Sport BC celebrated the 55th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The event was hosted by CBC’s Scott Russell recognizing the province’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, teams, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport in either 2021 or 2022 season. Each finalist was nominated by their Provincial or Multi-Sport Organization, High School, College, or University. The Selection Committee, led by long-serving Chair Bernie Pascall, included a diverse group of highly experienced British Columbia sport leaders and media members. “This was our first in-person event since 2019 and the 55th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards was a true celebration of sport in our province, the recipients represent an exceptional 2021 and 2022 in BC sport and we are inspired by the sport stories of all of our finalists, the category winners, and the organizations they represent”, shares Sport BC’s President and CEO, Rob Newman. “We are proud to bring the amateur sport community together and thank you guests, sponsors, and friends in sport.” Sport BC congratulated all the Athlete of the Year Awards’ Recipients and the President's Awards which included PIckleball BC's President Walter Knecht. Walter stated "I was honoured to receive one of Sport BC's President's Awards March 9, 2023 [recipients outlined in attached PDF] held in conjunction with their 55th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards Ceremony. I was nominated by my peers in recognition of my efforts to promote and organize pickleball here in B.C. and at the National level as well. I was one of 55 recipients this year." The President's Awards Ceremony took place in the hour preceding the Sport BC Athlete of the Year Ceremony. The Athlete of the Year Ceremony ("AOY") was a gala event. Five hundred guests in a Juno Awards style ceremony affair. The Presidents' Awards recipients were piped in by the Vancouver Police Pipe & Drum Band and then shown to their assigned seats at one of fifty banquet tables." The AOY award presentations, was complete with short video presentations of all finalists (usually 5) in each of about 20 categories, one category at a time. Winners were announced, a presentation was made and thank you words were spoken. Several of the recipients were not able to attend but prearranged thank you videos were shown. The AOY concept has been designed to showcase the growth of sports in BC, and the results of many British Columbians who are achieving their goals in a multitude of sports, at all ages! It was very impressive and moving to see how far and to what levels of success many amateur sport programs in BC have achieved. A supporting set of statistics was offered in support of the B.C. success stories. The Province of B.C. accounts for 14% of our national population. Looking at the last 2 sets of Olympic competitions including the Para Olympics (that is 4 sets of games), B.C. residents and others with strong B.C. connections accounted for more than 50% of the medals nationwide. The Government of B.C. through a variety of agencies and programs is very supportive of both all recreational sport at all levels, and is very supportive in the highly competitive arena as well! This AOY ceremony and awards made that statement in spades! PS: Please see all the award winners on our new Virtual Trophy Page here... Forbes Contributor Todd Boss March 11th 2023 "As I watch, and participate, in pickleball’s dramatic explosion into sports culture over the past few years, I cannot help but see parallels in pickleball’s growth and acceptance in mainstream culture to another racquet sport, racquetball. Both sports exploded in popularity in a short amount of time, but as we speak racquetball is falling by the wayside in terms of participation nationally. Pickleball on the other hand is seeing its presence balloon in large part because of social media and easier access to courts and equipment. But is that enough to have more “sticking power” than racquetball?" For many of us more "mature" racquet sports enthusiasts who started their careers with Racquetball/Paddleball, we sometimes wonder if the demise of those sports holds some portend of what might happen to pickleball. Todd concludes "that it does not". His major reasons for his optimistic view of the future of pickleball can be summarized as follows: participation explosion where some reports say that 10% of the American population played in 2022; massive investments in both public and private facilities and courts as witnessed by our recent story of the new 32 court facility in Richmond BC; Pro tours like the Canadian National Pickleball League (1st Canadian Team purchased by NHL Maple Leaf players) and in the USA, APP and PPA; star power and celebrity tournaments; top ranked younger players and the demographics attracted to this sport including families, seniors and players from many other sports: and finally, the social and technology influences at play with pickleball making it fun for everyone, and it's easy to organize a game by texting your friends and finding a court (near a bar for after-play celebrations)! "Conclusion: Pickleball is rising fast, will continue to rise, and is here to stay." Read the full article here. Racquetball faces a number of challenges in its future
