Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club

New Mentor Session Model

SLPC Members

We’re excited to announce that we are introducing a new and improved model for offering Mentor Sessions. We’re hopeful with this model, we’ll be able to provide effective programs in a flexible way that will meet our members’ unique needs.

Under this new model, members who are seeking a Mentor Opportunity are to do the following:

• Seek out other members with similar skills/needs to form a group of 4 (or 3)
• Review the Mentor Profiles (attached) to look for a good match to your needs
• One person in the group is to reach out to the selected Mentor to arrange for a mutually agreeable time slot. Please note:
  • It is preferred that training sessions be scheduled in less busy times like 8am, after 4pm, or on weekends
  • Please recognize that the mentors are volunteers and they need to balance their mentoring time with their own play, as well as other commitments.
• The Mentor will book the Training Event in Court Reserve:
  • The members will be charged their regular court fees
  • There will also be an additional $5 fee per player that will be charged automatically through Court Reserve
  • The Mentors do not get paid; all funds collected for training session go directly to the Club

Other Notes:

• When you participate in a Mentor Session, you will leave with different skills or strategies that you should work on over the next few weeks. As such, we ask that you wait at least 4 weeks before participating in a subsequent Mentor Session.
• New Players can contact Barb Atsalinos (barbatsalinos@gmail.com) to arrange for a Learn to Play session

The Mentor Profile document is attached to this email, but it is also housed on the SLPC website:

https://files.trackie.com/uploads/event/2026-03-08-22-34-56-100145792-9897.pdf?rand=45859520

The Club is very fortunate that we have a healthy number of volunteers who are willing to help out and offer a breadth of experiences. This is our SLPC Mentor Team

• Aldo Adamo
• Barb Atsalinos
• David Begg
• David Caraher
• Jeff Hicks
• Glen Knott
• Bill Lindsay
• Jane Lindsay
• David Matheson
• Greg Mentley
• Ron Mombourquette
• Maria Rocca
• Anne Thompson-Wambua
• Maria Varsava
• Phil Warner

We wish all of you the best as you strive to improve your game, while having fun doing so!

Phil Warner

Chair of the Player Development Team

AED Session

We are offering a FREE AED information session March 9 from 4-5pm in the Rally House Lounge. Hope to see you there!

SLPC Mentor Profiles

Our club is fortunate to have so many skilled and knowledgeable players that have chosen to "give back" to the club and mentor their fellow members. Check out our SLPC Mentors profiles to find your best fit.

Want to attend a session? Look on Court Reserve for an opening, or email the mentor directly to further your pickleball skills and knowledge.
THANK YOU to all our mentors who give their time and efforts to benefit our members and our club.

February Newsletter is HERE!

Check out the February Newsletter under Additional Documents. Full of important information and answers to all of your questions!

SLPC Message Board

📣 SLPC Members – Join Our New Message Board! 🏓💬

We’re excited to introduce the Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club Message Board — a dedicated space just for our members!

This board is the perfect place to:

🔹 Post sub requests

🔹 Find playing partners

🔹 Share game times

🔹 Connect with fellow members

🔹 Keep our community informed and engaged!

Whether you’re looking to fill a spot, start a game, or stay connected with club updates, the message board is your go-to hub.

👉 Join today and be part of the conversation!

Let’s keep building an active, supportive, and fun SLPC community on and off the court! 💙🏓

Fantastic News for Sarnia and SLPC Members!

Dear SLPC Members,

We’re thrilled to share some fantastic news! Thanks to all of your efforts supporting the BACE project with the Mayor and City Council, your advocacy has paid off – the Council voted 7-2 to approve funding for Year 1 in the 2026 City Budget!

This is a huge milestone and shows that we are collaborating with the right partners to bring a world-class indoor sports facility to Sarnia. Once complete, the facility will include 8 new indoor courts, additional outdoor courts, many others sporting facilities and all the related amenities that will benefit our community for years to come.

SLPC will continue to be involved every step of the way as the development team plans and executes Phase 1 over the next few years. Your support has been invaluable, and we look forward to seeing this project take shape together.

Thank you for your continued commitment!

