August Newsletter
Horseshoe Valley Pickleball Newsletter
Edition 1 - Aug 13/23
Did playing pickleball already get checked off your to do list today?
Pickleball is growing exponentially in North America and nowhere is that more evident than here, in Horseshoe Valley, where our courts are routinely buzzing with joyous activity, where oohs and aahs are often heard after a well played rally and where the building blocks of new friendships have found a firm foundation.
Horseshoe Valley Pickleball welcomes all those who have come out to play Pickleball at the Horseshoe courts this year. Each individual has contributed to the fun, excitement and camaraderie that is present every time we play.
Horseshoe Valley Pickleball also thanks those individuals who played a larger role in bringing Pickleball to our community. Thank you to the experienced players who imparted their knowledge to the new. Thank you to the communication gurus who used WhatsApp, texts and emails to keep us all informed of the latest in Horseshoe Valley Pickleball. And thank you to Don Gregor for your vision and leadership. Without all of you, Pickleball in Horseshoe Valley would not have evolved, thrived and continued to grow.
And, as a growing entity, in July Horseshoe Valley Pickleball opted to elect a Pickleball Board to represent and act on behalf of the people who had been enjoying Pickleball at the Horseshoe Valley courts. A board of seven was chosen to meet the needs of the growing membership. Board responsibilities would include liaising with the Township to address issues with regards to the courts: dedicated Pickleball court time at the Township owned, multi-use facility, upkeep (maintenance) of the courts, funding for equipment and supplies, access to storage facilities, constructing/securing an information board. Further responsibilities would include but would not be limited to liaising with the membership, researching the best way to advocate for the membership as a group, establishing codes of conduct to ensure inclusive, safe, fun and engaging games of Pickleball, facilitating mentoring sessions to focus on skills development, invite membership participation in sub committees that would organize and oversee ladder play, in house tournaments and inter club tournaments, establishing a financial infrastructure to support the equipment needs of Horseshoe Valley Pickleball, meeting on a regular basis to address the needs of the membership and reporting on a regular basis to the membership.
Elections were held on July 26th for the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and 3 Members at Large. The group that were elected for the above positions in the order as noted above were; Dave Viney, Wendy Simms, Rick Meyers, Christine Patterson, Nanda Mohamed, Ken Apple, Susie Fassbender. Action on the part of the Board started soon thereafter.
The Pickleball shed was cleaned up and the Township was asked to remove damaged equipment and debris. This has since been completed by the Township.
Contact has been made with the Township to get a date for the divots on the remaining courts to be repaired. When we have this date the membership will be advised on WhatsApp that the Horseshoe Courts will be out of service on that date to allow the repair work to dry. Suggestions as to alternate court availability will be made at that time.
Action was taken to introduce Horseshoe Valley Pickleball as an organized club with the hopes of having a stronger voice with the Township.
Research was done into the advantages and disadvantages of the membership joining Pickleball Ontario and Pickleball Canada. The Boards position and rationale on this matter will be outlined in a future newsletter.
The Board is in the process of setting up a bank account for Horseshoe Valley Pickleball. Procedures to ensure financial accountability and transparency have been set up.
The Board members have been collecting phone numbers and email addresses from the membership as well as having informal discussions to try and keep the membership informed as to the latest developments in Horseshoe Valley Pickleball.
Court etiquette has been refined and defined to keep players safe (please walk on the grass around the courts when coming off court after your game), to keep down time between games to a minimum (using an effective way of identifying the next group of four to play depending on the number of players at the court) and to maintain a stronger flow to a game by making balls more accessible during a game (more balls and buckets for balls will soon be available and non playing members are asked to collect errant balls for easy access by playing members).
The Board had its first formal in-person meeting on August 9th. Specific duties were discussed and assigned. The Board thanks the membership for its patience as we transition from the previous leadership and solo voice to our seven member Board. We hope this Newsletter will help the membership understand some of the work that has been going on in the background since the election and the work that the Board is undertaking to make Horseshoe Valley Pickleball even more inviting, inclusive, physically engaging, intellectually stimulating, safe, fun, friendly, entertaining and socially satisfying than ever before.
The Board decided that elections for its positions would be held annually in the fall, each for a one year term, with the term running from January 1st to December 31st. This would allow for an effective transition of members (learning curve) between the election date and the start of the new term. The next election would be for the same positions as they were this year with the exception that one of the members at large positions would become a past president or member at large position. Since this year's elections took place a few months early, the term for the present Board will continue until December 31st, 2024.
So, back to the original question. Did playing Pickleball already get checked off your to do list today? Come on out, you won’t regret it!
This Newsletter is sent on behalf of your Pickleball Board to keep you informed, involved, and with any luck, interested in participating in the development of Pickleball in Horseshoe Valley in the future. Please feel free to talk to us on the courts, via email or through a WhatsApp chat if you have any questions, concerns, ideas or dreams. We are here for you. Together, let’s enjoy the fastest growing sport in North America and make things happen!
Thank you from your Horseshoe Valley Pickleball Board.