickleBall on Thur. & Fri at Willi Krause Field House 1801 Hwy 3B in Trail.

3. The Opening Ceremonies ( wed evening 5-8 at Haley Park in Trail) and closing Banquet (Castlegar Complex friday banquet 5-7, dance 8-10:30) are memorable events...

The link to see the participant draws is:
http://www.bcgames.net/results/results.aspx

Here are the times and address where we are going to pick up our Accreditation packages in Castlegar:
http://www.2011bcseniorsgames.org/index.php/special-events/details/31-accreditation

Here’s where we play Pickleball in Trail:
http://www.2011bcseniorsgames.org/index.php/sports-and-venues/details/21-pickleball

PICKLEBALLERS CLIMB PODIUM - Abbotsford News

Abbotsford News - Sports
Sports in brief: B.C. Selects set to face Blaze
http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/sports/126802933.html

PICKLEBALLERS CLIMB PODIUM

By Staff Writer - Abbotsford News
Published: August 04, 2011 3:00 PM

Local teams showed well at the second annual Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament, held last month at Abbotsford Recreation Centre.

The duo of Rhys Martel and Mike Shepherd won silver in the men's doubles under-55 category, while Elaine Griffiths and Kathy Parkes (ladies doubles 55-plus) and George Pool and Ganbat Tsend (men's doubles under-55) won bronze.

Pickleball, a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton and tennis, is said to be one of the fastest-growing sports in North America.

Competitive Round Robin at Cloverdale Recreation Centre Sept 17

Competitive Round Robin at Cloverdale Rec. Centre, 6188 - 176 Street, Surrey, BC, Sept 17 from 9 am to 12 noon, drop-in fee. Players who have tentatively signed up:
Colin & Andrea
Karen & Del
Elaine
Edie
Olga & John
Shirley & Dave
Dave Touchet
John & Beryl
Peter Darvill
Jacques
Luba
Dennis
Reg Skinner
Mike
Rhys
Henry

Anyone interested, please let Shirley or Dave know.

B.C. Seniors Games in Trail Next Week

Good luck to all our players who will be competing next week in B.C. Seniors Games in Trail, Castlegar and Nelson, B.C. The 16 players representing Abbotsford and Chilliwack are Carol, Kathy, Dave, Shirley, Pat, Matt, Herb, Jerry, Ken, Mandy, Jane, Henry, John, Annette, Gerry and Danny. The pickleball will be played in Trail next Thursday and Friday. The theme for the dinner and dance on Friday is the 50's Grease and Lightning (after finding out what is a poodle skirt, I bought a 50's costume for this event). We are looking forward to the fun and competition !!!

New Pickleball Canada Member Pete Darvill

New Pickleball Canada Member Pete Darvill by Dave Shepherd (Photo of Pete's friends trying out Pete's new USAPA portable net, looks fantastic!!)
Pete Darvill is a golfing friend of mine who joined Pickleball Canada recently. I introduced Pete to pickleball about one year ago. He plays in Ladner and Richmond about 3 times per week, also plays in Cloverdale maybe once a week. He also plays golf 5 days a week with me. He also plays baseball and racquetball although golf and pickleball are his main sports today.

He grew frustrated at trying to get a local municipality to convert an unused tennis court to pickleball so he bought a portable net from USAPA as well as a chalk line and constructs his own outdoor court any time he needs to. Having played some outdoor games in Mesa, he wanted to have that opportunity here as well as the indoor facilities. Now he can play anytime, anywhere in Canada and USA.
The net is the $140.00 net from USAPA website.
Congratulations, Pete and welcome to Pickleball Canada!!

Delta Parks and Rec are in the process of revitalising the 3 tennis courts at Cromie Park [adjacent to Ladner elementary School] and are willing to line some PBall courts! They will be painting the lines in order to accomodate both tennis and pickleball!!!

Tuesday Afternoon Full with 28 Players

Four courts were full with about 28 players, 12 players waiting to play. ARC was so nice to open up four more courts for us. Lots of players: Matt, Pat, Annette, Kathy, Carol, Dean, Henrietta, Michelle, Iris, Tom, Richard, Henry, Martin, Lesley, Nigel, Elaine, George, Ben, Bill, Ken, Mandy, Grant. Dillon and Bal are two new younger players. We welcomed two new players Jason (Joyce's son) and his girlfriend Aimee from Australia. They are on their way to Nova Scotia. Aimee is from Nova Scotia and she said it can get as cold as -30 there. Joyce and I taught them how to play for the first time and they really enjoyed it. They stayed for snacks and enjoyed watermelon, pickles, cheese and chips and friendly chats with us.

4 Pickleball Courts this Week and Aug 8 Week

This week we will only have 4 courts on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon due to the summer kids sportball schedule. On Aug 8 and Aug 10, we will also only have four courts. This summer only three weeks are interrupted with 4 courts, otherwise we always have 8 courts available to pickleball.

