New Year's Day Polar Pickleball

To celebrate 2013 like New Year's Day Polar swim, tomorrow there will be outdoor New Year's Day Polar Pickleball at 10.00am for a couple of hours at Yale Court , behind the tennis bubble close to ARC, using two of the lined courts on the basketball court with portable nets, and also the lined public tennis court. Grant is arranging this (he will bring the Tim Hortons hot chocolate and coffee, and outdoor pickleballs), Dave will bring 2 nets, Gene will be there etc. Hopefully we can get about a dozen players out for some pickleball on New Year's Day (weather permitting!). Happy New Year !!!

New Year Pickleball Resolutions ideas

New Year Pickleball Resolutions ideas:
1.  Get Active, exercise, play pickleball at least twice a week.
2.  Introduce Pickleball to a friend, neighbour or relative.
3.  Share your knowledge about the health benefits of Pickleball such as:  losing weight, improve memory, improve muscle tone, feeling good etc.
4.  Start a pickleball group or club in a new area.
5.  Volunteer to do something, e.g. teach pickleball to new players.
6.  Show good sportsmanship,  Lose with dignity, Win with grace.
7.  Compete in the Pickleball Canada National Championship next year.

2012 Pickleball Canada in Review

On behalf of Pickleball Canada, we want to thank all our members and supporters who help us promote pickleball in Canada.  We are proud of the accomplishments and we are looking forward to a great 2013.  Let us take a look at what we have accomplished together in 2012:
-  Approximately 80 New Places to Play started up in Canada, some as far away as New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia.
-  We welcomed Garth Matthews, new Provincial Ambassador for P.E.I.
-  We have appointed many new Area Ambassadors in all Canadian provinces.
-  New B.C. Area Ambassadors include Bruce Simpson, Walter Hermann for Vernon, Betty Loyst for Peachland, Alex Gendron in Nanaimo and Wayne King in Comox.
-   We held the first Pickleball Canada National Open Championship on July 7-8, 2012 with 168 players.
-   Pickleball Canada sanctioned the National Tournament in Abbotsford and the Ontario Tournament in 2012.
-  Pickleball Canada implemented the Tournament Point system to award points to winners in sanctioned tournaments.  We have announced the top 18 Pickleball Players who competed in sanctioned tournaments  in Canada .
-  Pickleball Canada implemented the Player Rating system in cooperation with USAPA/IFP so that players can have the same player ratings in the USA and Canada.
Happy New Year !!!  Happy pickling in 2013 !!!

Pickleball in Yarrow, B.C.

Pickleball will be played at Yarrow Community School Gym, contact: Sally Lum in Yarrow at 604-823-0257, cost is $2.00 for 6:30 - 9:30pm Mondays starting Mon. Jan 7th.  They welcome people as "drop ins". There are 4 courts with nets.

Thank You to 2012 National Championship Organizers, Sponsors and Volunteers

As 2012 draws to a close, Dave and I (National Tournament Directors) would like to thank all the organizers and volunteers who helped to make the Inaugural Pickleball Canada National Championship a resounding success.  Our big thank you to the City of Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman, ARC's Facility Manager Jenny Thornton, Recreation Coordinator Mandy Hadfield (she is now working in Langley Rec. Centre to be closer to home), ARC Recreation Coordinator Ryan Coreau, Dino Tsembelis, ARC registration, setup, food and clean-up crew and 16 volunteers from Yale Secondary School.   Our sincere thanks to Tourism Abbostsford, hotels who offered discounts, and many National and local Sponsors and our local  volunteers:  Henry and Rita Meerkerk, Herb Peters, Ken and Mandy Witt, Henrietta Waters, Jerry Rudolph, Mike Shepherd, Iris, Henry and Dawna, etc.   Thank you to all the Referee volunteers:  Carol Haworth, Grant Brittain, Brian and Kathy Parkes, Karen and Del Iggulden, Mandy Witt, Elaine Griffiths, Pat Khan, Earl Hill from WA, Rosie Roper from San Diego and many more.  Last and not least, thank you to the Board of Pickleball Canada.  Thank you very much for volunteering your time, effort and hard work, it is very much appreciated !!!

Pickleball Canada December Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

Vince Cuschieri Passing in Peachland, B.C.

It is with great sadness that we heard of the passing of Vince Cuschieri about a week ago.   He will be sadly missed  by many other Pickleball Players in the Okanagan Valley from Penticton to Kelowna, he played regularly in Peachland.

My grandmother passed away about two weeks ago peacefully at the age of 103 years.  We are very grateful that she had a wonderful happy life. 
“Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead.” ― Hans Christian Andersen

Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 6 -7, 2013

2013 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be held on July 6 - 7, 2013, hosted by the City of Abbostsford at Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C. The 2013 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be open to all players including USA. There will be Open (singles, doubles and mixed), 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, under 55 in mixed, mens and womens doubles, and a Juniors Singles event.
There are 21 events with limit of players:
Juniors Singles (18 years and under)
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 mail in your registration or register at Abbotsford Recreation Centre 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C.  Spaces are limited. Please register early !!! Click here for the tournament registration form. 

