Lethbridge Pickleball Club
  • Final 2023 Mass Assessment Clinics

    The Joint Ratings Committee is releasing our upcoming Mass Assessment Clinics for the end of the outdoor season. These will be the final assessments completed until we open up for Spring play in 2024 so if you are not yet rated, please download the Team Reach app and request to join the Ratings Clinic site (code: LCL2023) so you can sign up for a ratings clinic.


    We have posted the last remaining Mass Assessment Clinics and hope to get as many ratings completed as possible. Once you have the Team Reach site, check your home club/organization’s website for the Club Ratings Policy and sign up for the clinic that you feel you are ready for. If this is your first assessment, we will provide you with a rating but you are advised to sign up for the clinic that best describes your play.


    Once confirmed, please be sure to pay the $20 assessment fee at the LSCO before attending your clinic.

    August 31st, 2023
  • Legacy Pickleball Court Update from City of Lethbridge

    Please be advised that starting May 29 (weather pending), construction will begin on the new pickleball courts in Legacy Park. The work is expected to take to be complete by mid-August.


    This work will have a slight impact to park users. Construction fencing and signage will be in place to protect the public. The existing courts will remain open as long as there are no safety issues present, however the northern three courts will be closed sometime in June or early July. The southern three courts are expected to remain open during construction. The northern section of the adjacent parking lot will be used as a staging area, however the rest of the parking lot will be available for use.


    This project will deliver six additional pickleball courts, located immediately adjacent to the north of the existing courts. The new courts will feature Plexipave court surfacing, perimeter wind screening, and will be accessible via a new pedestrian walkway along the west side.


    May 25th, 2023
  • Six new pickleball courts coming to Lethbridge’s Legacy Park



    Lethbridge City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 to build the six new courts, and to revise several features with the project to keep costs down. The revisions will include Plexipave coating and windscreens on new courts, as well as a concrete walkway to the new facilities.


    Contracts are expected to be finalized this month and construction could begin by June, with August as the target to open the new courts to the public.


    City Administration received construction bids for the new pickleball courts in late 2022, but the highest evaluated bid was over budget. Administration then proposed a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) amendment, and after some changes, proposal moved forward.


    Robin Harper, General Manager of Recreation and Culture said, “Careful financial considerations have been evaluated to ensure this project is focusing on the needs, while the key optional items will still provide significant value to the playability of the courts. This project creates additional space and functional improvements to play pickleball and to eventually host large events and tournaments at Legacy Park.”


    There will be no additional work completed on the six existing courts at Legacy Park.


    READ MORE: New pickleball courts coming to Lethbridge



    May 4th, 2023
  • Presidents Message

    Dear Members,


    Welcome to 2023 and a new year of pickleball! Thank you for renewing/joining the Lethbridge Pickleball Club, we look forward to another great year.



    Our most ambitious ongoing project remains the upgrading of the Legacy Pickleball courts. With the recent supply chain issues and the inflationary cost of materials, bids for the project came in $300,000 over the original $650,000 CIP (Capital Improvement Project) budget. City management and Culture and Recreation management recommended that we go before the Standing Policy Committee and request the additional $300,000 in funding to complete the project. The SPC met on January 18 and worried about the precedent it would set for remaining CIP projects, denied the extra funding.


    So what next??


    We have met with the City representatives in Parks, and Rec and Culture to discuss a plan to reduce the scope of the project. The project will now build 6 new courts with a plexi-pave surface, wind screens on 3 sides(north, west, and south), and new net structures.
    This also means that we must undergo a new bid process and as a result, we anticipate that final approval will not happen until the end of March or early April. If City council grants final approval construction would commence immediately with completion of the project some time during the summer.



    In other news, we are delighted to announce that the board has approved the appointment of Jim Hegedes as Secretary of the Lethbridge Pickleball Club. Jim will assume the role for a two-year period and we welcome Jim to the Board!


    Finally, if you have not renewed your membership for 2023 please consider joining at your earliest convenience by going to our website at Lethbridge Pickleball Club.

    See you on the courts soon!


    Klaus Witzke
    President

    January 27th, 2023
  • SPC declines request for pickleball funding



    BY AL BEEBER - LETHBRIDGE HERALD ON JANUARY 19, 2023.


    LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com


    A request to approve another $300,000 for construction of new pickleball courts went out of bounds for the Economic Standing Policy Committee of Lethbridge city council on Wednesday.


    The SPC voted to turn down a request to recommend that council approve the funding.


    The lone vote of the nine members in favour was from deputy mayor Ryan Parker.


    The SPC heard that construction bids for the courts have been received with the highest evaluated bid over budget. That bid was also the lowest, the SPC was told.


    “Material prices have risen significantly since the approval of the CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) which are contributing to the higher costs for construction projects,” says the report jointly submitted by Robin Harper, general manager of Recreation and Culture, and Parks and Cemeteries GM Blair Richter.


    The SPC was asked to recommend to council that it amend the CIP to add monies from the Federal Gas Tax Fund so the project can be fulfilled.


    In June 2021 city council approved the 2022-31 CIP which called for upgrading the pickleball courts at Legacy to meet standards laid out by the Lethbridge Pickleball Club and work with the Parks and Recreation and Culture departments to identify a plan for the site up to a maximum cost of $650,000.


    An engagement process was started to gain feedback on converting the tennis courts at Legacy to pickleball courts and on May 10 of last year, council as part of its consent agenda, approved construction of the new courts.