A Message from Terry McLaughlin in Scotland

We have an email message from Terry McLaughlin in Scotland. He is staying with his wife's mother in Kirriemuir, Scotland, a beautiful red sandstone town not far from St. Andrews. It is also Dave's hometown and Terry and Anne visited Dave's sister and brother-in-law. He wants to say "Hello" to all pickleballers. He went to Scotland last January for one year and he will be back next January. Sounds like he misses us and pickleball:

Terry McLaughlin here; say hello to all at the pickle ball, not getting any PB over here in Scotland but have been getting lots of golf and walking.

We will be heading back in January and will get back to some pickleball then, give our best regards to everyone.
Terry

New Pickleball Time Saturday 6 - 7:45pm

Saturday evening 6-7:45 pm is a new time at ARC!!! Many families are playing pickleball and enjoying this great sport together. Tonight Herman, his son and two grandsons were playing pickleball. Mike, Dave and I played with Rhys and Herman. Herman's son played the first time with his two sons ages 6 and 10, laughing, rallying and having a lot of fun.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are always full of players on all 8 courts. Last Thursday 8 courts were full with about 35 players. Mike and I played with Grant and his brother Doug and his wife (both visiting from Tokyo, Japan). Grant's son Isaiah also played really well. Mike and I taught a young couple how to play a game. Young players can pick up this game quickly and play really well in a short period of time.

Wednesdays 'New to Pickleball' are always full with regular players as well as new players. Last Wednesday Andre, Grant, Nigel, Leslie, Herb, Annette, George, Claire, Jane, Robin from Calgary, Mike, Kathy were there. Nigel, Leslie and their daughter Caroline are new players.

ABBOTSFORD NEWS - EYE ON THE BALL

http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/sports/125577518.html
PHOTO: Eye on the ball by John Morrow
Published: July 14, 2011 10:00 AM
Updated: July 14, 2011 10:24 AM
Beryl Kusch connects on a return during the second annual Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament on Saturday at Abbotsford Rec Centre. The event drew 67 entries from across B.C. and Washington State. Pickleball, a raquet sport that combines elements of badminton and tennis, is said to be one of the fastest-growing sports in North America.

ABBOTSFORD 2ND ANNUAL PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT

July 9, 2011 Abbotsford 2nd Annual Pickleball Tournament was a great success !!!

ARC was swarmed with players arriving as early as 7 am and our tournament was finished at about 6 pm. We had about 67 competitors from all over B.C. including Nanaimo, Ladner, Port Moody, Kelowna, Chilliwack, South Surrey and two from Washington State. We were lucky to have a visitor from Sacramento who was able to fill in for a player unable to make it. We took a group photo at 8:30 am with about 52 players in attendance, about 15 players under 55 arrived later. We had many of the top players in the province playing. The level of play was fantastic, 3.5 to 5 levels.

An Abbotsford News photographer stayed for some time taking many photographs. He had never seen pickleball before but he is enthused about the game and can't wait to play. An ARC Senior Newsletter photographer was also there taking some pictures.

A big thank you to Laura Kerr and Ryan from ARC who helped all day in setting up, player registrations, supplying beautiful medals and excellent food, organizing both gyms for the tournament.

Thanks to our sponsors who provided the door prizes: ARC, Pickleball Canada, Murray GM, S-Type Sports, North Bellingham Golf Course and other anonymous donors.

Thanks to all our volunteers: Colin, Catherine, Dorothy, Leslie and Nigel. Referees: Pat, Mandy and Elaine. Line judges: Ken and Grant... Thanks to Grant representing S-Type Sports helping us at our tournament.

Congratulations to all the medal Winners:

Mixed Doubles 55+
Gold John Kusch/Elaine Lerner
Silver Colin Caldwell/Theresa Orcutt
Bronze Pat Copp/David Touchet

Mens Doubles 55+
Gold John Kusch/David Touchet
Silver Del Iggulden/Paul Ellis
Bronze Ronnie Pitcher/Garth Watkins

Ladies Doubles 55+
Gold Elaine Lerner/Theresa Orcutt
Silver Pat Copp/Terry Saunders
Bronze Elaine Griffiths/Kathy Parkes

Mixed Doubles Under 55
Gold Luba Zhekhovskaya/Denis Zhekhovskiy
Silver Del Iggulden/Karen Iggulden
Bronze Brenda Ellis/Reg Skinner

Mens Doubles Under 55
Gold Reg Skinner/Denis Zhekhovskiy
Silver Rhys Martel/Mike Shepherd
Bronze George Pool/Ganbat Tsend

Ladies Doubles Under 55
Gold Karen Iggulden/Luba Zhekhovskaya
Silver Madalene Choy/Jody Yeh
Bronze Dee Pitcher/Trudy Pitcher

Fantastic prizes: Pickleball shoulder holders, paddle covers and T-Shirts from Pickleball Canada, a new Storm Paddle from S-Type Sports, two golf passes from North Bellingham Golf Course, two 'Cadillac' teddy bears and Upholstery cleaners from Murray GM, paddle cover from Grant Brittain, ARC personal training session passes, ARC one month passes, other prizes from pickleball friends include Cross pen, silver tray, two silver sandwich trays, glass salad bowl, electric juicer, kitchen utensil holder, 5 boxes of chocolates, water bottles and thermal mugs.

