I recently had a chance to talk with Dave Hall, President of one of the most successful ‘all-in’ PAO clubs in Ontario. Dave has helped introduce the sport of Pickleball to St Thomas and was kind enough to tell us how it happened.
What kicked it all off in St Thomas?
Three years ago two pickleball players moved to St. Thomas and it was like a virus hit the city. Four players began play in May 2013 at the local rec centre with two time slots a week. Our club was founded in Oct. 2013 with 41 members.
How are things going today with the club?
Today there are 10 drop in time slots with three levels of play at the rec centre each week. There are 4 courts painted on the local tennis courts for club play two evenings a week in the summer. We have been driving the rec department staff a little crazy but they have been very accommodating. In addition there are two evenings of club play each week at a local high school from September to June. This past summer two club members had a contractor build what may be the first privately owned back yard court in Ontario. Membership is now capped at 89. We also have 172 non-club players on our mailing list. In 2014 we added a website (www.stthomaspickleball.ca) . The club and website help to raise our profile in the community which is important for the promotion of the sport.
What activities keep the sport moving forward?
Our five member executive organize numerous activities such as the Annual General Meeting, a Christmas social, Halloween pickleball, practice drills, the district OSGA tournament and a fun tournament for all club members. We are a young club but a few of our players are interested in tournament play and have competed in London, Hamilton, the PAO tourney and the Canadian Eastern Nationals. Some have also attended charity events in Woodstock and London.
How do you overcome the financial mountain some groups face?
This past summer a provincial grant of $3000 enabled us to stage three Try It Days at the local tennis courts. The large turn out led to lessons for almost 90 beginners. Approximately $6500 worth of paddles and balls were ordered for the new players. The link to grant information can be found here: http://www.seniors.gov.on.ca/en/srsorgs/scgp.php or feel free to contact our club.
Can you explain the PAO ‘all-in’ club designation?
Early on the club decided to include a PAO membership as part of our $20 annual membership fee. We wanted to support the work of the PAO to promote the sport across Ontario. Support works both ways and we now take advantage of PAO insurance to cover our members when participating in club events. This has saved us a considerable amount on insurance costs.
What’s next?
St. Thomas has plans for 8 dedicated outdoor courts to be built in 2017. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We sometimes talk about acquiring our own building with many, many courts. If you want to achieve something big you have to dream big so we will continue to do just that!