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(OTTAWA, ON) – Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce the results of its 2022 Board of Directors election, following its Annual Meeting held by video conference on Tuesday May 31, 2022. Karen Rust will continue as president of Pickleball Canada and will serve the second of her two-year term. Pickleball Canada’s membership voted to elect 8 directors from a slate of 8 total nominees. Six directors will serve a two-year term, and two directors will serve a one-year term.  

The newly elected Directors include:

1. Leigh Bradwell, Toronto, ON – two-year term
2. Deanna Christie, Kingston, ON – two-year term
3. Cynthia Clark, Calgary, AB – two-year term
4. Jacqueline Clarke, Vancouver, BC – one-year term
5. Jon de la Mothe, Toronto, ON – two-year term
6. Peter Milovanovic, Markham, ON – two-year term
7. Ken Nowlan, Surrey, BC – one-year term
8. Peter Walker, Calgary, AB – two-year term

“I am very pleased with the composition of Pickleball Canada’s Board of Directors”, said President Karen Rust. “The enthusiasm generated throughout this process was palpable and this current Board is poised to help continue growing the sport of pickleball to all age groups across Canada.”  “I want to acknowledge and applaud the very good work done by the departing Pickleball Canada Board of Directors – Karen Wallace, Tony Casey, and Bryna Kopelow, who have all volunteered countless hours to develop our sport which is growing at an exponential rate across Canada. With only two part-time staff, the commitment and effort contributed by all our volunteers has been a key factor in the continued growth of pickleball in Canada. We remain committed to working in the best interests of our members, from Coast to Coast to Coast.”

The role of Pickleball Canada’s Board of Directors is to provide overall strategic direction, leadership, and stability for the organization. The Board establishes the overall mission and purpose for the organization and is responsible for a number of key governance-related activities. These include approving the appointment of – and providing direction to – the senior leadership team as well as the development and adoption of organizational policies, financial oversight, and approval of the annual budget.

Pickleball remains the fastest growing sport worldwide, with over 1 million pickleball players across Canada and the number is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Pickleball Canada hosts national and regional events and administers programs to promote and grow pickleball across the country. Pickleball Canada’s mandate and purpose is to develop and sustain a dynamic, integrated Canadian system that promotes participation, competition, and excellence in pickleball.

The 2022-2023 Pickleball Canada Board of Directors is as follows:
President – Karen Rust, Regina, SK
Vice President, Operations – Peter Milovanovic, Markham, ON
Vice President, Sport – Deanna Christie, Kingston, ON
Treasurer – TBC from within Directors-at-Large
Secretary – Jacqueline Clarke, Vancouver, BC
Director-at-Large – Leigh Bradwell, Toronto, ON
Director-at-Large – Dave Best, Ottawa, ON
Director-at-Large – Cara Button, Calgary, AB
Director-at-Large – Cynthia Clark, Calgary, AB
Director-at-Large – Jon de la Mothe, Toronto, ON
Director-at-Large – Robert Hogue, Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, QC
Director-at-Large – Ken Nowlan, Surrey, BC
Director-at-Large – Rose Sawatzky, Morden, MB
Director-at-Large – Peter Walker, Calgary, AB
Regional Director British Columbia & Yukon – Barry Montgomery, Vernon, BC
Regional Director Prairies – Vacant
Regional Director Ontario – Gail Prior, Mt. Brydges, ON
Regional Director Quebec – France Emery, Laval, QC
Regional Director Atlantic – Pat Morrison, Inverness, NS

For more information, please contact:
Karen Rust, President
karen.rust@pickleballcanada.org

Pickleball Canada is seeking a Lead Translator.

This key role has been very capably filled by Manon Lussier for the past five years but she has decided to retire and devote her time to other activities.

Please see Pickleball Canada’s Official Languages Policy for information regarding the types of documents to be translated.  The workload varies, with peaks when there are major initiatives underway, such as the recent preparations for the Special Meeting to vote on amendments to the Pickleball Canada By-laws.

The successful candidate will have excellent command of the French written language (grammar, syntax, conjugation and punctuation). The Pickleball Canada Bilingual Lexicon of acronyms and pickleball terms is available for reference.

We have two additional volunteers on the Translation team.  Sandra Clouthier handles Social Medial translations and Isabelle Gauthier takes care of translating documents related to the Officiating Program including the Rulebook.

Please email the Pickleball Canada President, Karen Rust at Karen.rust@pickleballcanada.org for more information or to express your interest.  Your Expression of Interest should include a resumé of your credentials.

Thank you for considering contributing to the advancement of pickleball in Canada through filling this important role.

Pickleball Canada Organization (PCO), a not-for-profit organization, was established in 2009 to further the advancement of pickleball at the national level. As the National Sport Organization for pickleball in Canada, PCO is responsible to govern all aspects of the sport in Canada, and to enable the growth of the sport for all ages, both recreational and competitive. Membership within PCO has nearly quadrupled since 2017, to over 28,000. For more information, see https://pickleballcanada.org/index.php

Pickleball Canada is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse Board.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration 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 seeking volunteers to serve on its Board of Directors for terms beginning May 31, 2022.