There were at least 5 parent and son/daughter teams. Congratulations to one family won gold medals: Luba Zhekhovskaya/Denis Zhekhovskiy, another family won Silver medals: Dee Pitcher and Trudy Pitcher.

Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament Information

Abbotsford 2nd Annual Pickleball Tournament
Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C.
July 9, 2011. 8:30 am - 5 pm.

Players should make sure they are on time to check in (some may need to sign waivers) and be ready to play by 8:30 am. The first division to play will be Mixed Doubles 55+ with 16 teams on 8 courts at 8:30 am. The other five divisions will follow in no particular order: Mens Doubles 55+, Ladies Doubles 55+, Mixed Doubles Under 55, Mens Doubles Under 55, Ladies Doubles Under 55. There will be over 100 matches.

There will be a brief rules meeting ten minutes beforehand. We look forward to seeing you all on July 9 !!!

Tournament Information:
- Double Elimination format.
- All games to 15 win by two.
- Green Jugs indoor ball will be used.
- Red wrist bands provided to first servers on both teams.
- Name tags provided.
- Two to three minutes warm-up only.
- Two one-minute time outs per team per match if required.
- Coins will be available at court side to decide first serve or sides.
- Teams can switch sides at 8, if so desired.
- Winners responsible to provide the score card to either a court runner or Scorekeeper.
- Finals in Gold matches will be refereed.
- Medals will be presented to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers for Mens. Ladies and Mixed Doubles.
- Photographs will be taken at the medal presentations.
- Prize draws in the afternoon. You must be present or have someone present for you to win a draw prize.
- Lunch provided betwenn 11:30 - 1:30pm.
- Coffee and baked goods and fruit available throughout the day.

Thanks to all Registrants for July 9 Tournament

Abbotsford 2nd Annual Pickleball Tournament
July 9, 2011. 8:30 am - 5 pm.
Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C.

Thanks to all registrants for our July 9 Pickleball Tournament. Players from all over B.C. including Kelowna, Nanaimo, Ladner, Richmond, Chilliwack, South Surrey have registered. Because of the mail strike, players had to fax in or call ARC to register. I was busy with 'partner search' and lined up partners for about 16 players. We could not accept any more players for Mixed Doubles 55+ because it is full with a maximum of 32 players. The overall number of players have increased this year. Players ages range from 18 to 80. This year there are more younger players, the number of players in Mixed Doubles Under 55 have doubled, two players are 18 years old. The tournament is Double Elimination format. There will be medals for winners, draw prizes and lots of competition and fun !!!

Players should make sure they are there on time to register and be ready to play by 8:30 am. There will be a brief rules meeting ten minutes beforehand. The first group to play will be Mixed Doubles 55+ with 16 teams on 8 courts at 8:30 am. We look forward to seeing you all on July 9 !!!

International Federation of Pickleball (IFP)

Bill Booth, President, USAPA
The USAPA is pleased to welcome Pickleball Canada to the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) that was initially founded by the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) and the USAPA.

The IFP was organized to perpetuate the growth and advancement of pickleball throughout the world. The member organizations representing their respective countries have agreed to conduct the business of the IFP in conformance to the Constitution and Bylaws of the IFP. Member organizations also support the International Rules of Pickleball. The IFP website, http://ipickleball.org/, was established in April 2010.

The international rules were adapted from the rules of the USAPA that were first published in March 1984 and include all revisions to date. The next published version of the rulebook will contain IFP rules and replace the current USAPA version.

The three member organizations are currently the only organizations that are the governing bodies of the sport in their respective countries. Pickleball is played in other countries, but the sport has not developed in any of those countries to the point where a formal organization exists. That will change as the sport continues to grow.

The IFP sets the stage for all countries to join in future international competition with a common set of rules.

Gym Closures June 23 - July 3

ARC's gym 1 and gym 2 will be closed for floor resurfacing from June 23 at 5 pm to July 3. It looks like there will be pickleball on Thursday June 23 since the gyms are closed at 5 pm. The gyms will be open on Monday July 4.