2012 Top 18 Pickleball Players in Canada

We are very proud to announce the 18 top Pickleball Canada players for 2012, these points were well earned at the tournaments in the National tournament in Abbotsford, B.C. and Provincial tournament in Oshawa, Ontario.  These are the two largest SANCTIONED tournaments in Canada. As more tournaments join our ranks, this list will grow and so will the points. You can only earn points if you are playing in a PCO sanctioned tournament and are a PCO member (membership has its privileges).
3200 Points - John Kusch, Diane Hill, Vera Loskot, Wayne Kennedy, Mike Schwartz, Laura Schwartz
2400 Points - Luba Zhekhovskaya, Denis Zhekhovskiy, Carol Haworth, Randy Bourne, Peter Darvill, Milda Postler
2000 Points - John Jetelina, Olga Jetelina, Pat Fosbery, Sue Fosbery, Bill Furse, Linda Furse
Benefits of Tournament Points: Tournament Points are awarded as recognition of achievement in Sanctioned Tournaments. Tournament Points will be used to publish a list of the top point winners at the end of each calendar year. Tournament Points may be used by Tournament Directors to determine seeding in tournament brackets. Tournament Points may be used by the Ratings Committee to determine a player's rating at the end of each year.

Pickleball Christmas Party Dec 18, 2012

A lovely gathering of about 30 pickleball players at ARC Christmas Party Dec 18, 2012.  It was fun playing pickleball with about 40 players, including visitors Ron and Vi from Lynden, Wa.  and John and Beryl Kusch  from Langley.  We had a large assortment of appetizers, salads, hors d'oeuvres, fruits, desserts and sparkling apple cranberry juice.  It was very nice to wish everyone a happy Christmas !!!

Christmas Pickleball Party Dec 18

Christmas Pickleball Party Tuesday Dec 18 after pickleball at 3.45 pm at ARC Seniors Room.  Please bring a appetizer or dessert.  We look forward to seeing you there!!! 

Pickleball December Schedule at ARC

There will be no pickleball on Dec. 25, Dec.26, Jan. 1, Jan 2 and Jan.3 due to the Winter Festival at ARC.  Update Dec 16:  There is pickleball on Dec 26 at 1:30 to 3:30 pm, pickleball in the evenings are not cancelled. 

Happy holidays and wishing you health and happiness in 2013.  

Pickleball arrives in Bridegewater, Nova Scotia

In the month of August 2011 Jerome Tanner, a resident of Bridgewater, NS approached the local Parks and Rec. Department about introducing Pickleball to the residents of the area through their pro-gram offerings. They agreed to do this and purchased the recreation-al paddles and balls. The program began in January 2012 at a local gym where three badminton courts were transformed into Pickleball courts. They offered 2 days a week with instructions given by Mr. Tanner and local resident Greg Crouse.

The games has been well received by the local residents & operates on a pay as you go play and has now expanded to 3 times a week. Monday evenings, Tuesday mornings & Thursday afternoons and most recently with the local "Y" on Saturday afternoons.

Presently they have over 30 players involved with up to 29 playing on any given day. Membership is on the rise with plans to partner with the local Tennis Club next summer for outdoor play.

Rules Review Paddle Specifications by USAPA Rules Chair

Rules Review...
Paddle Specifications…
By Dennis Dacey, USAPA Rules Chair

This month I want to cover a couple of the rules concerning paddle specifications. The complete paddle specifications can be found in Rule 2.E., but I will address two items specifically:

• First is the paddle size. Rule 2.E.3. states, The combined length and width including any edge guard and butt cap shall not exceed 24 inches. There is no restriction on paddle thickness.

I recommend that if you added an edge guard to your paddle you measure the paddle to make sure it is not over the maximum of 24 inches. Many paddle manufacturers are now making paddles that are just under the 24-inch rule, so adding an edge guard might make the paddle illegal.

• Second, Rule 2.E.5. has been changed so “homemade” paddles are no longer allowed.

Also effective 01/01/2014, all paddles used in sanctioned tournament play must be marked with brand name and model name or model number. These paddles must be offered for sale to the general public and must have passed USAPA tests. Paddles that have been submitted and tested can be found on the USAPA Website under Official Rules, then Paddle Material Specifications of the International Federation of Pickleball. 

2013 2nd Annual Pickleball Canada National Open Championship

2013  2nd Annual Pickleball Canada National Tournament AnnouncementWe are very pleased to announce that the 2nd Annual Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be held in Abbotsford on July 6 - 7, 2013. The City of Abbotsford will again be hosting this National Tournament at Abbotsford Recreation Centre (ARC) and Yale Secondary School with 14 indoor courts. There will be 20 events of Open, Age 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, Under 55 and a Junior event. We had 163 players in 2012, we expect to have about 200 players in 2013. There will be a limit on the number of players, so please register early. Registration forms will be available at ARC and on Pickleball Canada, USAPA and other websites. Registrations will start on December 1, 2012.

This National Tournament will be sanctioned by Pickleball Canada. Pickleball Canada gives Tournament Points to the winners and publishes the names of the winners with their tournament points in our newsletters and websites. In our December newsletter, we will publish the names of the top 18 pickleball players with the most Tournament points in Canada.
Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 6 - 7, 2013

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all playersEVENTS: OPEN: - Men's and Women's Singles, Doubles and Mixed DoublesAGE BRACKETS -55+, 60+, 65+, 70+ Men's and Women's Doubles and Mixed DoublesUNDER 55 - Men's and Women's Doubles and Mixed DoublesJUNIOR - (18 years and under) - Singles
All events in all divisions will follow a round-robin or double elimination format.Awards will go to the top 3 teams in each event.A player may play in a maximum of 2 events.The tournament ball will be the yellow Jugs ball.Current IFP Rules will apply.Format and events are subject to change
Click here for the tournament registration form. 

B.C.Seniors Games Kamloops 2013 Rules Change

B,C, SENIORS GAMES
The 2013 BC Seniors Games will be hosted by Kamloops from August 20 to 24, 2013

1. Categories:

By Predetermined Rated Skill Levels

2.5, 2.75, 3.0, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.5

2. Events: (for all skill categories)

a) Men’s and Women’s Singles (3.75, 4.0, 4.5 levels only)

b) Men’s Doubles

c) Women’s Doubles

d) Mixed Doubles

a) A maximum of 8 participants per Rating Skill Category per Zone.

