Author: Kaitlyn Green

Pickleball Canada Hires Sport Coordinator

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

After an extensive search, Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce the hiring of Dave Harris in the position of part time Sport Coordinator. Dave is Pickleball Canada’s third staff member and will report to Executive Director, Carla Anderson.

Dave comes to Pickleball Canada with a strong passion for the sport of pickleball.  Dave started playing pickleball at his local tennis club in Ottawa, Ontario in 2018, and quickly got hooked.  Since then, his passion for pickleball in all areas has grown and he has organized many of his own local pickleball tournaments, is a certified level 1 Pickleball Canada official, helps new players develop their skills through his local pickleball association, and much more.

The President of Pickleball Canada said, “on behalf of the Board of Directors of Pickleball Canada, I am very pleased to welcome Dave to our team. His experience and expertise with pickleball are just what we need at this time of change and growth in our sport”.

“We are thrilled that Dave has joined the Pickleball Canada staff. Dave’s experience in pickleball will be a great addition to our team”, said Executive Director, Carla Anderson.

Dave will be working on ratings, tournaments, coaching, youth, and liaising with the Chairs of Pickleball Canada Championship Events, to name a few areas.  Dave will provide additional pickleball expertise to Pickleball Canada as we continue to help grow and develop the sport in Canada. 

Welcome to the team, Dave!  

Hosting the 2024 Pickleball Canada Championship Events

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

Pickleball Canada is excited to begin accepting bids for the hosting of the 2024 Pickleball Canada National Championship, the largest pickleball tournament in the country.

Given its practice of alternating Nationals between Eastern and Western Canada, and that Regina was selected to host the 2023 championships, Pickleball Canada is looking forward to receiving expressions of interest and bids from potential hosts from Ontario and provinces/territories east of Ontario.

Hosting the National Championships will bring a great sense of pride to the pickleball community in the host city, as well as the economic impact of bringing athletes, and their friends and families, and their spending dollars from across the country. Furthermore, local players will benefit from the opportunity to play in the Pickleball Canada National Championship right in their own backyard.

While the official Bid Book (https://pickleballcanada.org/tournaments/pickleball-canada-championships-and-bid-book/) lays out the various information requested of potential hosts for the 2024 Pickleball Canada National Championship, some of the key points are:

  • The ideal timing is late August or early September 2024
  • A minimum of 20 pickleball courts is recommended (indoor and/or outdoor), although with the tremendous growth of pickleball in Canada since the bid book was created, we suggest a minimum of 25 courts.  As an FYI, the 2023 Nationals have 28 courts, and the 2022 Nationals had 35 courts
  • A Host can consist of a single Pickleball Canada affiliated pickleball club, or multiple clubs working together as one host
  • A local organizing committee must be established, with the tournament chair and tournament director approved by Pickleball Canada
  • The Host has the primary responsibility for the running of the tournament, with support from Pickleball Canada

Potential hosts are encouraged to review the Bid Book and give consideration to preparing a bid to host the 2024 Pickleball Canada National Championship. If you are interested, please send an Expression of Interest by Friday, April 14, 2023 to Dave Harris dave.harris@pickleballcanada.org. Only those who submit an Expression of interest are permitted to submit a bid.

The deadline for submitting bids is May 7, 2023.   Pickleball Canada expects to notify the club with the successful bid by May 21, 2023.

New! Ratings FAQs Webpage

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

As pickleball in Canada continues to grow, more players look to understand their skill level ratings and what they mean in both club and tournament settings.

To help answer a variety of common questions, Pickleball Canada has added a new webpage to the Ratings menu titled Ratings FAQs (frequently asked questions). This page can be found by clicking on “Ratings” in the main menu located at the top of the website.

We cover topics such as:

  • how to rate yourself for the first time
  • the differences between performance-based and subjective observation ratings
  • common questions about Pickleball Brackets
  • tournament ratings vs. club ratings
  • and more!

Click here to visit the Ratings FAQs webpage.

Have a question that you don’t see answered? Send us an email at info@pickleballcanada.org.

The Tennis Professionals Association and Pickleball Canada Announce the Pickleball Coach Education Program Partnership with Selkirk Sport

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

The two-year deal will further assist Pickleball Canada in promoting the growth of pickleball, from players to coaches, across the nation.