Canada Post Strike - Tournament Registration Deadline June 20

Due to the Canada Post strike, there may be some disruption in mail delivery across Canada. Please call ARC 604-853-4221 to register for July 9 Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament. Credit card can be used as payment. The deadline to register is June 20. Please register before it is full !!!

Certificate of Thanks from Simonds School, Langley, B.C.

Dave, Shirley and Mike Shepherd gave 18 hours of free Pickleball instructions at Simonds Elementary School in Langley, B.C. on June 8, 2011.

Volunteer Pickleball Instructions at Langley School

Pickleball Canada volunteers Dave, Shirley and Mike Shepherd gave 18 hours of free Pickleball instructions at Simonds Elementary School in Langley, B.C. We taught 4 P.E. classes to about 120 students, grade 5-7. The school has the pickleball equipments and they lowered the badminton nets. The students and teachers were very happy to learn how to play pickleball. At first the students could hardly hit the ball, but after one and a half hours, they were even rallying, laughing and having a great time!!! Two teachers play tennis so they were excellent at it and we even played a game with them during the lunch hour. It was a very satisfying experience for us to see them learning this new game of Pickleball and enjoying it!!!

Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament July 9, 2011, Registration Deadline June 20, 2011

Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament at ARC on July 9, 2011

About 45 players from all over B.C. have already registered. Your registration form and payment must be received by the deadline June 20, 2011 to Sara Wood, Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C. V2S 7R3.

If you are mailing in your registration form and payment, please mail it at least one week before the deadline date of June 20. Hurry to register before it is full!!!

If you have any question, please CONTACT US: abbotsfordpickleball@shaw.ca

Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament at ARC July 9

Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament at ARC on July 9. Hurry to Register!!!
About 35 players have signed up already, spaces are going fast!!! Many players from Kelowna, South Surrey, Cloverdale, Nanaimo have registered. 15 Abbotsford players have signed up for our Pickleball Tournament. The tournament is double elimination format, mixed doubles, mens doubles and ladies doubles 55+ and under 55. Please register before it is full.

NEW Creekside Community Centre Vancouver

NEW Creekside Community Centre
1 Athletes Way
Vancouver, BC V5Y 0B1
(604) 257-3050
Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-11:45AM
Friday 2:00-4:45PM
Dave and Colin went to Creekside Community Centre to hold a pickleball clinic: volleys, drop shots, dinks, non-volley zone and positional play. They met 8 players including Bob, Georgia and Hugh. Angela Kong also visited from Sunset Community Centre. The Creekside facility is brand new and very modern. This is a great place to play in Vancouver with a very friendly group of players. They were all very welcoming to Dave and Colin. It is located in the Athletes Village on False Creek. Free parking available on the street or underground parking $2/hr. Drop-in pickleball $2.

Surrey Schools Recognition to Pickleball Canada

This is a plaque from Surrey School District #36 for Pickleball Canada Association:

"In gracious recognition of Pickleball Canada Association for their generous support of the DREAMS Spring Break Programs in the Surrey School District, signed by Laurae McNally, Chair, Board of School Trustees, School District No. 38 (Surrey), April 4, 2011"

During this Spring Break Program, Dave, Shirley, Mike Shepherd and Herb Peters from Abbotsford gave free 20 hours of Pickleball instructions to approximately 180 students at five schools in Surrey, B.C.

Kelowna Pickleball Tournament May 14, 2011

It was an excellent tournament, well attended and everyone had a good time, note all the smiling faces, 77 in photo. There was a table with about 25 homemade cakes, muffins, cookies, fruit and coffee which we could snack on all day and a very nice lunch included.

Colin Caldwell and his partner's won GOLD in Men's Doubles and also Mixed Doubles, competitive. Dave Shepherd won Bronze in Men's recreational. Jim Saunders (organizer of this event and his partner Doug Ross won Silver in Men's Doubles. Then Jim & Terry (his wife) Saunders won Silver in Mixed Doubles.

Two of the best players in Canada, SJ Lehman and Ronnie Pitcher were there, as a team they won every game they played but had to leave before the final game so had to accept 3rd Bronze. It was both fun and entertaining to watch all players. Kelowna Global TV was there capturing s video of the tournament.

The great news is we signed up 14 new members on the spot and might get a few more in the mail. Pickelball Canada now has over 400 members.

Click on this link to see a video from Global TV on the West Kelowna Tournament Held Saturday May 14, 2011...there is a short commercial first
www.globaltvedmonton.com/Popularity+pickleball+rise/4785563/story.html

B.C.Senior Games Playdown in Surrey

Yesterday about 14 players from Abbotsford went to South Surrey Recreation Centre for the Playdown for the B.C. Seniors Games. There were a total of about 25 players there. We played some games in mixed, mens and ladies doubles. We met John Kusch and his wife Beryl and Fred Hubbick who helped me find a partner. I met my new partner Valerie who is very nice and friendly, we played well together. We will try to do some practise before the games in August.