3. Participation
d) Participants may enter a maximum of three events.

4. Competition:

The competition will be played under International Federation of Pickleball rules

which are used and accepted by all Canadian provinces

Scheduler will ensure that all participants play a minimum of 5 games per event

using a round robin process.

http://www.bcseniorsgames.org/bcsgs/Portals/0/Documents/Sport%20Specific%20Rules/Pickleball.pdf

New Pickleball Time Added at ARC effective January

A meeting was held at ARC on Nov 15 with the following information:
-ARC has added another new drop-in Pickleball time starting in January: Sunday 3:30 - 5:30 pm
-Dec 22 - Jan 6 only one gym will be used for Pickleball in the afternoons due to Winter Fest.
-Next ARC meeting will be held in May next year.

Pickleball Canada November Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

IFP Player Ratings for PCO/USAPA Players

IFP Player Ratings for Players in the U.S. and Canada:

Pickleball Player Rating System

Pickleball Canada (PCO) and United States of America Pickleball Association (USAPA) have implemented the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) Rating system. This allows players to have the same Player Ratings in both Canada and the USA.

Use the following links for more details:

• Check PCO/USAPA player ratings.
• IFP Rating Descriptions.
• IFP Rating System documentation.

http://pickleballcanada.org/node/297

New Paddles that Meet IFP Material Specification Rules

NEW PADDLES THAT MEET IFP MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS

PicklePaulPro

OV1SK1FIAL (thin) (10-20-12)

OV1SK2FIAL (thick) (10-20-12)

PicklePaddle.com

T200 (8-11-12)

W400 (8-11-12)

PickleballPaddlesPlus

Nexus Carbon-Graphite (10-20-12)

Pickle-Ball Inc.

Attack Graphite-Aluminum (11-1-12)

Elite Graphite-Aluminum (11-1-12)

Elite Graphite-New Paper Core (11-1-12)

Champion Graphite-Nomex (11-1-12)

Champion Fiberglass-Aluminum (11-1-12)

Legacy Graphite-Paper (11-1-12)

Laser Sport Products

1402 (11-1-12)

1403 (11-1-12)

1404 (11-1-12)

Coach Mo
The Sweet Spot (9-12-12)
The Sweet Spot Lite (9-12-12)

PAC Pickleball PaddlesXP300HF (10-20-12)

paddletek
Sweet Spot R1/R2 Thick (Sept. 3, 2012)
Sweet Spot R1/R2 Thin (Sept. 3, 2012)
Warp 9 R1/R2 Thick (Sept. 3, 2012)
Warp 9 R1/R2 Thin (Sept. 3, 2012)

Performance One Paddles (POP)5.0 Dual Core Touch (9-12-12)
7.5 Dual Core Touch (9-12-12)
AXL HC (aluminum xtra long honeycomb) (9-12-12)
AMHC (aluminum magnum - honeycomb core) (model name corrected 10-24-12
ATHC (aluminum-tear-honeycomb) (9-12-12)
GMHC (graphite magnum honeycomb core)4.0 Touch (9-12-12)

Pickleball Central
Classic Graphite (Oct. 23, 2011)
Pro-Lite SportsPro-Lite Graphite Impact (10-20-12)

S-Type Sports
Core-2 (11-1-12)
Core-2 Graphite (11-1-12)
Onix Sports Wood (11-1-12)

Singleton
Big Boy (Sept. 3, 2012)
Lightning (Sept. 3, 2012)
T-Bolt (10-20-12)A list of new paddles that meets IFP Material Specifications:

http://ipickleball.org/rules/IFP_Paddle_Material_Specifications.pdf  

"Edgeless" Update on IFP Paddle Material Specifications

Frank Wu's "Edgeless" paddle probably does not comply Oct 31, 2012, as shown in IFP and USAPA's website.  Production model does not match the version tested. See Paddle Material Specifications.
Edgeless (2-27-12) Coated with fiberglass, very reflective. Update 10-
31-12: reports from the field indicate that the current production model
does not have the fiberglass coating and probably does not comply
with the spec. Manufacturer has not provided a paddle for testing

Pickleball Canada October Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 6 - 7, 2013

We are very pleased to announce that the City of Abbotsord has approved hosting the Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 6 - 7, 2013 to be held at Abbotsford Recreation Centre and Yale Secondary School with 14 indoor courts in  21 events: Open, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, Under 55 Men's, Women's Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles and a Junior category.  Registration form will be printed out next month and registrations will start on Dec 1.  We look forward to seeing you next year!!!

5 New Outdoor Pickleball Courts in Abbotsford

Great news!!  We now have 5 outdoor pickleball courts in Abbotsford:
One pickleball court at Larch Park:    One outdoor pickleball court is on the tennis court at Larch Park which uses the existing tennis net.  Thanks to Grant to getting this one up and running successfully.
Three pickleball courts on basketball court at Yale Court:   Dave is pleased to let you know that he put in a request to the City of Abbotsford to paint three outdoor pickleball lines for use with portable nets and also one tennis court lined for pickleball.   The City has agreed to our request and has painted three pickleball courts at Yale Court Park on Old Yale Road near ARC.  These pickleball courts require a portable net and are painted on a full size basketball court.  The court is fully fenced, the asphalt surface in excellent condition.
One pickleball court on the one public tennis court at Yale Court:    In addition to these courts, they have painted pickleball lines on the one public tennis court in the same location (where the tennis bubble is).  This court is a good quality acrylic surface which uses the tennis net for pickleball.  These four courts have public washroom facilities right there.  A big thank you to the City of Abbotsford for responding to our request and giving us these facilities so quickly and efficiently.

