Pickleball Club of Grey Highlands

Grey Highlands, Ontario

Here Comes Summer!

“Social!” – It was a sultry June evening for the first official social of the season, 30 degrees and heavy with humidity. No matter, there was some shade on the courts and drinks cooling in the icebox. There would be food but first there would be pickleball. Sixteen entrants on 4 teams, Athletic, Beautiful, Clever and Dangerous, all playing for the love of the game because there was not a prize to be won (though perhaps this was not generally known at the time). The joy of effort, as they say, and the fun of meeting a few new pickle pals was enough, a truly grand manner in which to welcome summer. Huzzah! Let the games begin.

Future Fun – a few special dates to place on your calendar. Socials: July 17^th, August 21^st, September 18^th and the Flesherton Fling on Saturday August 10^th. Be there or be square.

Here and Now – Play at Memorial Park has started with “Church of Pickleball” on Sunday mornings and open play on Wednesday mornings. Our Youth Rally Club takes the court on Thursday afternoons after school, 3:15 – 5 pm. We will soon be starting Learn2Play sessions on weekday evenings if there is interest. Please send enquiries to pickleballgreyhighlands@gmail.com.

Play at “Club 32” (aka Beaver Valley Pickleball) has been up and down with the weather. Our Club time slots are Monday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and Friday mornings, Saturday and Sunday afternoons on the weekends. Check TeamReach and PicklePlanner for specific times. Yes, there are all the normal annoyances of outdoor activities in this country (rain, sun, insects, noisy neighbours), spring, summer and fall, but the rewards are also many. Get outside and play! It’s good for you.

Tournament at “Club 32” – June 29^th (Men) and June 30^th (Women). This is a test of the best, limited to 8 men and 8 women competing in a round-robin doubles format with Prizes offered by Beaver Valley Pickleball. We have some skilled players in our Club who enjoy the excitement of seriously friendly, spirited competition. Suggest a self-rating of 3.5 and above. Go for the gusto! Sign up on PicklePlanner.

Pickleball Camp for the Young and Restless – this is a first-time project for our Club, a 4-day camp July 2-5, from 9 am – noon each day. We have 8 campers this year, 4 boys and 4 girls, aged 11-14. This exciting event will take place at Memorial Park. Many thanks to local realtor Simon Dearden for his sponsorship, as well as Pickleball Ontario.

Reporting on the Report – on May 15^th our Club Secretary, Reid Dennison, went before the Municipal Council to once again express in graphic terms (PowerPoint!), the community need for Municipal pickleball courts. While several Councilors were impressed by our presentation (Allen, Dubic, Loughead, Wickens), the best they could do was recommend that staff produce a report on the implications of our request to allocate some land behind Flesherton Arena for 4 dedicated pickleball courts. Alas, the wheels of government grind slowly. We will keep pushing. And pulling. And pursuing all options.

Website Highlights – we are always polishing and buffing the front page of our website with timely updates, in the News feed especially. Not just Stormin’ Norm’s colourful commentary from Ladder play but other juicy bits like the Pickle Prom pics. BTW, you will have to log in to see the Photo Gallery, one of the precious perks of Club membership. For your eyes only.

Make it fun! Do what you love. Love what you do!

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Pickle Prom Promises Fun & Games

Don't miss the thrilling finale to our indoor season! Dress to impress or dress for success. Prizes for Prom King and Queen. Yes, its a popularity contest. What else would it be? Come and find out.
June 11th, 2024
Grey Highlands Council Goes Back-and-Forth Over Pickleball Courts

Read more about our recent meeting with council in Collingwood Today.
Read More
May 17th, 2024
Final Night of the Season was Action Packed

Box 1 was a war, but it was the after-play that really cut deep. In the final game of regulation play, Laurence and Jack came away with a 16-14 win over Matthew and Colin. During the extra play, however, the team of Matthew and Colin turned it up a notch . . . ok, it was Colin who turned it up to 11 with his vibrant, eye-popping new orange shoes and matching shorts. Karen said he looked like a pylon. The warning he was giving was that he’s a force to recken with. Colin and Matthew won both games.

Box 2 saw Karen honing in and targeting the line past Doug’s forehand. She delivered three pinpoint shots that scorched past Doug and landed inside the line. I knew Karen meant business, all dressed in black and ready to rain darkness down upon her opponents.

Box 3 had two spares playing, one being Paul’s son, Eric. His tall stature and long reach make for strong weapons in the game of pickleball. Tonight’s play also saw the return of Nancy, bruised finger and all. You can’t keep a good pickler down for long.