Bill Vroom - Biography of Pickleball Player

Bill Vroom was born in the Netherlands in 1929. He came from a large family of 10 boys and 3 girls. They lived on a farm and Bill enjoyed milking cows.

During the war in 1945, the Germans bombed a big hole in his family's farm and flooded their house. People had no food. Some people came to get food at his farm and some were hiding there. The Germans pointed a gun to his Dad's head and asked to see his papers, he showed them false papers, luckily they believed him.

At age 17, he came to Canada with two brothers and the rest of his family came a year later. He married his wife in 1953 and they have five children, 23 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Bill was a home builder in Oshawa, Whitby and Bowmanville of Ontario, he owned a construction company. He moved to B.C. about two and a half years ago.

At age 64, Bill had prostate cancer and underwent surgery. That was 17 years ago, so he is a cancer survivor. His wife has Alzheimer's and they live in Manor House which provides home cooked meals for seniors.

Bill has played pickleball for two years. He is very friendly, active and fit, he can jump up to hit a ball hard like a strong younger man. He is a kind gentleman who brought a lot of food for our snack time. He has an excellent memory and he can add numbers very fast. I was impressed when he helped me to add up the scores of our round robin tournament in seconds (most people need a calculator) really incredible!

39 Players Tuesday Afternoon, Coffee, Snack

Eight courts were full with 39 players. Many new players: Nigel, Leslie and their daughter Caroline, two new players from Vernon. Some players from Chilliwack: Carol, Elaine. Glad to see John Kusch (best player who won many gold medals) and his wife from South Surrey. They both registered to play at our upcoming pickleball tournament. I played with John and it was fun winning against Dave and Rod. At snack time, about 25 players gathered for coffee and snacks. Thanks to Henrietta for bringing chocolates and refreshing fresh fruit which were so delicious after playing pickleball!
TUESDAYS SNACKS SCHEDULE:

April 5 - George
April 12 - Shirley
April 19 - Bill
April 26 - Gord
May 3 - Henrietta
May 10 - Al
May 17 - Herb

Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament July 9,2011

Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament at ARC on July 9.
Your registration form and payment must be received by the deadline June 20, 2011 to Sara Wood, Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C. V2S 7R3. Our maximum number of participants is 76 players, double elimination format, 6 divisions of mixed, mens and ladies doubles 55+ and under 55. Please register before it is full.
TUESDAYS SNACKS SCHEDULE:

May 24 - Joanne
May 31 - Gerry
Jun 7 - Pat
Jun 14- Mandy & Ken
Jun 21 - Shirley
Jun 28 - Gyms closed
July 5 - Annette
July 12 - Michelle
July 19 -Lesley & Nigel

Tom Hill, Pickleball Player Biography

I would like to write-up on our pickleball players. Biography of Tom Hill:
Tom Hill was born in Winnipeg in 1934. At age 18, he joined the RCMP and worked for 35 years as a plain clothes policeman doing major investigations. During his 35 years with the RCMP, 16 years were spent in Saskatchewan and 19 years in B.C.

At age 53, he travelled with his wife for two years, sold their house in West Vancouver and built a house in Abbotsford. He also had a business manufacturing wine boxes for wines sold in the Okanagan. Those wine boxes later were sold as bird feeders.

He worked as a Coroner for the City of Abbotsford for over ten years doing major investigations on special cases. Tom retired at the age of 65.

He joined our pickleball group two years ago and enjoys playing and socializing at snack times, he likes coffee. He has some wicked spin on his serves and ground strokes that are very difficult to return. He has a great sense of humour and we all love having him in our group!

35 Players Tuesday Coffee & Snacks

Eight courts were full with about 35 players Tuesday afternoon. Most snowbirds are back and some players from Chilliwack: Carol, Cathy, Brian, Elaine, Dorothy, newer players: Iris, Sheryl, Janet, Denny, Gerry, George, Claire, Barry, Ben, regular players: Rod, two Jerry, Bill, Rhys, Tom, Herb, Joan, Pat, Matt, Dennis, Martin, Catherine, Henrietta, Michelle, Al, Ganbat, Ken, Mandy, Dave, Shirley and Mike. About 25 players enjoyed Gord's delicious platter of various fruit, cookies and cake with coffee, tea, happy chats and many players signed up for the upcoming B.C.Seniors Games.

Many More New Pickleball Players

We have many more new pickleball players joining us as regulars: Colin, Joanne, Iris, Leslie and her husband. Joanne and Colin are playing extremely well. There are also many new younger players in the evening pickleball sessions learning how to play.

We welcomed our snowbirds back from Arizona and California: Carol, Frank, Gord, Ken and Mandy, Danny and Gerry. So nice to see them back!