Pickleball Canada Demo/Instruction The Arbutus Club

Pickleball Canada volunteers Dave, Mike and Henry gave an Open House pickleball Demo/instruction at The Arbutus Club in Vancouver Sept. 27 for two hours 10-12pm.  They taught about 25 beginners and intermediate players on four badminton courts, teaching them the correct serve, strokes and rules.  Many of the beginners who attended were regular tennis players at the club so most players had some basic hand-eye coordination.  The beginners were able to play a complete game by the rules and announcing the scores before serve.  The demo and instruction were very successful with all players enjoyed the two hours and felt that they learned a lot by attending.  The Club has all the equipment (nets, paddles and balls). With all the tennis members at The Arbutus Club, they look forward to the growth of pickleball in their facility.  Thanks to Chrystal Stone, the facility coordinator at The Arbutus Club for inviting Pickleball Canada for the Open House demo and also for the very nice lunch!!!

Pickleball Canada September Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

Pickleball Demo in Mission, B.C. Sept. 15

Pickleball demonstration
Saturday September15 from
1pm to 4pm at Cedar Valley
Mennonite Church on Janzen Avenue, Mission, B.C. Drop in anytime!
Pickleball demonstration, free refreshments and instruction by Pickleball Canada volunteer instructors Dave, Mike and Grant... come and learn from current local players of the game. We have all the equipment you need - just bring yourself. Be prepared to have fun, no matter how old you are! Sponsored by the Mission Association for Seniors Housing and Cedar Valley Manor. Website: www.cedarvalleymanor.com

PCO Tournament Points for PAO 50+ Ontario Open Provincial Tournament

PCO Tournament Points for Tier 2 - Provincial Tournaments

1st Place - 1000 points

2nd Place - 500 points

3rd Place - 300 points

PAO Investors Group 50+ Provincial Ontario Open Tournament, Oshawa, Sept 6 - 7, 2012

Member No. First name Last name Tournament Points

51 Bill Furse 2000

52 Linda Furse 2000

107 Bill Pineau 1000
108 Suzanne Pineau 1000

159 Jeanette McGuire 800

228  Yolande Lew  300

347  Merrie Lee  600

368 Mary Allard 500

435 Ken Twilley 300

Investors Group Ontario Pickleball Open Sept 6-7,2012

The Investors Group Ontario Pickleball Open 2012
(Sanctioned by Pickleball Canada)Sept. 6-7, Oshawa, Ontario 

This provincial 50+ tournament convened by the Pickleball Association of Ontario is scheduled for Oshawa on Sept. 6-7, 2012. The indoor 8 court A.E. King Fitness Centre, 1200 Leland Rd., Oshawa ON.  Categories include Men's, Women's, Mixed Doubles in Competitive and Recreational with about 100 participants. 

2012 Ontario 55+ summer games in Brampton, Ontario

Seniors win pickleball gold at Summer Games, Aug 20, 2012 The Mississauga News Two teams from Mississauga captured gold medals in pickleball competition over three days last week at the 2012 Ontario 55+ Summer Games in Brampton. Diane Pounder and Gerry Infeld teamed up to win gold in mixed doubles the 65-and-over age category.  Lloyd Brassington and Paul Schirripa came out on top in the men's doubles competition for aged 55-and-over . The competitors were members of the fast-growing Pickleball Mississauga Association who play out of the Mississauga Valleys and South Common fitness centres and at the Mississauga Seniors' Centre. About 110 out of the 1300 participants in the 18 activities at the 55+ Summer Games were pickleball players.

B.C. Seniors Games Burnaby 2012 Winners Names

B.C. Seniors Games Burnaby 2012, Abbotsford/Chilliwack medalists:
Pat Khan Women 55-59 Recreational Doubles  Silver
Ken Witt  65-69 Mixed Recreational Doubles Gold
Mandy Witt 65-69 Mixed Recreational Doubles Gold
Henry Meerkerk 60-64 Mens Competitive Doubles Bronze
Henry Meerkerk 60-64 Mixed Competitive Doubles  Gold
Brian Parkes 60-64 Mens Competitive Doubles Bronze
Pat Khan 60-64 Mixed Competitive Doubles Gold
Dave Shepherd 70+ Mens Recreational Doubles Silver
Herb Peters 70+ Mens Recreational Doubles Silver
Carol Haworth 70+ Competitive Doubles Gold
Matt Khan 55-59 Mens Competitive Doubles Silver
Brian Gaudet 55-59 Mens Competitive Doubles Silver
Brian Gaudet 55-59 Mens Competitive Singles Gold
Elaine Griffiths 70+ Womens Recreational Doubles Gold
Elaine Griffiths 70+ Mixed Recreational Doubles Silver

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!!

B.C. Seniors Games Photos Aug 22, 2012

Some of the winners at the  B.C. Seniors Games in Burnaby Aug 22-24, 2012.  Top photo:  L to R:  Medal presenter, Brian Parkes, Henry Meerkerk, Dave Touchet, Colin Caldwell, Randy Bourne, Peter Darvill. Bottom photo:  John Kusch, Dave Shepherd and Herb Peters.  Pickleball was played at Burnaby South High School.  It has two gyms with 12 badminton courts, but not enough room behind the baselines for serving, so they made 6 pickleball courts by putting pickleball lines with blue tapes  (5 courts were used, one for practise). About 90 players participated in age categories: Competitive and Recreational.  Today Mens and Womens Doubles (finished at 12pm), Mixed Doubles tomorrow till 3pm, Singles on Friday morning.  Pickleball Canada supplied six USAPA portable nets and conforming paddles if needed for the Burnaby Games.