(Photo of a diving Rodrigo Montoya facing ... [+]GETTY IMAGES Registration opens Sunday March 12th at 9am on Pickleball Brackets for the 1st Annual BC Provincial Championships in Vernon BC: When registering you will be asked if you wish to take part in the barbecue on Saturday night. Your choices are: no, ribs, chicken or vegetarian. You will be asked how many tickets you would like for each choice (other than 'no'). To expedite your registration process it is advisable you determine the answer to these questions ahead of time. You will also be asked for your shirt size for the commemorative competition shirt which is a part of your registration package. B.C.'s FIRST PROVINCIAL PICKLEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Sponsored by Pickleball Depot Sanctioned by Pickleball Canada ELIGIBILITY Open to Residents of B.C. Only (as verified by Driver's License if required) Must be a Pickleball Canada and a Pickleball B.C. member in good standing throughout the tournament. EVENTS Women's Singles. Brackets: 3.0 Any Age 3.0 60+ 3.5 Any Age 3.5 60+ 4.0 Any Age 4.5+ Any Age Men's Singles. Brackets: 3.0 Any Age 3.0 60+ 3.5 Any Age 3.5 60+ 4.0 Any Age 4.0 60+ 4.5 Any Age 5.0+ Any Age Women's Doubles, Men's Doubles, Mixed Doubles Categories: 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0+ Age Groups: Any Age, 55+, 65+ SCHEDULE Thursday, May 11 - NATIONAL BANK FINANCIAL Women's & Men's Singles - starting at NOON Friday, May 12, 2023 - OKAPED Women's Doubles Saturday, May 13 - PARC RETIREMENT LIVING Mixed Doubles Sunday, May 14 - DISCOVERY MORTGAGE & HOME EQUITY BANK Men's Doubles Events will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily ![]() BREAKING NEWS @MapleLeafs players TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano & Alexander Kerfoot are the 1st Ownership Group of a Canadian National Pickleball League Team! More team ownership announcements coming soon - PLAYER APPLICATIONS for tryouts are http://CNPL.ca to send yours! As announced previously - The Dink Blog February 6th 2023: "Just in case you needed another acronym to memorize in the pro pickleball space: the Canadian National Pickleball League ("CNPL") officially launched as the country’s first professional pickleball league. The 2023 season kicks off with regional draft qualifying events for spots on eight teams, each with owners, similar to what we’ve seen from MLP." According to the official CNPL website found here, events will be held in communities across Canada, streamed online. These live events will provide fun-filled and competitive tournaments for athletes, sponsors, and spectators to participate in. CNPL with its unique team play and prize money format, will be home to hosting Canada’s top ranked players while simultaneously developing and growing the next generation of amateur athletes aiming to compete at a professional level as the sport continues to evolve globally. “Canada is bursting with talent that deserves to flourish; the CNPL will provide the opportunity for players to focus on their professional and skill development while simultaneously fostering the growth of the sport in Canada,” says Cameron Taylor, Co-Founder of CNPL and Founder and Head Teaching Professional of Taylored Pickleball Academy. Team owners have yet to be announced (application forms for potential players, owners and sponsors are found on the website link above), but CNPL has announced the first four committed players: Jorge Quintero, Kim Layton, Brad Chapman, and Kim Brent. Player application forms for qualifying events will be accepted beginning March 1st. Cameron Taylor is Co-Founder of CNPL and Founder and
Head Teaching Professional of Taylored Pickleball Academy Pickleball Derangement Syndrome (PDS): Boston Globe reporter Beth Teitell explains what this is and yes, truth be known, many of us have probably been told (many times) that we have it! "It's one thing to read that nearly 5M people [in the USA] played pickleball last year [or is it 36M??]. It's another to watch a loved one flying to a pickleball camp [or tournament]...and playing through the pain of pickleball elbow [or knee problem, or back pain , or...]." Read the full article here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/.../when-loved-one-contracts.../ Calendar of an Anonymous Pickleball Player's Calendar who has PDS :) Also in a related story, The Dink Blog recently posted this graphic from Sportico which proves why PDS is so prevalent! Breaking news - a new expansive pickleball facility is about to open here in the Lower Mainland of B.C. See the attached [PDF] introductory poster here and their website can be found here.