Yesterday people waited 4-5 hours at the US border to go down there for their Easter weekend, good exchange rate and saving money. Have a Happy Easter!

ARC Special Recognition to Volunteers

Dave, Shirley and Mike were invited to an ARC Volunteer Luncheon on April 16, 2011. We would like to thank Thrifty Foods for donating the delicious sandwiches, salad, fruit and cake. About 35 volunteers enjoyed the lunch together with ARC's senior staff. Each volunteer was presented with a 'Special Recognition' award which reads "Thank you for the key role you play on the Abbotsford Recreation Centre Team - Because of your efforts The abbotsford Recreation Centre is a welcoming & inclusive place where seniors can learn, connect, socialize & actively contribute." We are happy to volunteer at ARC because Volunteering not only benefits the community; it can also be an enriching and satisfying experience for the volunteers.

International Pickleball Week

All eight courts were full of 30 players. Nice to see Rod, Velma, Ken, Mandy, Allan and Julie back from Arizona. I taught a new younger player Nick who played so well that he can play with the advanced players. At snack time, we celebrated International Pickleball Week (April 11-17) with coffee, cookies, oranges and a large cake!

Pickleball Canada Volunteer Instructors

Dave, Mike, Herb and I volunteered to be Pickleball instructors for a 2nd day for Pickleball Canada as requested by Surrey School Board for their 'Dream Camp' Program. We taught about 85 students in two other schools today, morning and afternoon classes, ages from Kingergarten to Grade 7.

We played different games with them. One tossed a ball and the other hits it, they switched sides after a few minutes (this gets them to be able to hit a ball). One game that they enjoyed: they line up to hit a ball, if they hit it back to the instructor, they go back to the back of the line, if it goes sideways, they have to pick up the ball and sit out, the last one in the lineup is the winner. Then boys in one line, girls in one line to play the same game. Most children cannot hit a ball at first, but after one and half hour, they can even rally. They also learned how to serve and the older ones even leaned how to play a game. Everyone enjoyed it including their teachers!

Teaching Pickleball to Students in Surrey

Today four volunteers from Abbotsford, Dave, Mike, Herb and I went to Surrey to teach students how to play pickleball. We would like to thank ARC and Maclure Elementary School for lending paddles and balls for the students use. The students range from kindergarten to Grade 7. We taught 120 students in 3 schools, morning and afternoon classes. Tomorrow is another day of teaching in Surrey again. The teachers were very helpful and the students loved it. We were amazed how well these young kids can hit the balls and even serve, they just need patience, kindness and encouragement. We also enjoyed this great experience!

All Courts Full Tuesday Afternoon & night

All eight courts were full of players Tuesday afternoon with three snowbirds back from Arizona: Frank, Gord and Herb's brother Rudy. Annette is away in Bellingham, her husband John brought cookies, granola bars and grapes for our snacks, thanks, John.

All four courts were also full of players at night with many advanced players Matt, Mike, George. Dave and I played with two excellent new players Bob (racquetball A player and mortgage broker) and Warren (tennis A player) with strong groundstrokes and volleys. Very competitive fun games!

Eight Courts Full Tuesday, Coffee, Tea & Snacks

Eight courts were full of 32 players Tuesday afternoon. We have many more new players. I asked Joel to request eight courts for the summer because we will have even more players when the snowbirds are back. Thank you Michelle for the delicious cookies, red grapes and strawberries which we all enjoyed with coffee and tea.

Pickleball Staff Training Thursday

About 28 players played on Thursday afternoon. Mike played with Joan's grandson Brandon on his Spring break. Henrietta and I taught Herman and Jane's sister Susan (tennis player) who is visiting Jane from England. I asked Susan to introduce Pickleball to England when she goes back home. About 12 players enjoyed coffee and tea after pickleball.

At 7:30, Dave and I held a two hour ARC Staff training with Joel, Jimmy, Bryce and Sara. Both Bryce and Sara played for the first time. Bryce is a young personal trainer and a badminton attendant. Both he and Sara learned very fast. Sara played so well that it looked like she played for months. She played volleyball before so she has athletic experience. Andre also played volleyball before and he is a A+ player. George, Andre, Matt and his friends played their A+ games. Jimmy, Mike and I taught four more new players on other courts.

Tuesday Pickleball, Coffee & Snacks

About 24 players showed up on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, 3 new players: Joanne, Iris, Paul. Herman is back from Europe on a business trip. Matt and Pat came back from their trip to Mexico. After pickleball, about 14 players enjoyed coffee and snacks. Thanks to Pat for bringing delicious cookies, cakes and strawberries.

