DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first timers, the top pros, and everyone in between, pickleball.com will be the place to ride the wave that is pickleball. New players can learn how to pick the perfect paddle to start their pickleball journey. Longtime recreational players can enhance their game or find a local court. And fans of the best professional players in the world can access the news, stats and live coverage of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour in one click. "The incredible growth and interest in pickleball will drive us to keep investing in premier resources for players, clubs, media, and content providers," said Tom Dundon, avid pickleball player and investor in pickleball.com. Pickleball is a fun and accessible sport promoting health and wellness, social and community building, and at the tournament and pro level delivering equity in play and pay. As a result, the pickleball.com site will lead in innovation and evolve to continue to surprise and delight players of all capabilities. ABOUT PICKLEBALL.COM Launched in October 2022, pickleball.com brings together the data, content, and expertise of the following companies: the PPA Tour, home of the best pro players in the world playing over 20 events at top venues across the country; Pickleball Tournaments and Pickleball Brackets, the leaders in tournament software which are combining their expertise to deliver a next-generation experience for tournaments, leagues, and ladders; TopCourt, a leader in online pickleball and tennis instruction, and Pickleball Central the leading pickleball eCommerce platform with gear for people of all ages and levels. The next evolution of pickleball.com will include a mobile app, expanded player features, and fan engagement elements. For more information and to sign up for free visit pickleball.com. Tom Dutton, majority owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, investor in Pickleball.com, and a pickleball enthusiast ![]() SIRC (Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council) Announcement: "On September 30, individuals and communities will be honouring Orange Shirt Day, as well as the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council has partnered with viaSport, BCRPA and SportBC to mark this important occasion by encouraging members of the sport, physical activity, and recreation sectors to actively participate in this day of Truth and Reconciliation. The individual and collective journeys of Truth and Reconciliation are enduring. It isn’t a destination, but rather a lifelong path of reflection, learning, and understanding. Accordingly, we are inviting everyone within the sport, physical activity, and recreation sector to make a personal and/or organizational commitment to reconciliation. Click here - Opens in a new window for a shareable list of resources and supports. Click here - Opens in a new window for a printable Reconciliation Commitment card, including examples of actions individuals and organizations can take to advance reconciliation. We encourage everyone to share your Reconciliation Commitment on digital platforms including social media and websites, and be sure to include the hashtag: #NDTRCommitment and #ISPARCCommitmenttoNDTR." Sport BC believes in the power of sport. Our goal is to enhance sport participation in BC ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive through sport. Austin, TX., – Major League Pickleball is welcoming a new ownership group made up of LRMR Ventures, the family office of global icon LeBron James and entrepreneur and CEO Maverick Carter, investment firm SC Holdings, NBA Champions Draymond Green and Kevin Love, The SpringHill Company CMO Paul Rivera, and Relevent Sports Group co-owner and CEO Daniel Sillman. MLP is the standard-bearer for pickleball in the United States, delivering the highest-quality and most exciting experience in the sport. Expanding from 12 to 16 teams, MLP will continue to offer the highest prize money payouts per event to its players. In 2023, players will compete in six tournaments across six U.S. cities for more than $2M. The new ownership group announced today brings unparalleled experience and impact across sports, media, entertainment, and branding. With this group, MLP aims to expand the community beyond its current participants into more diverse communities globally. “Having SC Holdings, LRMR Ventures, and their incredible group as owners and investors in Major League Pickleball is not just great for MLP, it’s a watershed moment for pickleball in general,” said MLP Founder Steve Kuhn. “Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, building communities in cities and towns all over the world. This investment and the platform that this group provides will significantly help us with our goal to reach 40 million pickleball players by 2030.” See MLP Press Release here. History of other sport's Major League beginnings and status (PDF) here. Fortune Magazine September 28th 2022: "Recently, a certain sport has caught the eye of NBA star LeBron James—and it’s not basketball. Rather, it’s a relatively new leisure activity that’s quickly gaining traction."