For the upcoming year there will be eight (8) positions up for election at the Pickleball Canada Annual General Meeting. These positions include:

• Six (6) positions for a two (2) year term
• Two (2) positions for a one (1) year term

These openings will be filled by persons having expertise in the competency areas outlined in the attached Call for Nominations of Directors Package.  Interested individuals must complete the Nominee Application Form outlining their interest and experience. The completed form must be received by Pickleball Canada no later than May 24, 2022, at 3:00pm(EDT), to the following address: nominating.committee@pickleballcanada.org

The WCRPC and its committee members would like to thank the many participants that are planning to be a part of the 1st Annual Western Regionals being held in Regina. The rest of Canada and International players are welcome to begin registering on April 18th here.

Pickleball Canada is updating and modernizing its by-laws to bring it in line with the best practices of most of Canada’s National Sport Organizations. To read more about the proposed amendments and the Special Meeting click here.

As of March 30, 2022, the following nine former IFP countries, including seven of the eight full member countries, have formally notified the IFP in writing that they have officially withdrawn their participation from the federation:

• Australia*
• Canada*
• Czech Republic*
• England*
• France*
• Mexico 
• Philippines 
• Spain*
• United States

*Also current members of World Pickleball Federation

The former IFP countries and directors are committed to building a collective international organization worthy of the respect of its member countries. An organization that is driven by integrity, democratic principles, transparency and inclusion.

A Task Force has now been established, composed of the presidents (or their designees) from the nine former IFP member countries. This group is now actively exploring and evaluating the options available going forward, which include joining the WPF, introducing a new international federation and merging the WPF into it, or introducing an independent, new international federation.

In addition, the following former IFP directors have all resigned their positions, effective March 30, 2022:

• Board Member (Secretary)
• Board Member (At-Large)
• Director of Grants
• Director of Tournament Operations
• Director of Livestream Productions
• Director of Sponsorships
• Director of Education and Youth Development
• Director of Ambassadors
• Director of Social Media
• Director of Country Memberships

The joy created by our sport, its inclusiveness, health and social benefits, and the ability to unite all backgrounds around the world remains our goal, as we embark on the next chapter. We remain grateful for your understanding and support.

Countries with questions can email the new Task Force at: pickleballcommunications@gmail.com

For more information regarding each of the following countries, click the logos below:

YES – Pickleball is Exploding in Popularity as a Sport for All Ages!

Pickleball Canada recently commissioned a respected national research company to survey more than 2,000 Canadian households on household participation in various sports, including pickleball, soccer, hockey, tennis and golf.

The survey, conducted in January 2022 included the following questions:

• How often do you play pickleball?
• Why do you play pickleball?
• Where do you play pickleball?
• Age, gender, employment status, etc.

The survey results showed that 8% of Canadian households report at least one household member plays pickleball once per month. By extrapolating the data, this indicates that there are now one million individual Canadians playing pickleball at least once a month, with 45% playing four or more times/month. When analyzing the results from a similar survey conducted in January 2020, Pickleball Canada estimated there were 350,000 pickleball players in Canada. The 2022 survey indicates a near tripling of the number of pickleball players in Canada in two years. This analysis is supported by anecdotal reports of demands for more facilities, instruction, organized play and competition all across Canada.

The sport continues to be popular with older adults who typically play during the week. The sport is now also attracting younger, working adults as facilities become available during evening hours and weekends.

The age group showing the fastest rate of growth are players aged 18 to 34, with a 26% increase over the number of players in this group playing at least once per month in 2020. This age group also reports a very high frequency of play with 13% playing 15 or more times/month!

The reasons for playing pickleball vary by age grouping. However, for all ages, 62% report the primary reason as being “Fun” with baby boomers pushing the number up to 89%! The next highest overall response was the 38% of individuals who indicated they play for the “Social Aspects” of the game. A high percentage (66%) of baby boomers report playing for the “Health and Fitness” benefits.

The gender split is slightly higher for females except for the 55+ age group where the number of males participating exceeds the number of females.

No questions were asked regarding the number of players below the age of 18, but with the development of programs for junior pickleball players in many parts of Canada, this is a group with tremendous growth potential.

Compared to our neighbour to the south, 2.6% of Canadians play pickleball, versus 1.2% of Americans. The number of players belonging to the sport’s national governing body is also significantly higher. As of the end December 2021, membership in Pickleball Canada stood at 28,000 members, representing .07% of Canada’s population, while the USA Pickleball Association’s 50,000 members represents .015% of their population.

The last set of numbers indicates that the model we are following in Canada has been very successful in connecting pickleball players with the more than 200 local affiliated clubs, as well as with provincial/territorial organizations and with the national organization – Pickleball Canada.

Through Pickleball Canada, a valuable package of benefits is provided to every affiliated organization and participant, including:

• a comprehensive package of insurance products,
• a National Coaching Certification Program,
• a national program for accreditation of Officials,
• access to sanctioned tournaments,
• preferred pricing for a tournament management and club league systems, and
• Canadian Tournament Player Ratings.

These benefits help explain the growth in the number of registered participants, but the main reason all ages are playing pickleball is – ‘It’s FUN!’

For more information, contact

Karen Rust (she/her/elle)
President/Présidente

P: 306 540 6901
E: karen.rust@pickleballcanada.org
W: pickleballcanada.org

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