Vanderhoof Pickleball Club Spring Update!
Happy Spring V-Hoof Pickleballers!
Guess what?! We made it!!! Yes its true! For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic we were able to play the entire indoor winter PB session without disruption due to Covid. Hooray!
Shout out to everyone, for their cooperation in adhering to PBBC Covid protocols. This joint committed effort has made this happen! Well done!
As restrictions continue to loosen up, there are many questions as to what this means for us as a club.
Via Sport the governing body of organized sport in BC has now given the okay for full return to both indoor an outdoor play as per current PHO directives. We can now shift to a communicable disease prevention plan.
However, sadly the pandemic is not over. In accordance with ongoing communicable disease prevention strategies and out of respect and care for all members, participants are requested to monitor their health prior to attending and stay home when sick or feeling unwell to protect those who are vulnerable. As we have seen, even mild symptoms in one individual can result in a devastating crisis of health in another.
Best practice to mitigate spread of disease wash your hands frequently and…’If in doubt… don’t come out’.
Thank you also to everyone who has registered and purchased participants insurance. This is a requirement of our host venues for us to play.
For anyone new or returning who has not yet purchased this insurance, there is a nominal fee of $13.66 which can be paid directly on the link below.
https://secure.pickleballcanada.org/register/vanderhoof-pickleball/1067/
Our club is growing (we currently have 27 active registered members and many expired members who have not been out during the pandemic)! This is very exciting! However, growth also equates the need to be a little more organized as a club in areas of; insurance, fees and communication regarding play. By doing so, things tend to run more smoothly and we can get down to the important business of hanging out on the court as much as possible.
On that note… here is a bit of a break down of some behind the scenes things that are happening.
Julie has kindly taken on the role of treasurer. This is an important job and we are very appreciative of her willingness to take it on. Please make sure you thank her for looking after this piece.
(Martin, Bernd and Mike support this process. Banking is now set up and two of them must sign checks as a safeguard and for transparency)
We now have a first aid kit available to use as a club. It is stored in the big blue net bag and should be placed on sign in table during set up for easy access at each session. Discussion has begun for the need to identify who in our club has their first aid certification and how we will ensure we have a plan in place should an incident arise. **This is evolving and will likely be more formalized in the fall.
Sherry continues to support registration/insurance process in conjunction with PBBC and looks after social media/communications.
Mike is working on some provincial grants to purchase equipment and is also in ‘very early’ discussion with District of Vanderhoof regarding the need for dedicated community Pickleball courts. Watch the space…updates will come as things progress.
We will continue with our current Monday, Wednesday, Saturday play schedule until the end of the school year, times and locations as posted in our Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/151774153727865
We are also in process of negotiating two organized indoor playtimes per week at Gospel Chapel over July and August. Watch for updates on FB.
Of course, outdoor play at shared tennis courts or dropping in on our sister club in Fraser Lake is always an option if people are looking to play more frequently during the summer months.
One final note, as the club grows and we welcome new members, there is to be expected a widening in range of skills and development. We recognize for some of our more skilled players it can be frustrating at times to have to ‘tone down’ play to accommodate this. However, we all need to pause and remember at one time we were also new to the game of pickleball and that someone (hopefully patiently and graciously) offered us constructive encouraging support as we developed our skills. Not everyone who starts (myself included) brings with them a prior racquet sport background and may simply need more time to get comfortable with the overall foundational concepts ie backhand forehand etc. Others arrive with natural athletic ability and quickly excel at any sport. Others may be recovering from an injury or be chronically limited in their physical ability. Bottom line is we are a recreational club and want everyone to feel welcome and accepted wherever they are at in their pickleball journey.
Not gonna lie, winning is fun! But, I think we would all agree THE BEST part about our club is the shared laughter and comradery on and off the court. It’s been a tough couple of years on all of us on so many levels and sometimes a kind word upon a missed shot or celebration of a good play can be a bright spot and make all the difference after a tough day at work or amid heavy life challenges.
Well that about wraps up this update. Wishing you all joy and success on and off the court!
Sherry on behalf of Vanderhoof Pickleball Club