B.C. Seniors Games Burnaby, B.C. Aug 21-24, 2012

B.C. Seniors Games Burnaby, B.C. Aug 21-24, 2012.  Pickleball will be played at Burnaby South Secondary School.  Practise time on  Pickleball courts Tuesday from 12:30 to 4:30.  You can practice and then pick up your accreditation package at The Bill Copeland Centre.

PB Parking - The Burnaby South Secondary School is on Rumble Ave, parking is behind the school off MacPherson Ave at the Michael J Fox theater.

Accreditation - at Bill Copeland Sports Centre, 3676 Kensington, Avenue Burnaby, BC V5B 4Z6
Remember - you can only pick up your own, plus 3 other players accreditation packages from 4 - 9pm Tuesday 8/21 at the Bill Copeland Centre. Please pass this info to your partners and friends playing Pickleball.

Pickleball Canada Memberships Reached 500

We are very pleased to announce that Pickleball Canada has reached 500 memberships !!!!! We welcome new members, membership fees is only $12 per year. You will receive our monthly newsletters, pickleball information and updates, other benefits include $5 off registration fees in the 2013 Pickleball Canada National Championship. Membership form is located at http://pickleballcanada.org/  We appreciate your support.  Join us today !!!

Pickleball Canada August Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

National Championship Social Dinner Phoenix Lounge July 7 Photo

Photo:  Dave, Shirley, Mike, Ken, Mandy, Keith, Linda, John, Pat, Bill, Henrietta....  About 60 players enjoyed a Social dinner in a conference/meeting room at Phoenix Lounge July 7 on the first day of the Pickleball Canada National Open Championship.

Delicious dinner, great conversations with new and old friends, everyone had a blast!!!

2013 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship Abbotsford, B.C.

Pickleball Canada is very pleased to announce that the 2013 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be held in Abbotsford, B.C.    The host sites will be the same at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre and Yale Secondary School.  The tournament dates will most likely be on the first weekend in July, 2013.  We will let you know when the dates are confirmed.  We thank you for your support of our first National tournament and we look forward to seeing you again next year!!!

Thanks for your Feedback on 2012 National Championship

We are extremely happy to receive the high number of positive feedback and outpouring of thank you emails.  Your comments and suggestions will be noted and considered for our future events.  
Thanks very much for your feedback.  Your feedback is very much appreciated.  

YouTube Video of Canadian National Pickleball Tournament 2012 Mixed Doubles

Watch the YouTube video: 
Canadian National Pickleball Tournament 2012_Mixed Doubles_SemiFinals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOoXXw0nTRI

Pickleball Canada July Newsletter

www.pickleballcanada.org/news/nl_2011_august.pdf

PICKLEBALL CANADA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT JULY 7 - 8 TOURNAMENT POINTS

2012 PICKLEBALL CANADA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT JULY 7 - 8 TOURNAMENT POINTS

Tier 1 -- National Tournament

1st Place ......1600 points

2nd Place .......800 points

3rd Place .......400 points

Member No. Name Tournament Points

192 Banns Paul 800

453 Booth Pat 800

443 Bourne Randy 2400

404 Brown Linda 800

17 Burke Ed 400

266 Caldwell Colin 800

411 Darvill Peter 2400

42 Edward Shirley 1600

303 Evans Larry 800

90 Gillis Diane 400

378 Khan Matt 400

189 Haworth Carol 2400

252 Hill Diane 3200

126 Hill Earl 1200

415 Jetelina John 2000

416 Jetelina Olga 2000

392 Jmaeff Dan 800

391 Jmaeff Brenda 1600

196 Kennedy Wayne 3200

470 Kusch Beryl 400

41 Kusch John 3200

385 Logan Gerry 400

183 Lehman SJ 400

418 Loskot Vera 3200

457 McWilliam Stewart 400

336 Mah Tim 400

28 Mezei Andy 800

248 Meerkerk Henry 400

402 Orcutt Teresa 1200

59 Orlovsky Ed 400

60 Orlovsky Lily 400

34 Parkes Brian 400

448 Parkes Kathy 400

377 Pool Claire 400

452 Postler Milda 2400

10 Power Doug 1200

461 Priebe Ross 800

176 Pemink Karen 400

370 Rudolph Jerry 400

3 Ross Doug 800

156 Saunders Jim 1600

157 Saunders Terry 1200

397 Thompson Joey 400

300 Touchet Dave 1600

386 Witt Mandy 400

423 Zhekhovskiy Denis 2400

422 Zhekhovskaya Luba 2400
Updated Aug 4, 2012:
Fosbery Pat  2000
Fosbery Sue  2000
Schwartz Mike  3200
Schwartz Laura 3200
Top Canadian National Champions with 3200 tournament points: John Kusch, Diane Hill, Wayne Kennedy, Vera Loskot, Mike and Laura Schwartz