We all knew Pickleball was the fastest growing sport in the world, but good to see a reputable sports organization confirm it!! Unfortunately the report itself is expensive if you are not a SFIA member, but we thank Charles Neufeldt for the summary as follows:
“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport for the THIRD year in a row. The 2023 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)’s Topline Participation Report was released, reporting that the pickleball craze is alive, well and growing! According to the report, pickleball participation almost doubled in 2022, increasing by 85.7 percent year-over-year and by an “astonishing” 158.6 percent over three years. More information on the SFIA and their Report here. Two Early 2023 Announcements:
![]() 1. New PBC Logo and Banner: We launched a contest late in 2022 requesting suggestions for a new logo. We had used the BC "flag" logo (as pictured here which we did love but thought that it was dated) since our founding in 2017. We had something in the order of 2,000 submissions but could not decide as there were many good ideas, and nothing "gelled". Step in Pickleball Depot and their graphic artist and within a week we had prototypes that we all loved. So below are the final choices we made! Our design criteria: we kept all the colours that are in the BC flag, included water and sunshine representing our Province's most promenant endowments, BC yellow pickleball in both, and around the edges of the medallion we included the Pacific Dogwood flower adopted as BC's floral emblem in 1956. With the pickleball being embraced by the "C" in "BC" it's almost as if PBC is embracing and protecting our members? :) You can see that below we've used the new Banner or Title header on all pages of our website, and the medallion within the pages. This new logo and banner is also useful for tournament pop ups, letter/email templates, medals and all PBC communications. Hope that you like them! 2. New Virtual Trophy Wall: New for 2023, we are introducing a Virtual Trophy Wall for all those BC pickleball players who have achieved medal placement in major Tournaments. We will post, with permission only, any pictures and names that we have or are given of medal winners in BC. Please send all suggested pics or YouTube video links and info (Tournament name, Club, dates and names) to [email protected] for moderation. Once we have verified all the info, we will post on our virtual Trophy Wall! Alternately, as in the upcoming first annual BC Provincials in Vernon that we are sponsoring, we will post our own pics (with permission and attribution). Go to the Wall here. Harrison O'Nyons OKOTOKS Online February 21st 2023: Maybe this story will motivate some BC Ranchers to do the same thing as we need more courts everywhere? "Lynwood Ranch in Aldersyde, known as an event space and caterer for decades, is now a dedicated pickleball facility. Those familiar with the space may see the change as an odd choice, but co-owner Gus LeDuc says it came about in a pretty organic way. 'When COVID hit, we were shut down cold, as many businesses were. We didn’t know how to restart. I played pickleball, Wendy, my wife, played pickleball, our kids did, and we started playing inside the facility because it was dormant. Then it evolved into our brothers and sisters and their kids coming over, and the neighbour's.' Seeing some potential, having seen more and more private facilities opening in the States, and knowing the sport’s popularity in the Foothills, LeDuc and his family decided to go through with the renovations to convert the building into a pickleball facility back in November. Though many sports facilities support a wide array of netball sports including pickleball, according to LeDuc, Lynnwood is the second dedicated pickleball facility, the other being in Edmonton." Full story here. Lynwood Ranch Barn/Event Space Conversion for 4 Dedicated Pickleball Courts The 32nd Annual Wellness Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre took place February 11th - 12th 2023 - with 15,200 attendees and a full size pickleball court as our booth! Karen Watson President of the Burnaby and Area Pickleball Association stated "The Wellness event at the Vancouver Convention Center was a great way to talk about Pickleball. We were able to talk about the benefits of playing; how it is a fun way to get the recommended 150 min of activity/week, get a good cardiovascular workout, that it’s an all round activity, player friendly sport, social opportunity and affordable. The show was a bit of a surprise in that going in, the expectation was that advanced players would demonstrate the sport for the most part but instead, we had so many wanting to give it a try that there wasn’t much time to do the demonstrations. Nearly 250 people tried pickleball and they all loved it! We also had so many come and ask about pickleball. They had heard about it but had never seen it and left interested. "Karen concluded "The show met our expectations of advancing the benefits of pickleball and I would do it again if given the opportunity". Jeannette Savard, Founder of The Wellness Show, said in her thank you letter to Sponsors and Exhibitors in part: "Thanks to our sponsors and our exhibitors putting on their best to showcase the latest in all things Wellness, our 30th live show came back with a bang. On February 11th and 12th, 2023, the Vancouver Convention Centre West Building welcomed approximately 175 exhibit spaces and 15,200 attendees. A few sponsors and exhibitors have already expressed their gratitude for the success they had over the course of the two days. Sales were brisk, and public engagement was very positive." Full text of her letter can be read here. Full size Pickleball Court at The Wellness Show was well attended and fun had by all |
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