The Tennis Professionals Association (TPA), Pickleball Canada (PCO) and Tennis Canada, announced today a two-year partnership with Selkirk Sport, a world-leading pickleball company focusing on paddle innovation and technology. As of January 1, 2023, Selkirk Sport is the Official Paddle of the Pickleball Coach Education Program.

“We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Selkirk Sport,” said Mark Renneson, the lead of the pickleball program for the TPA. “Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, and with a market leader like Selkirk Sport by our side, it will only help us grow the game and get more Canadians to go out and pick up a paddle.” 

Deanna Christie, the lead of the pickleball program for Pickleball Canada said “This is a great program where coach facilitators and those participating in the courses will receive high quality paddles as they become Canadian certified coaches”.

This partnership with Selkirk Sport marks the first of its kind for the pickleball coach program. In addition to becoming the official paddle supplier, Selkirk Sport will also be providing members with access to online learning tools for pickleball instructors, as well as balls and demo paddles for all Level 1 and 2 Pickleball Instructor Courses.

“As the beginner-friendly sport of pickleball continues to spread rapidly, the opportunity for pickleball coaching is massive”, said Mike Barnes, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Selkirk Sport. “The TPA, Pickleball Canada, and Tennis Canada are the perfect partners to provide the Canadian pickleball public with premium quality pickleball education and equipment, and we couldn’t be more excited to team up with them.”

As the industry leader, Selkirk pickleball paddles can be found at many pickleball and tennis facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Selkirk is also heavily involved in the professional side of pickleball. Selkirk is represented on the professional tour by a deep roster of top-ranked pickleball professionals. For more information on Selkirk Sport and its products, visit Selkirk.com.

About the Tennis Professionals Association
The Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) is a member-based association devoted to growing the profession of tennis coaching throughout Canada. The TPA was developed by Tennis Canada for Canadian certified instructors, coaches and Club Professionals. Since it’s inception in 2004, the TPA has grown from 800 members to over 3300. To learn more, go to https://www.tpacanada.com/

About Pickleball Canada
Pickleball Canada is the national sport organization that governs, promotes, and leads the development of pickleball in Canada.  Its mission is to assist and promote the growth of pickleball as a sport for all levels and ages.  Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America, with over 1 million Canadians playing.  Pickleball Canada has over 46,000 members.   To learn more, go to https://pickleballcanada.org/

About Selkirk Sport
Selkirk Sport, a Made-in-the-USA Manufacturer of Pickleball paddles and accessories, is a family-owned and operated company based in Hayden, Idaho, located in the shadows of its namesake, the Selkirk mountain range. Founded in 2014, Selkirk Sport is born off a passion for sport, as well as the great western outdoor leisure lifestyle that was afforded to the Company’s founders, Rob and Mike Barnes, along with their father Jim, who is Selkirk’s production manager. Backed by the philosophy of always pushing the limits, Selkirk Sport is committed to manufacturing products that deliver the highest performance with unmatched quality and service.  As part of their early success, Selkirk Sport was the very first Pickleball manufacturer to offer an unprecedented lifetime warranty on its high-performance products. And, to meet the demands of the game’s premier professionals, the Company developed low-profile edgeguards that are lightweight and extremely durable. Selkirk Sport has become one of the industry’s fastest growing companies with paddles used by many of the game’s premier players, such as Tyson McGuffin, Parris Todd, Dylan Frazier, Mary Brascia, Maggie Brascia, Wesley Gabrielsen, Cammy MacGregor, and a host of others who are premier players and national/regional champions.

Pickleball Canada Hits the Court and Teams with Sponsorship Canada as its Sponsorship Agency of Record Amidst Rapid Growth

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

After a comprehensive selection process, Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce that Sponsorship Canada (a division of REVXM-Immediate Productions) has been selected as its exclusive sponsorship agency of record.

During this time, Sponsorship Canada will lead Pickleball Canada’s sponsorship and commercial strategy with its team of industry leading experts in sponsorship, naming rights, events, and strategy.

“Global acclaim and excitement for the sport of Pickleball has grown rampant in recent years, with membership in Canada alone growing 40% since last December,” said Peter Milovanovic, Pickleball Canada President. “With high profile celebrities and brands investing and a surging membership base, there is no more lucrative sponsorship opportunity in Canadian amateur sport right now. Sponsorship Canada is the perfect partner to help us capitalize on this growth.”

