Pickleball is said to be the fastest-growing sport in North America, but a newly formed association in Guelph said opportunities to play are scarce
It’s the fastest growing sport in North America, and a Guelph federation is struggling to get more access to places to play pickleball.
This is exactly why the Pickleball Guelph Association was formed in May.
“We’re trying to generate interest,” said the association’s Janice Tapon.
“Some people might be like, ‘Oh, pickleball is just something old people like me play’ … but we also want to introduce younger people to the game to increase participation because it’s such a great sport.”
It doesn’t take much to pick it up. A court looks similar to a badminton court and is played with wooden or plastic rackets and wiffle balls.
It was first played in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Pickleball Canada said it was not known when the game was specifically moved to that side of the border, but noted that Snowbirds often returned to Canada to play in the 1970s.
This seems to be the most common problem in Guelph at this point when trying to find places to play.
In the summer, even when tennis courts across the city are lined with pickleball lines, Tapon said tennis players want to use the courts as well.
“Sometimes you have to wait,” said the 77-year-old, adding that while there are some winter options, they are “few”.
For her part, Tapon picked up the sport three years ago and had to bid out her time on the list to play as a member of the Guelph Wellington Seniors Association.
“It took over a year to get on that list because there’s usually about 90 people waiting to be included in that group,” she said. “And that’s where I play now.”
As a member, she can only play on Tuesday mornings or Friday afternoons, as this group tries to give everyone playtime at multiple skill levels.
But where does the local pickleball association go from here?
“There have been talks with City Hall and obviously the mayor is on board now,” Tapon said. “He was informed of the growing need. But it will be a few years before that comes to fruition.”
The association is currently examining the possibility of renting gymnasiums. She said this would increase availability over the winter and potentially have three separate Pickleball games running at the same time.
“Ideally, our goal is to have pickleball-only pitches,” she said. “Right now we’ve managed to get pickleball lines on all the tennis courts.”
The federation is also looking at efforts to extend the game to the younger demographic, including the launch of clinics, one of which takes place on September 24 and has sold out.
“It’s really good, a nice sport for older people,” said Tapon. “But younger people can have a great time.”
More clinics are expected in the future and you are encouraged to visit the Pickleball Guelph Association website to learn more about the sport, including a link to register as a member.