National Tournament Group Photo & Results 2012

Tournament Results

Pickleball Canada National Open Championship - 2012-07-07
Men - Singles
	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Open	Billy Jacobsen	Chris Miller	Brian Lam
Women - Singles
	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Open	Jennifer Lucore	Darcie Jacobsen
Men - Doubles
	Gold	Silver	Bronze
19-55	Mike Schwarz - Pat Fosbery	Doug Power - Franz Wagner	Gene Latray - Ken Franz
55-59	Paul Ellis - Del Iggulden	Larry Evans - Ross Priebe	Stuart Mcwilliam - Phil Morgan
60-64	John Kusch - Dave Touchet	Randy Bourne - Paul Banns	Matt Khan - Henry Merkerley
65-69	Peter Darvill - Bud Meltsner	Doug Ross - Jim Saunders	Earl Hill - James Parkes
70+	John Jetelina - Wayne Kennedy	Andy Mezei - Jacques Metivier	Ed Burke - Jerry Rudolph
Open	Billy Jacobsen - Chris Miller	Reg Skinner - Denis Zhekhovskiy	Doug Power - Franz Wagner
Women - Doubles
	Gold	Silver	Bronze
19-55	Laura Schwarz - Sue Fosbery	Karen Iggulden - Shelley Coss	Terry Saunders - Colleen Power
55-59	Milda Postler - Shirley Edwards	Glenda Jackson - Brenda Jmaeff	Debbie Holley - Claire Pool
60-64	Kathy Parkes - Judy Van Aert	Pat Crawford - Janis Peusepp	Rosie Roper - Beryl Kusch
65-69	Diane Hill - Olga Jetelina	Pat Booth - Linda Brown	Mandy Witt - Gerry Logan
70+	Carol Haworth - Vera Loskot	Vi Stockman - Elaine Griffiths	Karen Peniuk - Patricia Thompson
Open	Jennifer Lucore - Darcie Jacobsen	Luba Zhekhovskaya - Elaine Lerner	Theresa Orcutt - S.j. Lehman
Mixed Doubles
	Gold	Silver	Bronze
19-55	Mike Schwarz - Laura Schwarz	Brian Lam - Milda Postler	Pat Fosbery - Sue Fosbery
55-59	Rosemary Nichols - Randy Bourne	Dan Jmaeff - Brenda Jmaeff	Nancy Stern - John Savoy
60-64	John Kusch - Elaine Lerner	Jim Saunders - Terry Saunders	Diane Gillis - Tim Mah
65-69	Diane Hill - Peter Oehlenschlaeger	Peter Darvill - Elaine Griffiths	John Jetalina - Olga Jetalina
70+	Wayne Kennedy - Vera Loskot	Carol Haworth - Earl Hill	Ed Orlosvky - Lilly Orlovsky
Open	Luba Zhekhovskaya - Denis Zhekhovskiy	Colin Caldwell - Theresa Orcutt	Del Iggulden - Karen Iggulden

Abbotsford News July 10, 2012 National Tournament article

Re: Abbotsford Newspaper: Pickleball Canada National tournament article July 10, 2012 http://www.abbynews.com/sports/161841435.html
Published: July 10, 2012 8:00 AM

Abbotsford hosted the inaugural Canadian pickleball championships on the weekend, a piece of news which would prompt most sports fans to ask – what on earth is pickleball?

 Pickleball is, in fact, a fast-growing game – there are over 100,000 players registered in the United States and roughly 10,000 players in Canada, including about 200 from Abbotsford.
It's a hybrid of tennis and badminton, played with a hard paddle and a wiffle-type ball on a badminton-sized court, with the net lowered to 36 inches.

 As for the origins of the colourful moniker, there's a bit of controversy.

 The popular account holds that when the sport's inventors, U.S. Congressman Joel Pritchard and William Bell, first devised the game in 1965 in Washington state, Pritchard's dog Pickles frequently chased down errant balls and hid with them in the bushes. Hence, Pickles' ball game came to be called pickleball.

 Pritchard's wife Joan has offered a differing version of events in recent interviews. The sport, which grew out of the haphazard equipment the family had on hand, reminded her of the "pickle boat" in rowing, where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers from other boats. She noted the Pritchard family dog wasn't acquired until 1967 and was named after the game, not the other way around.

"It's kind of a dumb name," acknowledged Dave Shepherd, an Abbotsford resident who is on the board of Pickleball Canada. "But it's been around long enough, I don't think they'll ever change it."

And pickleball enthusiasts wouldn't have it any other way.

The weekend tournament drew 168 athletes from across Canada and the United States to a pair of local host sites, Abbotsford Recreation Centre and Yale Secondary.

Among the participants were four American national champions – Jennifer Lucore, Darcy Jacobsen, Billy Jacobsen and Chris Miller – and they dominated the open divisions. Lucore beat Darcy Jacobsen in the women's singles final, then teamed up with her to win the doubles title. In similar fashion, Billy Jacobsen knocked off Miller to claim the men's singles title, then joined him to earn doubles gold.

According to Shepherd, the presence of the top Americans moved the tourney to "a whole new level."

"They're the top pickleball players in the world, and to have them come up here and enter our first national event was just huge for us," he enthused. "Everyone was very fortunate to get to watch them play. It was kind of like going to watch (Roger) Federer and (Rafael) Nadal and those guys.

"It was just a fantastic event, super-successful. It exceeded our expectations."

Nine Abbotsford athletes won bronze medals. Gene Latray and Ken Franz teamed up to climb the podium in the under-55 men's doubles; Debbie Holley and Claire Pool medaled in the over-55 women's doubles; Matt Khan and Henry Meerkerk were third in the 60-plus men's doubles; Mandy Witt and Gerry Logan medaled in the 65-plus women's doubles; and Jerry Rudolph joined forces with Kelowna's Ed Burke to finish third in the 70-plus men's doubles.

Information on the local scene can be found at abbypickleball.blogspot.ca.

"Anyone who plays it, absolutely loves it," Shepherd said. "It's an easy sport to learn how to play, and it can be played by all ages."

2012 National Champions, Winners Names & photos July 7 - 8, 2012

On July 7th and 8th Abbotsford Rec. Centre was the host site of the first Pickleball Canada National Open Tournament.  ARC and Yale Secondary gyms provided 14 courts which enabled the City of Abbotsford to host this prestigious event.

168 registered participants from all over Canada and the USA were playing in this event including most of the top Canadian players.

Many of our top local players participated as well as large contingents from our neighbouring municipalities in addition to Vancouver Island and the Interior.