Box 4 had Heather and Nancy coming out of the gate blazing. The two showed no mercy towards Rocky and Shari. With that first game out of their systems, Rocky and Shari respectively played much better in their subsequent games, with the last game being a close 15-13 battle.

A season of fun and competitive play. The ladder saw 4 new players--Heather, Colin, Heike and Matthew—trying pickleball for the first time. Colin and Matthew rose from box 4 to be staples in box 1. The two also brought fashon to the game. Matthew with his bright neon green shoes and Colin with an array of bright and patterned shirts paired with his magenta shoes. In the final night he introduced his new orange shoes and orange shorts. Heather told me he has a new collection to showcase during the summer, don’t miss it! The fashonistas are a force on the pickleball runway and court. Heather brings an enthusiasm and effort that is unmatched. Nicknamed, Slider, she often returned shots while sliding on the ground. Can’t wait to see how that goes on the surface at Club 32. Heike was only able to play during the first half of the season, as work got in the way. My moto is life’s not work, it’s all play.
We hope to see everyone throughout the summer at the events hosted by the Club. If you haven’t been to Club 32, get out there and experience the great surface and friendly family that allows us a great place to play.

Thank you to everyone! See you on the courts soon!
May 14th, 2024
No Retreat, Baby, No Surrender!

Who doesn't love a good husband-wife fight? A pickleball fire-fight, that is! Ellen and Harold recently squared off against each other and produced just such a fight. Ellen was super focused that night, determined, relentless. She glared across the court at her husband Harold. This battle was years in the making. Pointing her paddle at her mate, Ellen proclaimed, "Well dear, we made a promise, we swore we'd always remember. No retreat, baby, no surrender!" The tension was thick hanging over the court like a blanket, shrinking and clinging to everyone in the gym. Play started friendly enough, a few drives here and there, the odd dink, until Ellen and Harold found themselves directly across the net from each other. Ellen delivered a hard, low volley. Harold returned it in a defensive manner. Ellen drove the ball back again but this time Harold was ready and equal to the task. Pop! Pop! Pop! The two exchanged volley after volley, each time increasing the pace. Back and forth the two hit harder and harder. Ellen was determined to drive that ball at Harold with everything she had. Pop! Pop! Pop! The exchange continued as Ellen, like a Jedi Master, calm and controlled, bombarded Harold with volley after volley, the Master testing her apprentice, neither giving in. But Harold remained steadfast. Ellen sensed an opportunity and pounced on a high volley, driving the ball down at wicked speed. Harold took a few steps back, anticipating the increased velocity of his wife's smash. With a smooth and seemingly effortless stroke, he squared off and ripped the ball down the middle, dissecting Ellen and her partner for a winner. Like soldiers in the winter's night, with a vow to defend to the end, no retreat, baby, no surrender. (We are sure going to miss Norm's commentary!)
May 12th, 2024
Good Vibrations

Really cool vibes at “Club 32” (Beaver Valley Pickleball) this past weekend as the Salneks (Robert, Margo and Brian), hosted an Open House at their home courts on Grey County Road 32. The 2-day event drew a wide assortment of pickleball aficionados. Some folks were discovering these country gems for the first time, others were excited to be back for another season of outdoor play.

On Saturday under sunny skies Bonnie and Jack arrived at the stroke of eleven, ready to test the outdoor surface. Lorna and Risto were also keen to see the facility though both were on the I.L. (not for long we hope). After that, it was a flood of arrivals; Matt, Laurence, Toba, Patti, Debbie, Karen, Janet and Anne-Marie. They all got on the courts for shortened games with Doug and Karen, Bryden and Reid, Robert, Brian and Margo. Chip, oops I mean Chris and Dale arrived a bit later from the city. Shari and Camilla with Zen in tow made an appearance from their nearby retreat. Awesome enthusiasm for this game of ours.

On Sunday, after the courts dried from a morning drizzle, around 2pm, another round of pickleball junkies descended. Notably Heather and Colin in their usual colourful duds; then Beth came with Alexa and Ashlyn to hit a few balls, followed by Brenda and Chuck, and Sherry and Rob (no time to tarry, though, something mellowing in the smoker back home). Poor Robert had to drive back to the city early but Margo continued to hold court, along with Bryden and Doug and Karen, to the final dink or volley or smash.

We continue our quest, as a Club, to share and grow the game. Huzzah!
May 6th, 2024
OMG SHOT OF THE NIGHT!

SESSION 3 LADDER PLAY

It was a night of comebacks. On a few courts, one team found themselves getting out to an early lead and running up the score, only to have the other team fight their way back to make it a battle.