At 7:30, four courts were overfilled with mostly energetic young players, so the attendant opened up four more courts. About 20 young players (kids, teenagers, young adults) were having a lot of fun. I played some games with younger Matt, George and Claire. Dave played with Matt and his three racquetball friends who hit very hard ground strokes. Temperature gone from -4C to 10C in 1 week.

West Kelowna Annual Spring Pickleball Tournament

West Kelowna Annual Spring Pickleball Tournament
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Mt. Boucherie School Gym 2751 Cameron Road, West Kelowna
Tournament Format: Double Elimination for Participants Age 50 and up. Only USAPA approved paddles allowed (no Apike and Hush paddles).Deadline for entry: May 6, 2011 Check-in Time: 30 minutes before first event(Entry limited to the first 60 players) To register: call the District of West Kelowna Recreation and Culture Department at: 778-797-8800 cash, Debit, MasterCard or Visa accepted.
Entry Fee: $25.00 (for up to 4 events) Registration form:
http://www.usapa.org/file/can/2011_0514_kelowna.pdf

Staff Training &Teaching Students in Spring Break

About 22 players showed up on a rainy Thursday afternoon. 3 new players: Iris played very well for the first time. Colin is an avid cyclist so he plays well and runs fast. Another new player Joanne played a couple of times. Martin is back from California after two months away. About 12 players enjoyed coffee and chat with each other. New players really enjoyed meeting new friends at coffee time.

At 7:30pm, four courts were packed with players. Henry, Andre, Mike and two other good players played many competitive games. At least 12 new young energetic players were happily rallying but most of them left after less than half an hour. I interviewed some new players and they would love to learn how to play the game. We need instructors to teach them at night. Dave and I will be training ARC staff next week to teach them how to play, teach, encourage and arrange games for new players so they stay longer and come back. We will also be teaching over 100 students in Surrey during Spring break. Any volunteers who would like to help, please let us know.

Farewell to Terry Away to Scotland for 1 year

About 22 players on Thursday afternoon. So glad to see Henry and Rita back from California. After pickleball, about 14 players enjoyed coffee and said farewell to our friend Terry who will be going to Scotland with his wife Anne for one year to look after Anne's mother. We will miss them. He assures us that he is going to introduce pickleball to Scotland, bringing his paddles and balls.

At night about 20 players arrived, so Jimmy opened up four more courts. Three new excellent players John, Jerry and Zack are racquetball players. Andre works during the day now so he only plays at night. Dave, Mike and I played with the new players and with Matt, Andre, George and Claire. Lots of fun!!!

Thursday Pickleball, Coffee Time with Friends

About 22 players on Thursday afternoon with many new players, Hank and his wife Emma, George and Claire...Joel and I taught four new players. One new player Leo from California is an excellent player, his brother Don played last Tuesday for the first time. Don is from Salt Springs Island, he plans to start a pickleball program in the new Community Centre there. After pickleball, we all have coffee and chat with each other for two hours. Last Thursday about 16 players also stayed for coffee afterwards that we all want to start a Thursday coffee time as well as Tuesday's snack and coffee time.

At night four courts were full with about 20 players, Grant, Matt, Mike, Emily and her friend and many other new players. Dave, Mike and I taught four new players with attendant Jimmy's assistance. New players were so happy to learn how to play a game because rallying can be pretty boring. Tonight was very cold outside -4 C.

Rules and Equipment Conformity by PCA

At the Pickleball Canada Association's Annual General Meeting Feb 19,2010, the Board has voted and approved to abide by the international rules and equipment conformity of International Federation of Pickleball.

The debate over rules and specifications has gone on much too long and has promoted divisions within the Canada's Pickleball community. PCA Board has finally put that debate to rest as it pertains to sanctioned tournaments.

This decision now paves the way so that the PCA can conform with the rest of the global Pickleball community. It means that Apike and Hush paddles will be banned from PCA sanctioned tournaments because they do not meet material specifications under the international rules of International Federation of Pickleball.

High School Students Enjoy Pickleball

Wednesday's "New to Pickleball" with four courts filled with new players. Mike and Dave were host/instructors because Joel is sick. Both Mike and Catherine have volunteered for two months. Mike taught new players Colin, Lorraine, Louise and a new attendant Emily. About 12-15 students Grade 11 - 12 and their P.E. teacher from Yale High School were trying out pickleball and some of them played very well for the first time. Dave and Mike taught them the basics of the game: how to serve, two bounce rule, no-volley zone etc.

Pickleball Helps to Cure Back Pain

About 23 players Tuesday afternoon, 3 new players Hank, Sheila and Michelle's daughter Page. Mike played with Page who played very well for the first time. I played with Sheila and Hank who is an excellent player. Other excellent players: Matt, Ben, George, Jerry, Terry, Rhys, Casey, Dave, Mike, Pat, Annette. We all enjoyed Tom's delicious cheesecake, fig bars, chocolates and red grapes at our happy snack and coffee time with friendly chats among good friends.