Top teams came from most Canadian provinces. The USA teams included players from Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Texas.

Top USA teams Jennifer Lucore and Darcy Jacobsen, Billy Jacobsen and Chris Miller. They are USAPA National Champions. Mayor Banman welcomed all the players and lead the singing of our National Anthem on Saturday morning. The level of play was superb, with 20 events scheduled over 2 days from 8am to 6 pm both days. 

Congratulations to all the winners. Dave and Shirley Shepherd from Abbotsford were the Tournament Directors and would like to thank all the participants, volunteers, referees and local sponsors of this event. It was a very festive occasion with many equipment suppliers displaying the latest products. A huge thank you to ARC, Mandy Hadfield and Jenny Thornton for helping us to host this National tournament.

Local Abbotsford winners included Gene Latray, Ken Franz, Debbie Holley, Claire Pool, Matt Khan, Henry Meerkerk, Mandy Witt, Gerry Logan and Jerry Rudolph.

A list of winners is shown below.

2012 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship on July 7 -8, 2012:

20  Events     GOLD                SILVER              BRONZE

OPEN Singles Mens Billy Jacobsen (Seattle,WA) Chris Miller (WA) Brian Lam (Coquitlam, BC)

OPEN Singles Womens Jennifer Lucore (San Deigo,CA) Darcie Jacobsen (Seattle, WA)

OPEN Doubles Mixed Zhekhovskaya/Zhekhovsky (Surrey,BC) Caldwell/Orcutt (Surrey,BC) Iggulden/Iggulden (Surrey,BC)

OPEN Doubles Mens Jacobsen/Miller (Seattle, WA) Skinner/Zhekhovskiy (Surrey,BC) Power/Wagner (Nanaimo,BC)

OPEN Doubles Womens Lucore/Jacobsen (Seattle,WA, California) Lerner/Zhekhovskaya (Surrey,BC) Orcutt/lehman (Surrey,BC)

Under 55 Doubles Mixed Schwarz/Schwarz (Nanaimo,BC) Lam/Postler (Coquitlam,BC/Kelowna)Fosbery/Fosbery (Kelowna,BC)

Under 55 Doubles Mens Schwarz/Fosbery (Nanaimo,BC) Power/Wagner (Surrey,BC) Gene Latray/Ken Franz (Abbotsford, BC)

Under 55 Doubles Womens Schwarz/Fosbery (Nanaimo,BC) Iggulden/Coss (Surrey,BC) Saunders/Power (Kelowna, BC)

55+ Doubles Mixed, NicholsBourne (Vernon, BC) Jmaeff/Jmaeff (Kelowna,BC) Stern/Savoy (Nanaimo, BC)

55+ Doubles Mens, Ellis/Iggulden (Surrey, BC) Evans/Priebe (Regina,SK/Surrey,BC)McWilliam/Morgan (Kelowna,BC)

55+ Doubles Womens, Postler/Edwards (Surrey, BC) Jackson/Jmaeff (Kamloops,BC) Debbie Holley/Claire Pool (Abbotsford, BC)

60+ Doubles Mixed, Kusch/Lerner (Surrey, BC) Saunders/Saunders (Kelowna,BC) Gillis/Mah (Surrey, BC)

60+ Doubles Mens, Kusch/Touchet (Surrey, BC) Bourne/Banns (Surrey, BC) Matt Khan/Henry Meerkerk (Abbotsford, BC)

60+ Doubles Womens, Kathy Parkes/Judy Van Aert(Chilliwack,BC/Langley,BC) Crawford/Peusepp (Kelowna, BC) Roper/Kusch (California, USA/Surrey, BC)

65+ Doubles Mixed, Hill/Oehlenschlaeger (Nanaimo,BC) Darvill/Griffiths 
(Ladner,BC/Chilliwack,BC) Jetalina/Jetalina (Surrey, BC)

65+ Doubles Mens, Darvill/Meltsner (Ladner, BC/Blaine,WA) Ross/Saunders (Surrey,BC/Kelowna,BC) Hill/Parkes (Surrey,BC/Chilliwack, BC)

65+ Doubles Womens, Hill/Jetelina (Surrey, BC) Booth/Brown (Kelowna, BC) Mandy Witt/Gerry Logan (Abbotsford, BC)

70+ Doubles Mixed, Kennedy/Loskot (Surrey,BC/CA) Haworth/Hill (Chilliwack,BC/AZ) Orlosvky/Orlovsky (North Vancouver, BC)

70+ Doubles Mens, Jetelina/Kennedy (Surrey,BC) Mezei/Metivier (Surrey, BC) Ed Burke/Jerry Rudolph (Kelowna,BC/ (Abbotsford, BC)

70+ Doubles Womens Haworth/Loskot (Chilliwack/BC/Surrey,BC) Stockman/Griffiths (Lynden,WA,Chilliwack,BC)Penink/Thompson (Kelowna, BC)

Photos of National Championship July 7 -8, 2012

Pickleball Canada National Open Championship July 7 - 8, 2012.  The tournament was a great success !!!  Everything went smoothly with 20 events on 14 indoor courts, 114 medals presented to winners.  ARC and Yale Secondary School were jammed packed with 168 players, 17volunteers, 12 referees, and lots of spectators, 8 Pickleball Canada Directors and 15 Ambassadors.   Mayor Banman welcomed the players at the opening ceremony.  The atmosphere was festive, fun, friendly and happy.  There were displays of several pickleball suppliers, gift baskets and prizes from many sponsors.  Food and drinks were served on both days with sandwiches, chips, muffins, fresh fruit, etc. Each participant receives a waterbottle, $5 Thrifty Foods gift certificate, City of Abbotsford brochures and coupons.