OMG SHOT OF THE NIGHT

On court 1, Matthew sent a short ball cross court. Colin rushed up and Jack scrambled to his left. Just out of the reach of Jack, Colin managed to get a paddle on it and hit a lob, sending Matthew backwards. He jumped and hit a hard return down the line to the right corner. A sure winner, but wait . . . seeing that his lob wasn’t going to be deep enough, Colin rushed to the baseline to get ready for Matthew’s return. He turned on the jets and headed to the right corner, he stretched out as far as he could and hit a solid ball cross body, unfortunately Jack was standing there and took Colin’s return in the shoulder.
April 5th, 2024
Heather Brought the Heat!

Session 3 of the Friday night Ladder opened with a bang! Players were scrambling all over the court to get balls everyone thought were sure winners. They were not! Court 4 was dominated by Heather (formerly known as Slider). She brought the heat, well-rested as she was after the March Break, spent relaxing at home bingeing on Netflix.
March 22nd, 2024
One Brief Shining Moment

Robert called it March Madness when he put out the invite to play outdoors. It was an afternoon to remember and savour, 16 degrees under the sun with a gentle zephyr from the south! A pre-season gift from the pickleball gods! We were 8 and it was great.
March 13th, 2024
Death to All Balls

MARCH 1ST, IS THE FINAL NIGHT OF SESSION 2. March 8th will be open play for anyone that would like to mix things up. An event will be posted on Team Reach for sign-up.

The 3rd and final session of the season will run from March 22nd to May 10th. A new event sign-up will be posted allowing everyone a few weeks to sign-up.

Death to all balls. That was the theme of the night. We said goodbye to 3 balls, which only left us with 1 for 2 courts. Luckily, Reid had a ball so that play could continue.

SHOTS OF THE NIGHT Jack was on FIRE! It was lob after lob after lob, all hitting their mark, catching lines and causing trouble. Jack was even playing on a full stomach, which usually doesn’t go well. Not on this night, Jack came to play.

Update: Regarding the Death to All Balls:

As the death of all the pickleballs are being mourned by the Friday Ladder group, a four-some arrived by courier and were eager to start play for Wednesday night's Open Play. However, unruly weather inhibited the Wednesday night crew from gathering, so these little "Fila's" will have to wait for their debut with the March 1 Friday Ladder group... let's hope they go easy on these new balls... they're only little!
February 23rd, 2024
Snow and Ladders

Ladder play saw players making their way through the snow to play. It was cold and snowy outside but play was red hot inside. Matthew continued his climb, winning box 2 and making his way from box 4 to box 1 in a matter of a few weeks. If you remember, Colin did the same thing last session. Maybe it’s the bright, blinding shoes they both wear. Speaking of shoes, Heather sported a new pair of kicks. No, they aren’t brightly coloured but they are providing her much needed traction even if they numb her feet by the end of the night.

SHOTS OF THE NIGHT Box 1 saw a fast pace to the games. Trying to slow it down, Jack sent one of his patented lobs to the far-left corner. Bruce scrambled back as the ball landed in the court and kicked out a tad. Using his sweet one-handed tennis backhand, Bruce unleashed a world of hurt, scorching the ball back down the line past Colin. Meanwhile, in box 2, spare Helen was doing everything she could to take it to the boys. In one exchange, Helen sent a deep drive to Reid. His return was a little high. Helen drove the ball looking to send it down the middle for a winner. Instead, the ball clipped the tape and suspended for a moment before dropping on the other side close to the net. Helen raised her arms in triumph but out of nowhere, Matthew dove, sliding along the floor and just catching the ball before its second bounce. All he could do was pop the ball up, back to Helen. With her arms already raised in celebration, the ball headed toward her raised paddle. Unfortunately, she was taken by surprise with Matthew’s tremendous get and drove the ball into the net.
February 16th, 2024
Latest Ladder Play Friday Update

Friday night saw some great individual play across each of the boxes. Box 1 welcomes back Laurence, who dominated in each of his games, making drops with ease from all positions on the court. In box 2, Bruce set the bar high with his driving returns of serve. In box 3, newcomer, Matthew delivered bursts of energy, bouncing on high balls at the non-volley zone line. While in box 4, Jane showcased her athleticism, delivering hard low drives from deep in the court.