    Several members of the SPC expressed concerns that the costs have gone up by 50 per cent over the original estimates.


    Several suggested that a pause be put on the CIP given rising costs of inflation that could impact other projects that may come before the SPC and council.


    The SPC heard that a minimum of 12 courts are needed to host local and provincial tournaments and between 12 and 16 for larger events. They also heard that the six existing asphalt courts are not getting the use they could with those courts needing new surfacing to meet preferred standards. The existing surface of those courts is not conducive to the sport, the SPC was told.


    The SPC heard that the six new courts could be constructed with existing funding but due to the volatile nature of the construction industry right now, the costs of just doing those could still be higher.


    Councillor Jeff Carlson said he had concerns about setting a precedent by agreeing to the request, suggesting council revisit the entire CIP.


    Councillor Rajko Dodic said he could have supported the original $650,000 cost but not a price 50 per cent higher, while Mayor Blaine Hyggen said the $300,000 was too great of an ask for him to support.


    Acting mayor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel said she echoed her colleagues’ concerns saying that adding 50 per cent to the price is “significant” and suggested this could be an opportunity for council to revisit the CIP.

    January 19th, 2023
  • Pickleball Tournament in Regina

    Queen City Pickleball Hub Presents


    The Second Annual

    Prairie Polar Pickleball Playdown


    Date: February 17, 18, 19, 2023


    Location: Queen City Pickleball Hub in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada


    Events: Skill / Age men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, singles.


    ***Cash prizes will be awarded in the Open categories***


    Format: Best 2 of 3 on the “A” side and 1 to 15 on the “B” side Medals awarded to top three in each combined event


    Referees: Provided for medal matches




    Registration: December 23, 2022 to February 10, 2023




    Cost: $30 plus $20 per event (3.0, 3.5, 4.0), $50 for Open, – players can enter maximum of 3 events


    Friday February 17 – Women’s Doubles – Men’s Singles


    Saturday February 18 – Mixed Doubles


    Sunday February 19 – Men’s Doubles / Women’s Singles


    Accommodation: Residence Inn – 1506 Pasqua St. – (639)-739-3010


    Find the tourney on Pickleballbrackets.com


    Tournament Chairperson: Rick Beattie – email - rickbeattie@sasktel.net Phone or text (306)-535-2568

    January 2nd, 2023
  • Presidents Report

    I would like to update the membership on the progress we are making with the City of Lethbridge and the building of the new courts and refurbishing of the old courts. ISL Engineering has been chosen to do the design and costing. The project will go out to tender this fall and the completion date for the entire project is June 30th of 2023. We should be in our new facility by next summer.



    Klaus Witzke

    September 6th, 2022
  • President's Message

    President’s Message – JUNE 2022


    Next Saturday June 11 is Pickleball Day in Alberta. Come out to Legacy Courts between


    10AM and 2PM to participate in our great sport. Bring a friend or your family and let’s celebrate our


    great game with some friendly games. That day will also mark the beginning of our scheduled play so


    check your Team Reach App for upcoming days and times that suit your level of play.


    LEGACY REGIONAL PARK PICKLEBALL COURT UPDATE: As most of you know we are working with the city


    to build the parameters for the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) for 12 new Pickleball Courts at Legacy


    Regional Park. The 6 existing courts will be upgraded and 6 new courts will be built just north of the


    existing courts. We are currently in the design phase and once that is concluded we will move to the


    drafting and engineering stage. The project will then go out for tender. This process should take us to


    the end of the year with construction starting in the spring of 2023.


    WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN 2022? The city has agreed to partially fund temporary wind screens on the


    existing divider fencing that separates the six existing courts. We have ordered the temporary wind


    screens and they will be installed as soon as they arrive.


    MEMBERSHIP NEWS! A big welcome to all of our new members. As of June 1st the Lethbridge Pickleball


    Club has 164 members. To receive general information about the club and to sign up for scheduled play,


    members should download the club’s Team Reach App. Once downloaded, search for the code LPC2022


    and your membership will be approved. I look forward to meeting you on the courts.


    NEW RATINGS SYSTEM: On June 2nd the board of the Lethbridge Pickleball Club voted to accept the app


    called DUPR (Dreamland Universal Player Rating) as the official club rating system. DUPR is a recognized


    rating system that is for your club-based play only. If you play in tournaments, either Pickleball Brackets


    (Canada) or Pickleball Tournaments (USA) help you maintain your tournament rating. DUPR only uses


    club matches for ratings and therefore, only provides you with a rating for club-based play.


    Members are encouraged to sign up at mydupr.com and choose Lethbridge Pickleball Club as their DUPR


    club. The Ratings Committee will hold DUPR training sessions to help members begin using DUPR on a


    regular basis. Over the course of the outdoor season, club events will be posted to Team Reach that are


    solely based on your DUPR rating or include opportunities to input match scores into DUPR. In addition,


    all fall-winter indoor play will be based on DUPR ratings; so download the app and start inputting your


    matches!


    The Southern Alberta Summer Games pickleball tournament will be


    held in Coaldale on July 15 and 16, 2022. This is a great opportunity for people new to the sport to come


    out and compete in a fun tournament. There are many age groups (12-18 up to 65+) and skill levels (2.5


    and under through to 3.5 and above) that are available to enter. To register for this tournament go to


    pickleballbrackets.com and search for tournaments in Alberta.


    I hope to see all of you on the courts on June 11! Paddles Up!


    Klaus Witzke


    President

    June 3rd, 2022