As reported by Global News, Pickleball players in South Surrey, B.C. are crying foul after vandals damaged a new court facility just days after it opened. The city officially opened the new recreational space in Crescent Park on Sept. 15, and Surrey RCMP said less than three days later — on the night of Sept. 17 — vandals broke in. The damage includes a hole cut in the fence, damaged asphalt and nets and a burned shade tarp. “It’s definitely intentional what has happened with this vandalism, it’s not a random person who came in and decided to do it,” Surrey RCMP Const. Sarbjit Sangha said. But why would someone intentionally damage a brand new civic facility? The park’s pickleball players have their own theories...Until it opened, pickleball players were using tennis courts located much closer to homes, where players acknowledge the loud whacking sounds the balls make could be annoying to some residents. Sangha confirmed the RCMP had received complaints about players at those courts — but said there had not been any complaints about the new ones, which were intentionally built in a more isolated area. “Now the court has actually moved away from the residential area, and this new court has just opened last week. So right now, regarding the motive, we don’t know,” she said. Player Gus Romanelli said the scores of players that flock to the new courts believe the vandal or vandals were people who felt the new courts intrude on a more nature-focused part of the park. Read the full Global News story here... Earlier CTV News Vancouver coverage on YouTube
Pickleball Canada Announces Instructor Certification Course Updates - Including BC Courses24/9/2022
INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION COURSE UPDATE We have been thrilled at the response from people who have participated in Instructor 1: Introducing Pickleball. This is the first course on the Coach Education Pathway and focuses on making sure new players have a great first experience with pickleball. These are the numbers so far in 2022 (through August 31):
Level 1:
We are excited to announce that this Fall we will launch the second course on the Coach Education Pathway - Instructor 2: Developing Recreational Players. This course takes place over two days and will concentrate on developing the coaching skills needed to help people who play at the 2.5-3.5 levels become even better. There is a considerable focus on developing intermediate tactics and technique, and participants will enhance their knowledge of group management as well as analyzing players and identifying solutions to solve problems. The first pilot took place in Toronto September 12/13 and the second in Kingston September 17/18. Course Participation Requirements:
PICKLEBALL COACH EDUCATION WEBSITE Want to see the course calendar? Looking for coaching resources? Want to know who in your area is a certified instructor? Head to tpacanada.com and click the big white Pickleball Coach Education tile on the right-hand side of the page. COACHING TIP: EXPLAINING WHAT, WHY AND HOW? Whether you are a coach working with beginning, novice, intermediate or advanced pickleball players, you’ll likely be introducing new skills to them. And in order to develop these skills, you’ll need to introduce specific drills or games that will give them opportunities to practice:
FEATURED VIDEO: RECEIVING SHOTS WITH SPIN Being able to handle shots with spin is as important as being able to send spinners of your own. Check out this video — made possible by Pickleball Ontario and the Trillium Foundation— so you’ll be ready to handle anything your opponents throw at you. This is just one of forty-five instructional videos that are available on the Pickleball Coach Education webpage as reference materials for NCCP coaches. National Coaches Week celebrates the tremendous positive impact coaches have on athletes and communities across Canada. From September 18-27 2022, there’s an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by simply saying #thanksBCcoach. Additionally, events are being held across the country to celebrate coaching and provide coaches with the recognition they deserve. For more information on how to get involved in British Columbia, visit www.viasport.ca/coachesweek! National Coaches' Week provides coaches with the recognition they deserve for the time they devote to ensuring Canadians live an active, healthy lifestyle. From September 18 - 26, 2021, we encourge everyone to say thanks to the coaches who call B.C. home. To help celebrate National Coaches Week, viaSport will be hosting their annual #ThanksBCcoach Coaches Week Contest! Check out last year's winner. The viaSport Regional Alliance will be hosting a number of courses and workshops in honor of Coache's Week, keep an eye out for registration information in our calendar and on our social media channels. Coach recognition is an incredibly important part of viaSport's work - read more about the 2020 Coach of the Year Award winners. We had the incredible opportunity to interview the Community and Competition Coaches of the Year, check out Luba and Iuliana's videos. Click HERE to view our calendar of available courses and events hosted by the Regional Alliance during Coaches Week. Also Kamloops is hosting a comprehensive week including NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) Movement Skills and Make Ethical Decisions days as follows (please see the attached PDF for more info): Community Sport Fundamental Movement Skills $20 – Coaches Week Discount! Tournament Capital Centre, meeting room D Saturday September 24th 8:30am-1:00pm Competition Introduction Make Ethical Decisions $50 – Coaches Week Discount! Tournament Capital Centre, meeting room D Wednesday September 21st 4:30pm-8:30pm Aboriginal Coaching Module and Indigenous Communities: Active for Life - FREE Tournament Capital Centre, meeting room C & B Saturday, Sept 24 and Sunday Sept 25th Time: 9am-5pm on the 24th and 9am-2:30pm Sunday Register here, note – this is to register for both days *coaches receive Pro-D points for their coach.ca locker Indigenous Communities