BACK-TO-BACK SHOTS OF THE NIGHT: During the first game in box 2, the team of Karen and Caroline put the pressure on Reid and Bruce. Reid serving, his team at 13, sent the ball deep to Karen. Her return was low and hard, keeping Reid deep in the court. Reid sidestepped to his left and reached back for a little extra and delivered a scorching drive down the line past Caroline. At game point, Reid served to Caroline. She sent her return down the middle, Bruce reached to his right and sent a low drive back to Caroline’s forehand. She reached out and with a soft touch tapped the ball back crosscourt toward the sideline. Reid rushed forward and gave a flick of his wrist as he struck the ball just a few inches from the ground. The wrist-action produced a heavy topspin as the ball went back crosscourt and dove hard down toward the ground just after clearing the net for the winning point.
February 9th, 2024
Ladder Play Session 2

NO PLAY ON FEB 2nd, DUE TO SCHOOL PA DAY.

Play was fierce as was the battle of the shoes. Check out the photo in the photo gallery showcasing Matthew’s and Colin’s footwear. Not to be undone, Colin turned it up a notch with a stylish shirt. Earlier in the day, Jack spent hours visiting every shoe store in the Barrie area. He came home empty-footed.

SHOTS OF THE NIGHT During play in box 2, the foursome of Julie, Caroline, Helen and Paul battled every point. In one exchange, Helen and Caroline had their opponents on their heels. The game was tied at 14 and Helen and Caroline were looking for a side-out to get their serve back and try for the win.

Helen delivered overhead smash after overhead smash. Paul and Julie, on the defensive, kept getting the ball back. One such shot moved Helen to her left. In a perfect position, she hammered yet another overhead smash down the centre line. Paul, off balance and on his back foot, lounged to his left and stretched across his body on his backhand and in a last-ditch effort hit the ball just right, accurately sending it over the net and dropping it into the non-volley zone near the sideline for a winner. Up 15-14 and on the high of that great shot, Paul and Julie went on to win this back-and-forth battle 16-14.

In box 4, Heather “Slider” was earning her nickname. This was most effective during an exchange in game 3. A topspin forehand looped over the net and spun towards the sideline and padded wall. “Slider” sprung into action, dropping to the floor and gliding on her knees with her arm at full stretch. Just before the ball could hit the wall, “Slider” flicked her wrist and made enough contact with the ball to send it cross court and over the net Mezmerized by this outstanding effort, the opposing team was slow to react and hit the ball into the net. Luckily for “Slider” the padded wall cushioned her impact.
January 26th, 2024
New Friday Night Ladder Now in Session

The new session kicked off with competitive play across all four boxes. Two new players, Jane and Matthew, along with new spares, Julie and Helen, took play to a new level in their respective boxes. Jane winning her box and moving up this week.

A NEW FASHIONISTA?

In session 1, Colin set the bar high with his bright magenta shoes and equally colourful shirts. As he and I sat watching boxes 2 and 4 play, we noticed that a new player might be looking to steal Colin’s electric vibe. New comer, Matthew took to the court sporting an eye-popping pair of kicks. His neon yellow shoes left streaks of lightening with each step. Colin turned to me and proclaimed, “GAME ON!”
January 19th, 2024
The Gym at GHSS

A word about the venue: we have found the conditions at the high school have grown on us. The lines are not a clear as we would like them to be but the wood floor is more forgiving on the body, and the high ceilings make the lob a valuable stroke in game strategy. The lighting is excellent. The custodial staff is friendly and accommodating. The gym is warm and welcoming on cold winter nights. So, as in life, there are pros and cons to most situations.
Final Outdoor Social Event held September 19

Our final monthly social event was held on September 19. The Cheesy and Saucy Pickleball Social took place at Beaver Valley Pickleball. Teams were formed by drawing cards and matches proceeded under "Robin Hood" rules where the team that was behind could exercise options to "steal" points from the team that was ahead. The father-son duo of Brian and Robert came out on top at the end of the evening play, edging the Norm and Meli tandem in the championship tilt. Everyone enjoyed a feast of pizza at the end of the evening.

There were four socials held in 2023 and all were well-attended. We look forward to holding more these fun events next year.
September 20th, 2023
Presentation by PGH to Municipality of Grey Highlands

PGH presented as a delegation to council for the Municipality of Grey Highlands today. Our presentation went well, and council passed a motion to receive it and to support the initiatives of our club. Copies of the PowerPoint slides and the outline of oral remarks offered in support which comprised the presentation have been added to the Additional Documents section of this website. Take a look and let us know what you think!
July 19th, 2023
Affiliated Club Status Received

Pickleball Club of Grey Highlands has received affiliated club status with Pickleball Canada and Pickleball Ontario. Club membership registrations can now be made on line.
May 25th, 2023

Youth	$2.00
Other registrations	$10.00 per registrant