Due to years of extensive success and a proven track record of excellence across properties such as in sports, Sponsorship Canada was selected to help Pickleball Canada further its commercial footprint.

“We are honoured and excited to represent Pickleball Canada”, said Bill Gaskey, Managing Partner of Sponsorship Canada. “Obviously, the growth story over the last few years has been nothing short of amazing. We also love the fact that the sport has a growing youth following and with an ever-growing digital audience, the sky’s the limit for pickleball’s commercial value and potential for brands, and we are pumped to help unlock some of that value for the property and their partners”.

Pickleball is played across the country, with the fastest growth in participation occurring in the 18-34 year old demographic.

Goals for Pickleball Canada, as the National Sport Organization for pickleball in Canada, are realistically ambitious, with plans to build youth and national team programs, and the ultimate goal of one day competing at the Olympic Games. 

For more information or to explore partnership opportunities with Pickleball Canada, please contact:

Dane Gomez
dane@sponsorshipcanada.com
C: 647-784-4112

ABOUT PICKLEBALL CANADA
Pickleball Canada is the national sport organization that governs, promotes, and leads the development of pickleball in Canada.  Its mission is to assist and promote the growth of pickleball as a sport for all levels and ages.  Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America, with over 1 million Canadians playing.  To learn more, go to https://pickleballcanada.org/

ABOUT SPONSORSHIP CANADA
Founded in 2006, as part of the XMC Group of Companies, Sponsorship Canada, a division of REVXM-Immediate Productions, is a leader in sponsorship asset evaluation, naming rights strategy as well as revenue generation for venues, events and properties.  We have represented cities, municipalities, not for profit charities, sports and entertainment properties and venues in naming rights and partnership deals totalling over $500M in revenue, over the last 15 years+. To learn more go to: https://www.sponsorshipcanada.com/

2023 Pickleball Canada Central Regional Championship

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce that Kingston Pickleball Club has been selected to host the 2023 Pickleball Canada Central Regional Championship (Regionals). The event will be held from July 12th to 16th, 2023 in Kingston, ON. In 2022, Kingston Pickleball Club successfully hosted the National Championship.

Over the course of four days, more than 400 players from across Ontario and Quebec, are expected to compete for the coveted title of the Central Region’s best pickleball athletes of all ages. Competition categories include men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. As a Pickleball Canada sanctioned tournament, current international rules will be in effect.

Peter Milovanovic, Pickleball Canada President said, “I am very pleased to see Kingston Pickleball Club host our Central Regional Championship. The experience they have with hosting tournaments, and Pickleball Canada Championship events, ensures that the Central Regionals will be a great success. We look forward to all players having a great time.

“The Kingston Pickleball Club is excited to host this prestigious event and to welcome players from across Ontario and Quebec back to our wonderful city”, said Andrea Blackwell, President of the Kingston Pickleball Club.

Kingston is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and Huron-Wendat First Nations. In Anishinaabemowin, this space is called “Gaadanokwii,” which is interpreted to mean “a great meeting place”.

Nestled where the St. Lawrence River, Rideau Canal, and Lake Ontario meet, the city’s lakeshore location is home to Ontario’s oldest public market with dozens of museums and historic sites, and dozens more unique shopping and dining experiences, Kingston offers something old and something new around every corner.

For more information, please contact:
The Kingston Pickleball Club: information@kingstonpickleballclub.com
Pickleball Canada: info@pickleballcanada.org

Pickleball Canada is Hiring a Sport Coordinator

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

Pickleball Canada is thrilled to be adding another role to our team of staff!

We are seeking a part-time Sport Coordinator with extensive knowledge of the sport of pickleball and pickleball in Canada. This role will mainly be remote and work 20 hours per week. The main responsibility of the Sport Coordinator is to help build Pickleball Canada’s sport department, assisting with programs such as coaching, officiating, recreational pickleball, and tournaments.

