Member's Update - Spring Into Action!
Tip of the hat – To Bryden Jones and Shari Geller for walking and carrying our banner (metaphorically) in the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser for local food security. To Janet Pounder & John Sproat for giving up their old paddles to augment our loaner bin for Learn2Play Pickleball. To Norm Green and Beth Campbell for coordinating Wednesday and Friday evenings throughout the indoor season with energy and imagination. To Matt Civiero for donating his landscape-design skills in planning our outdoor pickleball park. To our complete Board of Directors who freely meet monthly (and sometimes more often), to give direction to our Club!
Be An Angel – Announcing a new “Supporting Membership” category for pickleball angels who wish to support our local pickleball efforts but don’t intend to play. $20 flat rate, does not include membership in Pickleball Canada or Pickleball Ontario. Does include socials, amusing Updates and our sincere appreciation. If you are interested, please contact us at pickleballgreyhighlands@gmail.com for more information.
Pickleball Boot Camp for Youth – We are proposing a half-day camp, 9 am to 12 noon, for the first week of July on the courts at Memorial Park in Flesherton, open to girls and boys ages 10 – 16. Our own Club members will have first dibs but non-members will be welcome at a slightly higher cost, if there is room. Enrolment will be limited to 8 participants. The fee for Club members will be $20 to cover cost of snacks, drinks, balls and prizes. We are seeking a sponsor for this prestigious, inaugural event, to underwrite the purchase of t-shirts. (Check TeamReach for updates and signup.)
May 25th Big Day for PGH – A year ago the Pickleball Club of Grey Highlands was nothing more than a twinkle in the eyes of a few people. Today we have 101 members and that number is climbing week by week. PGH received affiliated Club status with Pickleball Canada and Pickleball Ontario on May 25th 2023, so in honour of that auspicious date we are holding a tournament and a party. This event will be held at “Club 32” as we need at least 2 courts and these courts are the best around. There will be cake and there will be pickleball matches. The tournament will be in 2 divisions: Under 3.0, and Over 3.0. There will be an entry fee and entries will be limited to 12 in each division. Cake will be served to all who arrive along with tea or coffee. Come out and support your Club and see who the big dogs are (also the little dogs). (This will be posted on TeamReach when details are finalized.)
Where’s the Action? - Two choices
Door # 1 – Beaver Valley Pickleball, the place we playfully call “Club 32” is located on County Road 32 just northeast of Flesherton. It is a private residence owned by Margo and Brian Salnek with 2 gorgeous pickleball courts tucked away behind. Robert, their son, and a certified level 1 coach, manages Beaver Valley Pickleball. We pay to play here through a phone app called Pickle Planner. The single use drop-in fee is $8 or a flat fee of $45/month. Our designated times at “Club 32” are Monday mornings 9am – 11am, Wednesday evenings 6pm – 8pm, and Friday morning 9am – 11am. We will continue to use TeamReach to post times and record signups as well. On TeamReach we will post the link to "Pickle Planner" which is Club 32's link for registration and court fee payments. BVP also offers a seasonal rate of $225 for our Club members, which includes unlimited drop-in play, use of the ball machine and entry into the end of season tournament. For non-club members this rate is $275. The seasonal deal at “Club 32” runs from May 1st until Thanksgiving. Robert is holding an Open House on Saturday & Sunday, May 4 & 5, from 11 am - 4 pm to introduce the facilities. A chance to hit a few balls and ask questions.
Door # 2 – Memorial Park, Flesherton, is where it all began for the Club. Located in the park adjacent to the Museum and tucked away behind the swings and monkey bars, this unassuming asphalt basketball surface is where we lined our first court by hand and put up our portable net. With the support of the Flesherton Beautification and Improvement Committee, who bank-rolled 8 paddles, a net and a dozen balls, pickleball began to grow organically with passing kids and local curiosity seekers. It was the birthplace of the “Church of Pickleball” on Sunday mornings, a small congregation which lives on and meets religiously as soon as the court is playable in May. We plan to continue to use Memorial Park at least until a new municipal facility is built. Our Youth will play here one afternoon a week after school until the end of June and then in the summer. Flesherton Pickleball maintains an equipment box at the court with spare paddles, a net, and balls, for the Youth program and others. We anticipate there will be Club activities at Memorial Park but a schedule has not been firmed up yet. It will depend on finding willing volunteers to facilitate these events. (We will post times on TeamReach as they unfold.)
What’s your Number? – The pickleball self-assessment skill level rating system is a method for players to assess their own skill level by assigning themselves a 2-digit score between 1.0 (absolute beginner) and 6.0 (pro tour). The assessment is based on playing ability, knowledge of rules and scoring, positioning and strategy. Pickleball Canada has a chart on their website Self-Assessment Chart giving guidelines. In our Club, for example, Norm Green is about 4.0 and Caroline Feeley about 3.5. Norm advises that most players seem to over-rate their prowess. (Norm actually said he was 3.75 and Caroline 3.25. They got rounded up.)
Gearing Up – We joke about fancy footwear sometimes but yes, good court shoes are worth consideration. We found playing indoors in the gym this winter that court shoes were an asset for comfort and safety, offering support and balance. They will be highly recommended at Club 32 where clean, non-marking soles will be required. At Memorial Park, where the surface is asphalt, court shoes are not so important except in terms of fit and support. Decent trainers that lace up are sufficient for safety. Eye protection is another recommended item. Eye injuries are rare in pickleball but very concerning when they do happen. A pair of inexpensive protective glasses go a long way to ensuring accidents don’t spoil your pickleball career.
Meanwhile In the Gyms – At MacPhail Wednesday evenings the marauding Youth Rally Crew continue to grow in numbers as we now have 3 courts in operation and 4 youngsters waiting on deck. A sometimes wild but delightful bunch, they are our hope for the future. At Grey Highlands SS that same night a more mature set play their hearts out in the big gym. The games are friendly and vary in skill level. Beth sometimes throws in a theme night to spice things up. On Friday night the Ladder kicks in with competition which is just as friendly but clearly faster and more intense especially in the top box. Kudos to Norm for his organizational skills and amusing commentary. We lose the gyms in the middle of June, but by then our outdoor programs will be in full flight.
Talking to Council (again!) – As a result of our Town Hall input last February at the Kinplex, the Club was assured by Mayor Paul McQueen that pickleball was “on their radar.” The Club was invited by Councilor Joel Loughead to make another, more detailed presentation to Council (our first approach was in July 2023), this time proposing a pickleball facility on municipal land, behind Flesherton Arena. The location is tailor-made for a pickleball park. May 15th is our new date!
Still on the Web but Not at All Tangled – The Club’s website is there as an information resource and conduit to Pickleball Canada and Pickleball Ontario. The photo gallery alone is worth tens of thousands of words, available to you at a glance (but only if you are a member). It’s a fun browse: Photo Gallery.
Make it Fun! Do what you love. Love what you do!