Best regards,

SLPC Executive

Welcome to the SLPC RALLY HOUSE!!!!! Our incredible volunteers are working hard to tear down, build up, patch, paint and prep the house so we can open and see our dream from the beginning (opening a facility for all members to play in year round), come to fruition! We will keep the pictures coming and don't forget to check your email for requests for volunteer help!

The Rally House

ANNOUNCING THE SLPC RALLY HOUSE!!!!!!

We are thrilled to announce that the Rally House for the SLPC members is here! There are so many incredible things happening and with your help, the Rally House will be opening its doors soon! More information to follow!

Please see the below message from your hard-working members who are trying to ensure the Rally House is fully functional as soon as possible:

We are excited to share that work on our new pickleball home will begin October 1st with completion targeted for the end of October. This project is only possible with the support of our amazing volunteers, and we are now gathering names and skillsets of those who can lend a hand.

We are starting a new list, so please reply even if you have offered to help in the past. This will ensure we have all the names we need in one place moving forward.

If you are able to help, please reply to tortifamily4@gmail.com (Project Manager: Tony Torti). When replying, kindly include:

• The area(s) where you can contribute (see list below)
• Your availability during October
• Any tools you can bring (e.g., roller poles for painting, scaffolding, etc.)

Volunteer Needs:

• Demolition – Vestibule demo and moving reception desk (desks, windows, and doors will be salvaged or sold).
• HVAC Ductwork – Assisting with moving ducting to the end of the room.
• Lighting Replacement – Helping convert lights to LED modules on dimmers.
• Painting – Painting walls a darker colour all around the room (8–10 ft high).
• Court Preparation – Prepping floors and installing court surfaces and nets.
• Scaffold / Work at Heights – Support for demolition, lighting, ductwork, and painting (experience with simple scaffold building is a plus).
• Cleaning & General Labour – Moving materials, sweeping, vacuuming, wiping surfaces, and tool prep.

Every hour of help makes a difference in getting our pickleball home ready for play. Thank you in advance for your support, and a big thank you to Tony Torti for leading the construction effort.

With gratitude,
Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club Leadership Team

Summer Programming

SLPC members, please see below the programming at the hub for July! Sign up on Salix and join us for some fun at the courts!

Mondays

11-1. Women’s 3.5. Men’s 3.5-4.0. Men’s 4.0-4.5

5-8  Open Play

Tuesdays

9-11 Women’s 3.0

11-1 Mixed Beginners-3.0. Women’s 3.5. Men’s 3.5

5-8 Men’s Ladder League

Wednesdays 

5-8 Women’s Queen of the Court

Thursdays 

9-11 Mixed Beginners  Mixed 3.5

11-1 Open Play

6-8  MLP

Fridays 

9-11 Women’s 3.0 Men’s 3.5

Saturdays 

11-1 Women’s 3.5 Men’s 3.5

Sundays 

9-11 Open Play

11-1 Mixed 3.5

SARNIA SPRING SMASH 2025

Hey Pickleball Friends! There is still time to sign up for the 2nd Annual Sarnia Smash tournament being held at Cestar Group Athletics & Fitness at Lambton College on Friday May 2- Sunday May 4, 2025! Get your partner and register today!

REGISTER TODAY: http://www.pickleballbrackets....

Search for : Sarnia   May2-4,2025 and Sarnia Spring Smash will be there.  CLick and follow the prompts to register.

IF you have difficulties, feel free to reach out to the following email for help or clarification:

sarniaspringsmash2025@gmail.com

Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club Spring Smash 2025!!!

The SLPC is thrilled to announce we will be hosting our 2nd Annual tournament at the Cestar Recreation and Wellness Center at Lambton College May 2-4, 2025. Registration for the tournament is live and you can go to pickleball brackets to register https://pickleballtournaments.com/.../sarnia-lambton...The tournament will feature Men’s and Women’s Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles competition with the following levels of play 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0. The tournament anticipates it will have players coming from all over southwestern Ontario and throughout the United States. The SLPC has sponsorship opportunities for the SLPC Spring SMASH, please reach out to sarniaspringsmash2025@gmail.com for more information. Funds raised from the 3-day event will go to help build the SLPC’s permanent home. The SLPC has plans for a permanent facility including both indoor and outdoor courts.Register today!

