PickleballBC is pleased to announce that membership just hit the major milestone of 13,000 members. Congratulations to Graeme Dobinson of the Vancouver Pickleball Association who is member #13000, and his wife Tracy is #13001. This is quite an achievement (if we say so ourselves) given that PickleballBC was approximately 8,600 members in December 2021, and as of the last published stats we are approximately 30% of Pickleball Canada's membership in total.
A couple of relevant data points (some from the 2022 Pickleball Canada survey) to put our membership number in context:
As we near 2023, here is a YouTube mini-documentary on the history of Pickleball from its inception in 1965, which has led to 10M+ of us pickleball enthusiasts participating in the sport we love today. More of the origins of pickleball and what it is as a sport can be found in "About Pickleball" on our site here. Will Mahan of American History Geek takes us through the origins of Pickleball to modern day growth in America BC Pickleball Clubs and Associations across BC are raising funds for worthwhile charities over the holiday season. One such event was West Vancouver's Hollyburn Country Club ("HCC") Santa's Pickleball Christmas events held recently. $1,000 was raised in donations which all went to the Christmas Bureau of North Shore Family Services for those who are financially challenged over the holidays. As outlined on their website: "Many of us have had financial struggles in our lives. Many of your North Shore neighbours have struggled, too, and they want to help you to celebrate the holidays with your family. If you’re unable to afford the holidays and would like to participate in the Christmas Bureau, our community is here to help. Many of the families who now give back to the Christmas Bureau were participants at some point in their lives, too." The Christmas Bureau volunteer teams assist in a few different ways: The Toy Shop – You can choose new, donated toys and gifts for your children ages 18 and younger. We know that toys and gifts for children are expensive, and The Toy Shop is a place where you can select a present that you can give to your child yourself. Holiday gift baskets – You can also choose to receive a basket filled with grocery gift cards, wrapped presents for each member of your family, and other festive items. Our community understand that holiday time can be difficult and expensive, and they want you to have what you need to celebrate the season with your family. We would like to hear more about events such as these over the holidays. If you or your organization, club or association have held similar charity events we would encourage you to send a short description of the event and its purpose to [email protected]. Various Hollyburn Santa Events' members including several of the Pickleball Committee, and the Hollyburn Pickleball Christmas tree COMOX VALLEY RECORD: The popularity of pickleball has hit the Comox Valley with a huge wave of players swamping the limited number of outdoor courts and indoor facilities. In 2015, a group of dedicated players recognized the spark that had been ignited, creating the Comox Valley Pickleball Association ("CVPA") with over 425 members today. The association’s focus is inclusivity for all ages and levels of play, and to support the rapid growth of pickleball locally. The CVPA Training Academy has five certified instructors providing complimentary training, organized group clinics, fun socials and competitive tournaments. The executive is razor focused on ensuring that pickleball is at the forefront of all recreation planning conducted by the municipalities and regional districts in the Comox Valley. The big dream is to create an indoor pickleball facility to help meet the significant need for additional indoor and outdoor courts. Read the full article here. CVPA Board L-R: Heather Jenkins, Sandra Gray, Rod Hamilton (Vice President), Darlene Nelson, Rick Folk (President), Donna Turner (Secretary), Deb Houston, Russ Portigal, Ron Dumbarton (Treasurer) Draft rules for 2023 have been posted on the USA Pickleball website here. Once Pickleball Canada has edited and finalized our 2023 rules, we will post them on PickleballBC's site. Here are a few of the most significant...
Significant Rule Changes For 2023: Apparel (2.G.1/2.G.4) Inappropriate apparel may now include apparel that approximates the color of the tournament ball. Section 1 encourages players to avoid wearing apparel that approximates the color of the ball. The Tournament Director retains the right to require an apparel change during a non-chargeable time-out. Spin Serve (4.A.5) Intentionally manipulating the ball to add spin during the release of the ball is not allowed. Some natural rotation of the ball when it is released is allowable but the server must not impart manipulation or spin prior to striking the ball to serve. This applies to the volley serve and the drop serve. Replay or Fault on the Serve (4.A.9) The referee has the authority to immediately stop play and order a replay if the referee is not certain that one more required elements of a serve have been met. The referee will call an immediate fault if a serve clearly violates one or more of the requirements. The intent is to induce players to adjust their serve so that it clearly and obviously meets all requirements. Player Questions about Correct Server, Receiver or Position (4.B.8) Player questions about correct server, receiver or position remain allowed before the serve is hit. A generic question by the server such as “Am I good?” is considered to encapsulate both the correct server question and the correct position question, and the referee will answer both questions. In non-officiated play, a player may ask the opponent the same questions and the opponent must respond with the appropriate information. Wrong Score Called (4.K) If the wrong score is called, the referee or any player may stop play before the return of serve to correct the score. It is a fault to stop play after the return of serve to identify or ask for a score correction. It is a fault to stop play to identify or ask for a score correction when the score was correctly called. Equipment Time-Out (10.D) Players are not required to use a regular time-out for equipment adjustments or changes necessary for fair and safe continuation of the match. The referee will call an equipment time-out of a reasonable duration. The Quesnel PIckleball Club and the City of Quesnel were recently presented with funds to help light up the courts at West Fraser Timber Park. The Quesnel Observer recently reported "I had the pleasure to present the cheque for $3500 to Jeff Norburn with the City from our donation towards the outdoor lighting (see pic below). Total donation from the Club was $13,500.00. Thank you to West Fraser mills and Dunkley Lumber, City of Quesnel, Fernando Barbosa and Service Electric. We are very happy with the results" said Sharon MacDonald of the Quesnel Pickleball Club. Peace Hills Insurance provided $5,000 last week for the $90,000 project which includes the installation of lights at the six pickleball and two tennis courts. City director of community services Jeff Norburn says the city is contributing approximately $72,000 towards the project. Peace Hills Insurance recently provided $5,000 to help light up the tennis and pickleball courts at West Fraser Timber Park (Tracey Roberts photo — Quesnel Observer)
