About UsPICKLEBALL IN WINKLER
Pickleball has been around since the 1960’s but has grown in incredible ways during the past 10 years. Today it is the fastest growing sport in North America and there are about 3 million players. They range in age from 10 – 90 (and perhaps older). The game was introduced in Winkler in the spring of 2012 by the Winkler Senior Centre, which painted lines on their parking lot, purchased some paddles, and invited some people to try it. Since then the growth in Winkler has also been significant. From 8-10 players during the first year, playing with a floppy net held up with some sticks cemented into pails, we’ve grown to about 85 who play regularly. Via clinics we offered or simply by teaching through playing together, more and more people have found enjoyment in playing pickleball. A grant obtained by the Winkler Senior Centre was helpful in purchasing start up equipment. An ongoing partnership with the Winkler Recreations department, who help us find court space, has been very beneficial. We’ve played in school gyms, on the high jump pad at the GVC track, on tennis courts (where we were allowed to add pickleball lines), on the arena surface in summer, at Buhler, and in Royal Hall. COVID has hindered our ability to find sufficient spaces to play in recent years but the hope is that, once we are able to use school gyms again, we will play 4 nights a week (possibly in two different gyms) and accommodate many more players of varying ability levels. We’ve also shared the sport with neighbouring communities by running clinics in Carman, Morden and Somerset, which now all have their own ongoing Pickleball groups. We also introduced the sport in our community schools where it has now become a regular part of the gym curriculum and intramural sports. The goal of the Winkler Pickleball Association (working in partnership with the Senior Centre and the Winker Recreation Department) is to provide increasing opportunities for people to learn and to play. We teach newcomers and encourage everyone to participate. Our present players range in age from 20 – 75, but as some of our die-hard players age, the upper range will likely increase. Pickleball is addictive! We focus on offering pickleball as a recreational sport, accessible to people of different levels. We attempt to group people with others who play at approximately the same level but feel it’s important to include all who wish to try the sport. Having said that, there are some very strong players in Winkler and Morden who have competed in the Manitoba 55+ games as well as national tournaments, and who have medalled at those levels of play. Winkler Pickleball Executive John H. Klassen - President Martha Bergen - V. President Vern Reimer - Executive Nic Friesen _ Executive Martha Bergen - Facebook Tim Wiebe - Website/Calendar |
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