Active for Life - FREE Tournament Capital Centre, meeting room C & B Sunday, Sept 25th Time: 9am-2:30pm *note, this is to register for the Sunday workshop only, coaches will receive PL101: Indigenous Lens upon completion **coaches receive Pro-D points for their coach.ca locker Coaches Corner Lunch and Learn - FREE Special National Coaches Week edition with Clinical Counsellor and former NCAA Hammer Thrower Serena Graf Thursday, Sept 22nd Location: Frick and Frack Taphouse, Kamloops BCTime: noon-1pm email Erin at [email protected] to register ALSO REGISTER AT: (250) 828-3500 or www.kamloops.ca/PerfectMind. For all Fall NCCP course listings, see our website here. Any questions, please contact our Sport Performance Coordinator here. For more info please see the attached PDF here. DISCOUNT NCCP ALERT: check out the following online training being offered during National #CoachesWeek! Outtake from a timely article on trackit blog: "We all remember going to P.E. class and shuffling through the units and gym games –– volleyball, soccer, football, dodgeball, basketball, softball/baseball, and other popular sports. Gym class was a time to get together with peers, get a fun workout in, and learn the fundamentals of various sports to encourage lifelong physical activity. The traditional physical education (phys-ed or P.E.) curriculum has shaped young athletes and our country’s sports landscape into what it is today, but it has evolved over time; even sports like ultimate frisbee and pickleball are now P.E. staples. More and more schools are adding pickleball to the mix. As the sport climbs in popularity, phys-ed programs create opportunities for young people to learn about pickleball in schools. This is huge for pickleball prosperity and implementation across all ages, which has been an overall obstacle for the sport since its inception. We’ve already seen some great strides for youth pickleball outside of school. Pickleball is now an official sport in the Special Olympics USA Games, and NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition even did a feature on pickleball this past June. There have also been a growing number of youth pickleball camps and programs over the past few years put on by local pickleball clubs and facilities. Introducing pickleball to schools is a monumental step that could finally make pickleball a core sport..." Read the full article from trackitblog by Kelly Campbell here. Also, PickleballBC (PBC) provides Community and Youth Program Grants. These grants provide up to $500 to provide "seed" support for the needs, growth and participation in pickleball throughout BC to communities, associations, clubs and schools. Qualified investments include approved paddles and balls, portable or permanent net systems, lines, and instructional assistance. For more details on how these Grant programs can assist in your pickleball expansion plans and how you can apply, see our PBC Grant Program info here. From Gates Notes Insider by Bill Gates: "I’ve been a little stunned—and delighted—by the sudden popularity of one of my favourite pastimes, a game with a funny name and strange terminology, such as, “dink,” “kitchen,” and “skinny singles". Largely confined to the Pacific Northwest for decades, it has now emerged as America’s fastest-growing sport. My dad was friends with the game’s inventors, Joel Pritchard, a state legislator and later Washington’s lieutenant governor, Barney McCallum, and Bill Bell. He learned about their creation and by the late 1960s, he got inspired to build a pickleball court at our house....I’ve been a “Pickler,” as people obsessed with the game like me are known, for more than 50 years. And if you and your family are bored and looking for something to do this summer, I encourage you to become one too..." Read the whole article here (4 minute read), and YouTube video below. Bill Gates YouTube Discussion About His Love of Pickleball ESPN published this video item entitled "One Nation, Under Pickleball". Up to date story of pickleball's founding up to recent day Washington State's declaration of pickleball as the official State sport by Governor Jay Inslee. "The fastest-growing sport in America has the oddest name, the most humble beginnings, and an actual spy as one of its founding fathers. Welcome to Pickleball and the faraway place it was invented, Bainbridge Island, Washington." ESPN YouTube Story Updated August 21st 2022 Comox Valley Record story by Michael Briones: A Vancouver Island Pickleball Club has started a pilot program that aims to help people with Parkinson’s disease. A group of eight people with the neurodegenerative disease were first introduced to pickleball by the Parksville-based Oceanside Pickleball Club instructors Ernie Pallot and Sharon Fox on July 25. Despite having to play when the heat was a bit intense at noon, participants savoured the experience and left feeling good and extremely appreciative of the opportunity. One of them was Duncan Watson, who was diagnosed with the disease 10 years ago... Pallot and Fox held basic lessons that included tossing the ball around, hand-throwing the ball and hitting the ball with each other simply to give them a good feel for the game. During the course of the lessons, Pallot indicated they will keep a record of everything they’re doing and also hand out self-assessment forms for participants to fill out and bring back for the next session... “The reason why I want to do this as a pilot program is to have the information available so that we can make it known to the various associations and clubs across Canada, if it’s successful, that they can introduce it themselves,” said Pallot, who added that Pickleball BC and Pickleball Canada are quite keen to learn more from the program. More of the story from the Comox Valley Record here. Duncan Watson learns the basics of pickleball provided by OPC Pickleball Club’s pilot program to help people with Parkinson’s disease. (Maire Watson photo) |
We are always delighted to receive suggestions and/or contributions of content for this web site. Please send to [email protected]
|