General duties include:

  • Assist the VP Sport with the day-to-day coordination and administration of multiple sport programs.
  • Update sport documentation for posting on the Pickleball Canada website and social media and ensure that all sport communications are in English and French.
  • Assist VP Sport, and other Sport sub-committee leads, with the coordination of, and reporting for the Sport Committee, and sub-committee meetings.
  • Coordinate program review and revision updates, in collaboration with the VP Sport.
  • Provide relevant information to the Communications Coordinator to promote sport programs, highlight players, tournaments, etc.
  • Act as a key liaison between Pickleball Canada and external parties to facilitate meetings, assist in administration of meetings, and respond to inquiries.
  • Assist with the research, development, and implementation of Pickleball Canada Programs such as Long Term Player Development and Youth programs.
  • Ensure that all events and programs are monitored and evaluated for effectiveness on a regular cycle.

Please review the job description below for a full description of the Sport Coordinator’s roles, required skills, and commitment.

Sport Coordinator Job Description

Application Process:

Apply in confidence by sending your cover letter and resume by February 24, 2023, to: HR@pickleballcanada.org.

Pickleball Canada is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status or disability. 

Pickleball Canada is Hiring a Communications Coordinator

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

The Pickleball Canada team is growing!

We are seeking a part-time Communications Coordinator to develop and implement the organization’s communications plan. This role will mainly be remote and work 20 hours per week, reporting to the Executive Director. The ideal candidate has a strong knowledge of the sport of pickleball and pickleball in Canada, good interpersonal skills, and a positive attitude.

General duties include:

  • Promote Pickleball Canada’s Mission, Values, Vision and brand image.
  • Support various Pickleball Canada initiatives and areas via storytelling.
  • Create, coordinate, and execute Pickleball Canada’s communication plan.
  • Create and manage various tools and infographics to facilitate the communication of Pickleball Canada’s key messages.
  • Meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Please review the job description below for a full description of the Communication Coordinator’s roles, required skills, and commitment.

Communications Coordinator Job Description

Application Process:

Apply in confidence by sending your cover letter and resume by February 12, 2023, to: HR@pickleballcanada.org.

Pickleball Canada is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status or disability. 

Pickleball Canada’s Website Refresh

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

Pickleball Canada’s website has been refreshed just in time for 2023!

The website’s homepage has been redesigned to improve user experience and visual interest. Added features such as the image carousel with eye-catching graphics help visitors stay up to date on Pickleball Canada’s programs and events, with easy access to important news available through the News archives located below.

The most significant change is the new and improved page layout and main menu which have been designed with the user in mind. We have listened to our members and community to understand what information is most accessed and searched for. Pages are now easier to find, with the most visited pages made readily accessible in the main menu.

Take a look at the new design and let us know what you think!

If you are having trouble finding content you have previously visited or need assistance navigating the website, send us an email at info@pickleballcanada.org.

2023 Pickleball Canada Western Regional Championship

Posted on by Kaitlyn Green

Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce that Medicine Hat Pickleball Club (MHPC) has been selected to host the 2023 Pickleball Canada Western Regional Championship (Regionals). The event will be held from July 6th to 9th, 2023 in Medicine Hat, Alberta. In 2022, Medicine Hat Pickleball Club successfully hosted the Alberta Provincial Championship.

Over the course of five days, more than 500 players from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are expected to compete for the coveted title of the Western Region’s best pickleball athletes in age categories ranging from 10 to 75+. Competition categories include men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. As a Pickleball Canada sanctioned tournament, current international rules will be in effect.

Peter Milovanovic, Pickleball Canada President, said “I am very pleased to see the Medicine Hat Pickleball Club host our Western Regional Championship. They have a terrific facility and enthusiastic group of dedicated volunteers ready to put on an excellent event. We thank them for taking on this opportunity”.

“The MHPC cannot wait to showcase our new 20-court facility, our city and our club members and our outstanding volunteers to the Western Canadian Pickleball community”’ states Brenda Lea MacPhail, Tournament Director. “Our past tournament successes have been noted by all that have attended over the years, and we hope to continue that legacy in 2023 making this event a very memorable one for all”, says MacPhail.

Located in the southeast corner of Alberta and nestled along the South Saskatchewan River, the City of Medicine Hat has a population of just over 63,000 but don’t let size fool you. It is a vibrant city full of arts, entertainment, recreation and leisure activities. To fully experience the sunshine, the coulees and the rolling prairies alike, you can hike or bike, the 155+ kilometers of the Heritage Trail Network.

For a fabulous overview of the MHPC facility, please click this link, and enjoy an overhead view.

For more information, please contact:

Carla Anderson, Executive Director
Pickleball Canada Organization
carla.anderson@pickleballcanada.org