Winter Programming Day 1!

Dear Members,

We are thrilled to share that Day 1 of our winter programming at DeGroot's Nursery was a resounding success! With two courts now featuring the new mat flooring, our members are enjoying enhanced traction, added cushioning, and excellent visibility. This investment has already proven to be the right choice, and we’re eagerly anticipating the installation of flooring on the next two courts later this week. These improvements, along with extended play hours this season, would not have been possible without the incredible support of DeGroot's Nursery.

We’d like to remind you of a few important guidelines to ensure a smooth experience for everyone:

1. Parking: Please park in the lot on the west side of the entrance. This leaves the spaces directly in front of the entrance and to the east available for DeGroot's customers. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
2. After-Hours Entry: If you are playing after 5 PM, please use the door at the east end of the greenhouses. This entrance leads to the back of Court 3. Kindly stay to the left of the green tape, away from the court, and proceed to the coat and boot change area in the center of the courts.

Attendance Policy Reminder:
We noticed a few members booked to play this morning but did not show up. As a reminder, cancellations within 24 hours or no-shows will result in your credit card being charged. This policy ensures fairness and availability for all members.

Thank you all for a fantastic start to the season. We are excited for the months ahead and can’t wait to see you on the courts!

Warm regards,
SLPC Executive

SALIX Registrations for DeGroots

Here is the link to SALIX to register for PB play at DeGroots this winter. Instructions on how to register have been sent out on mass email, as well as on the SLPC PB page. The code to enter for our club is on those instructions as well as giving you step by step instructions on how to include your credit card information as we will not be accepting cash at DeGroots.  Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

https://www.salixreservations....

SLPC Executive

Annual General Meeting 2024

Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club held its inaugural Annual General Meeting on November 26, 2024. There were over 80 members in attendance and lots of great information was discussed amongst the membership, and there was excitement to start the 2025 season!

2024 AGM

Dear Members,

The SLPC Board of Directors is pleased to invite you to our first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, November 26th, at the Dante Club in Sarnia, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Following the AGM, we would also like to welcome you and a guest to a dinner and social gathering at 6:30 PM to celebrate the many achievements our club has reached together since its inception. The dinner will be a chance to socialize with other club members and their guests, win prizes and hear more about your club. The AGM is free to attend, and the dinner is $35 per person with a cash bar.

AGM Agenda:

• Welcome


• Board of Directors Introductions


• Motion to approve Agenda


• Review New Bylaws


• Financial Report followed by Q&A


• Introduction of SLPC Committees and volunteer opportunities


• Motion to Adjourn AGM

Dinner Highlights:

• Programs and Player Development


• SLPC Pickleball Rating Process


• Facilities and future plans


• Q & A on Club direction


• In Memoriam


• Volunteer Contributions


• Tournament Play Results

For further details about the location, times, and to secure your ticket to the AGM, Dinner, or both, please visit the attached link.

https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/49944/

We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate and connect as a club community!

Warm regards,

SLPC Board of Directors

Membership Registration

Our club continues to grow! We are at 400 members

Of which approx 100 were Novice Players learning the game.

Note that for the summer we have programs at Blackwell Hub that only have a few open spots. Contact us at sarnialambtonpickleball@gmail.com before registering for available programs.

Winter play in late November early December will be via Salix booking system.

Court Bookings

Indoor Pay as you Play Rates at DeGroot’s (currently not available until November 2024)

• Open Play $6 per person
• Court Reservation $18 per hour per court

Book your court via https://app.salixreservations....

2024 Outdoor play at Blackwell - info via sarnialambtonpickleball@gmail.com

Sarnia’s First Sanctioned Pickleball Tournament

The Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club planned a Pickleball Canada sanctioned tournament May 03, 04, 05 2024. Tournament was a huge success! More to come.

Registration Fees

Additional fees are required to play. 

Fee Summary

$10.00 for Pickleball Canada (plus a small processing fee)
$10.00 for Pickleball Ontario
$50.00 for Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club (plus a processing fee)