Pickleball Ontario Honours it Volunteers
Pickleball Ontario would not be successful as it is without its many, many volunteers. At this year’s Annual General Meeting, Pickleball Ontario Board recognized a few of these special people.
Builder Recipient – Wayne Roswell Wayne was the founding member of the Pickleball Association of Ontario and the Association’s first president. Prior to the inauguration of Pickleball Ontario, Wayne started the Port Perry Club in 2009 and was the Pickleball Tournament Director for ACTIFEST in 2011. Wayne along with the Jim Van Camp, Dave Werry, Roy Wilson and Dave and Helen Hall contributed many hours of work and covered the necessary expenses for legal fees for Articles of Incorporation for “The Pickleball Association of Ontario”. Wayne and the other founding members contributed many hours helping to introduce the sport to other communities and offering guidance and support to clubs as they started up. Wayne and the first Board of Directors had the energy, talent and leadership that nurtured the growth of Pickleball across the province.
Ambassador Recipient – Angela Hupalo
Angela has been the Ambassador for Saugeen Shores Pickleball Club since its founding in 2012. Angela worked with the town to find a site for some pickleball courts. She and another founding member entered into an agreement with a private fitness club, Lakeshore Recreation, to develop outdoor courts. The initial four courts have grown to eight and the club has grown to 150 members. The club runs six days a week and provides times for all levels of ability to play, drop-in lessons, mentor play and weekly round robins. Angela organizes inter-club play and the annual tournament. She also handles the finances, purchases, equipment and looks after emails and e-newsletters. Angela is welcoming, encouraging and enthusiastic. As one of her nominator’s said, “Her positive approach and sense of humour make for a call and fun-filled atmosphere”.
Community Recipient – Edwin Maryuen
Edwin is one of the original builders of pickleball in the Markham and Scarborough regions. He spends seven days a week, week in and week out, coordinating and managing pickleball at the Cornell Community Centre and the Pan Am Centre in Markham. He has also provided support and coordination for the new Aaniin Community Centre. He is truly a tireless volunteer. The drop-in program at Cornell was in danger of being cancelled due to lack of participation. With Edwin’s organization and promotion, last year the daily drop-in program grew to over 8,000 drop-ins. The total number of drop-ins for the Markham community in 2018 is expected to reach more than 15,000. Edwin has engaged City of Markham Recreation Planning staff to include pickleball in their five-year planning process which most recently has seen the addition of outdoor courts at several tennis courts. Edwin is actively involved in programs designed to introduce pickleball to schools and organizing clinics and providing instruction and coaching to literally hundreds of players at all levels of ability. Edwin is an enthusiastic promoter of the game and regularly inspires others to participate in skills clinics, tournaments and social activities. In the words of one of his nominator’s, “he is very dedicated to the advancement of the game of Pickleball, a truly dedicated, unselfish and humble individual”.
Official Recipient – Donna Leung Donna has made major contributions to refereeing at all levels in Ontario. Since 2010, Donna has spent countless hours travelling to and providing referee clinics for clubs and groups often at her own expense. These clinics and have built a strong base of trained player/referees to support the growth in annual tournament events. Donna has officiated at many tournaments and has often be the Chief Referee. She has officiated and assisted with the planning of the annual Pickleball Ontario Provincial Tournament since its inception. Donna is always up-to-date on the latest rule changes and makes a point of discussing these changes with her officiating team. As one of her nominators said, “Donna’s eyes seem to be everywhere. She was able to spot a potential “problem” or situation that needed her attention and go there personally to solve it. She roamed the courts, encouraging the refs and helping where she could and if she was needed. It was always comforting to know that Donna was “omnipresent” during the tournaments in which we acted as refs. She has selflessly given of herself to make the tournaments as professional as possible.”