Many players told me that playing pickleball helps to cure their back pain. Some golfers with back pain found that their back pain is gone after playing pickleball regularly. Playing pickleball is very good exercise, playing two hours twice a week help to strengthen back muscles to make it stronger. Weak muscles get sore easily. So many people found that they just have fun playing pickleball and their back pain is gone, they also get in shape and feel great!!!

28 Players Thursday Afternoon, 7 New players

About 28 players showed up Thursday afternoon on 8 courts with 7 new players: Garth, Herb, Christina, Paul, Joan, Ben and Jerry. Garth and Herb are strong young players, Mike and Grant taught them. Dave and I taught Christina. Ben, Jerry, George, Rhys, Casey and Herman are joining us as regular players at ARC.
TUESDAYS SNACKS SCHEDULE:
Feb 15 - Tom
Feb 22 - Catherine
Mar 1 - Richard
Mar 8 - Michelle
Mar 15 - Pat
Mar 22 - Jane
Mar 29 - Annette

Positions Open for Area Ambassadors, B.C.

We are very pleased to announce that Pickleball Canada Association has appointed six Area Ambassadors in B.C.: Kamloops, Trail, Peachland, Vancouver North Shore, Abbotsford and Nanaimo. (Updated Feb 28/11: 7th Ambassador appointed in Victoria, B.C.)

Area Ambassador positions are still open for Richmond, Surrey, Chilliwack, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Ladner, Tsawassen, Vancouver, Cloverdale, Tsawassen, Point Roberts, Salmon Arms, Oliver, Penticton, etc.

If you are interested to apply, please fill out the application form: http://pickleballcanada.org/forms/Ambassador%20Application%20Form.pdf and email it to Dave and Shirley Shepherd (PCA Provincial Ambassadors for B.C.) at pickleballbc@shaw.ca for recommendation.

ABBOTSFORD PICKLEBALL LOGO

This is a beautiful 'ABBOTSFORD PICKLEBALL' logo designed by Tom's granddaughter who is an Emily Carr Arts student. Tom, Al, Richard and Bill are already wearing shirts with this logo. If you would like to purchase this logo on your shirt, please contact Tom and give him a shirt to have the logo sewn on for only $10.

Round Robin Tournament Winners

Tournament Winners: First Place: Mike, Second: Jerry, Third: Casey

Round Robin Tournament with 16 players played 6 games in two hours. Catherine, Ben, Joan, Bill, Herman, Richard, Terry, Casey, Pat, Mike, Dean, Annette, John, Tom, Jerry, and Dennis. My son Mike won the first prize ribbon and a jar of 'pickles'. Jerry won the second prize ribbon. Casey won the third prize ribbon. Unbelivably four players tied for 4th place and two tied for 5th place.
Total scores of the top 9 players:
#1 - Mike 66
#2 - Jerry 64
#3 - Casey 59
#4 - Terry - 50 tie for 4th
#5 - Ben - 50 tie for 4th
#6 - John 50 tie for 4th
#7 = Tom 50 tie tie for 4th
#7 - Annette 48 tie for 5th
#8 - Pat 48 tie for 5th
After doing so many round robin tournaments, it looks like it does help to rank players quite well. Mike and Jerry are definitely A players so they won first and second place. The other players seem to score higher or lower according to their skill levels. Everyone had a great time today with lots of fun and competition !!!
ARC meeting with Kim Wilkinson is postponed till next week.

Feb 1, ARC Meeting & Round Robin Tournament

Many new players joined us to play on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays 'New to Pickleball' also had great success with about 12 new players learning to play pickleball yesterday.

We will be having a round robin doubles tournament at ARC next Tuesday like the one held last month with a maximum of 16 players, to play six games. 16 players already sign up, please arrive by 1:30 pm. on Feb 1

A meeting is scheduled with Kim Wilkinson, ARC Community Recreation Programmer on Feb. 1st at 3:30 pm. in Meeting Room 1 or in the Senior Activity Centre.

Notice to All Members of Pickleball Canada

Notice to All Members of Pickleball Canada As Chairman of the Nominating Committee of Pickleball Canada, I am asking for the names of players that you want to have considered for election to the Board of Pickleball Canada at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 19, 2011.

If you know of a player, that would be willing to serve in a position on the Board, please recommend them. We are looking for fresh ideas. We need players to put their names forward so we get the best candidates for the job. We want a democratic process and we can only get that if we have several candidates running for the same position.

So that the nominating committee can have time to review the names and prepare a list prior to February 19, 2011, we ask that all names be submitted to the chair, no later than February 15, 2011.

Please forward your nominations to Wayne Roswell at rwroswell@gmail.com
Your nominating committee,
Beverley Butt, Donna Robins, Wayne Roswell