It was so exciting to watch the matches with top players from Canada and the USA.  Four USAPA National Champions Chris Miller, Billy and Darcie Jacobsen and Jennifer Lucore (all 5.0 skill levels) were fantastic to watch.  I watched the final two matches of the Canadian team Luba Zhekhovskaya and Elaine Lerner against the USA team Jennifer Lucore and Darcie Jacobsen in Open Womens Doubles.  The matches were so close with lots of cheers and applause and very exciting to watch because it was like watching the tennis pros play in open tournaments where you have to pay a lot of money to be a spectator.  The USA team finally won.  The Open Mens and Womens Singles matches also drew large number of spectators.  I watched Open Mens Doubles with USA team Chris Miller and Billy Jacobsen against Canada team Denis Zhekhovskiy and Reg Skinner, fantastic play by the top notch players from the two countries.  Play started at 8:30 am and ended at 5:30 pm on both days.
Updates:  July 15, 2012
A big thank you to the City of Abbotsford for hosting this event, Jenny Thornton, Mandy Hadfield and Dino Tsembelis for organizing and planning with Dave and Shirley Shepherd, Tournament Directors.
Ed Burke - Photographer and newsletter publisher
Medal Presenters - Bill Canning and Shirley Shepherd
Membership - Larry and Debra Evans
Referees - Colin Caldwell, Linda Dane, Earl Hill, Brian Parkes, Carol Haworth, Del Iggulden, Rosie Roper, Grant Brittain......
Volunteers:  Rita Meerkerk and her granddaughter, Henrietta, Iris Vlake, Henry and Dawna.
17 Volunteers from City of Abbotsford 
Local and National sponsors:
Pickle-Ball Inc., Pickleball International.
A raffle of 65 prizes include paddles, caps, t-shirts, bags, golf passes, seafood, chocolates, games, restaurant vouchers, gift certificates etc. from our sponsors:
Pro-Lite Sports, Pickleball Specialties, Pickleball Outfitters, Pickleball Central, I got it Pickleball, Murrey G.M. Abbotsford, North Bellingham Golf Course, Great Clips, ARC, King and Prince Seafood, Surburban Swings, Ocean Park Pizza, Me n Ed Pizza, Old Spaghetti Factory, 3 large Gift baskets from:  IGA, Phoenix Lounge and Tourism Abbotsford.
Some of the out-of-town participants are:
B.C. - Ed Burke, Christine Perras, Jim and Terry Saunders, Doug Ross, Tim Mah, Brian Lam, Keith and Linda Brown, John and Pat Booth, Jim Boris, Ken Akins, Glenn Degregario.....
Alberta - Linda Dane (Edmonton,AB), Dorothy Downie, Bill Canning (Red Deer, AB), Jake Jacobsen, Hazel Sakaluk. 
Sask.- Larry and Debra Evans
Ontario - Peter Werry (PAO Treasurer), Peter and Susan Singleton (London, ON)
Washington, USA - Vi Stockman, Earl Hill, Billy and Darcie Jacobsen, Chris Miller, Jason Hanson, Alan Gadbaw, Bud Meltsner.
California - Rosie Roper, Devon Heys, Lisa Copeland, Jennifer Lucore, Gordon Bolton, Maria Doest
Texas - PJ Leonard

The Times Newspaper: Pickleball championship at ARC July 7 - 8, 2012

Pickleball championship at ARC  The Times July 5, 2012

The National Pickleball Championship is July 7 - 8 at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Rd. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days and is the largest pickleball (like badminton with a low net) tournament in Canada.
Four U.S. national champions will compete along with Canadian teams from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. U.S. teams are coming from Washington, California, Arizona and Texas. There will be 165 players, 20 events of men's and women's, singles and doubles, in open and age categories.
The play will be on 14 indoor courts, eight at ARC and six at Yale Secondary School. Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman will open the event at 8 a.m. on Saturday. There will be prizes and medal presentations for the national champions and spectators are invited to come down and watch.

© Copyright (c) Abbotsford Times

Read more: http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/sports/Pickleball+championship/6886417/story.html#ixzz1zrRvZjaQ

Tournament Points and Player Ratings in National Tournament

Pickleball Canada will be awarding Tournament Points and Player Ratings to the winners of the National tournament on July 7 - 8, 2012.
Tier 1 - National Tournament

1st Place .......1600 points

2nd Place .......800 points

3rd Place .......400 points

Awarding of Points

1. Points will only be awarded to Pickleball Canada members.
2. Points earned will only be counted towards Tournament Points in the events in which they were earned.
3. Players may only receive Tournament Points from playing in approved events in Pickleball Canada  Sanctioned Tournaments.

Purpose of Tournament Points

1. Tournament Points are awarded as recognition of achievement in Sanctioned Tournaments.
2. Tournament Points may be used by Tournament Directors to determine seeding in tournament brackets.
3. Tournament Points may be used by the Ratings Committee to determine a player's rating.

IFP Rules change July 1, 2012 Paddles Specifications

Players are reminded to use conforming paddles approved by IFP rules at the National tournament.  Effective July 1, 2012, IFP rules change: Rule 2.E.5. Homemade paddles will no longer be allowed in sanctioned tournament play.  These changes can be found atusapa.org under Official Rules. They will be included in the next printing of the rulebook.  Rule 2.E.5. Alterations: (deleted: Homemade or) Modified paddles are acceptable so long as they meet all specifications.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for tournament directors to determine if homemade paddles meet all of the paddle specifications so homemade paddles will no longer be allowed in sanctioned tournament play. Modified paddles such as added edge guards, changed grips, etc. will still be allowed if they meet all the specifications.