ESPN Reports: Following the lead of several other celebrities in recent months, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is the latest big name to get involved with the growing sport of pickleball as he was announced as a team owner in the new VIBE Pickleball League on Thursday. "Just like millions of other Americans, I've been following pickleball over the past few years, and I couldn't pass up the chance to invest in the fastest growing game in the country," Cuban said in a statement. "VIBE presents an unparalleled opportunity to launch a new pro league that will feature the best-of-the-best in a highly competitive setting. I can't wait to be a part of it." The new coed league is operated by the Professional Pickleball Association and will feature six teams. A draft will be held in December ahead of the inaugural 2023 season. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters are among the players expected to be involved. Cuban joins the likes of LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Kevin Love, Draymond Green, Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in being involved in the sport, as they all were announced as owners of various expansion teams in Major League Pickleball -- a rival organization -- in recent weeks. On Wednesday, Los Angeles Sparks star and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike revealed she was a co-founder of another new league -- the Women's International Pickleball Association. Mark Cuban, owner of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Dallas Mavericks, has been announced as the first team owner in the Vibe Pickleball League. Pickleball BC (“PBC”), the British Columbia governing body for pickleball, is pleased to announce their participation at The Vancouver Wellness Show February 11th and 12th 2023 at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. The highlight of PBC’s participation will be a full-sized pickleball court where there will be demonstration matches, “try it yourself” opportunities, and experts on hand to answer all your questions about pickleball. “Our participation with a full size demonstration pickleball court underscores PBC’s commitment to a healthy lifestyle through an increasingly popular and easy to learn and play sport" says Walter Knecht, President, Pickleball BC. It is well known that sporting activities are great for both physical and mental well-being. Pickleball with a gentle learning curve (albeit hard to master), low cost of entry and low physical impact is an ideal participation sport which contributes to improved wellness. Celebrating their 30th year in 2023, The Wellness Show has been bringing new approaches to nutrition, fitness, physical and emotional well-being to help Vancouverites achieve their most holistic, healthiest selves. They connect like-minded businesses and thought-leaders in wellness. They educate the public on health options as a year-round online resource and host Western Canada’s biggest and most established health and lifestyles showcase. Deborah Finkel, Marketing & Event Coordinator of The Wellness Show stated “We are thrilled that Pickleball BC will be participating in our 30th Annual Show. Pickleball positively impacts cardiovascular, muscle, joint and mental health making it the perfect fit for The Wellness Show!” Come see for yourself! Please see the Press Release and further information here. The Wellness Show February 11 & 12, 2023 Vancouver Convention Centre Each weeknight, Stephen Colbert takes the stage at CBS “Late Show” to find the lighter side of the latest headlines. In November, he’ll be doing something similar with sports. The comedian will host a two-hour pickleball tournament, “Pickled,” that will feature 16 celebrities competing for a coveted “Colbert Cup” and benefit the non-profit Comic Relief U.S. “If you love pickleball and you love celebrities and you love helping people, you’re going to love watching these celebrities help people by playing pickleball,” said Colbert in a prepared statement. “Pickled” will debut on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Celebrities taking part in “Pickled” include Jimmie Allen, Murray Bartlett, Dierks Bentley, Jaime Camil, Will Ferrell, Max Greenfield, Luis Guzman, Phil Keoghan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tig Notaro, June Diane Raphael, Kelly Rowland, Paul Scheer, Aisha Tyler and Emma Watson. Cari Champion, John Michael Higgins and Bill Raftery serve as announcers and add commentary. The tournament will feature a number of celebrities, including Will Ferrell, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tig Notaro, Kelly Rowland, Paul Scheer and Emma Watson, among others, and will raise money for the non-profit Comic Relief U.S. "If you love pickleball and you love celebrities and you love helping people, you're going to love watching these celebrities help people by playing pickleball," Colbert said in a statement. Per Steinberg, Cari Champion, John Michael Higgins and Bill Raftery will provide commentary for the tournament. Will Ferrell will assist Stephen Colbert in hosting "Pickled" - a celebrity Pickleball Tournament
BREAKING NEWS Pickleball BC and the Vernon Pickleball Association are excited to announce the first annual BC Provincial Pickleball Championship Tournament which will be held in Vernon at the National Bank Financial Okanagan Wealth Advisor Pickleball complex. Additional court space will be provided for play on the adjoining tennis court facility. The dates for this inaugural event are May 12 through May 14, 2023. While there are many details to be sorted out, we are confident, elated and looking forward to welcoming everyone to Vernon mid May 2023! Please hold these dates and make plans to participate. Richard Chambers Brett Forsythe VPA Tournament Director PBC Tournament Director Myron Hocevar Walter Knecht VPA President PBC President October 14, 2022 Richard Chambers, Vernon Pickleball Association tournament committee chair (from left), Cara Arding , owner, Pickleball Depot, Leah Peebles, Pickleball Depot and Brent Bolin, VPA vice-president at the National Bank Financial Okanagan Wealth Advisors Pickleball Complex on Okanagan Landing Road. (Anne Longley photo) |
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