Ontario pickleball clubs face similar challenges—securing funding, working with municipalities, managing memberships, running tournaments. Love the Game brings club leaders together to share what actually works. Through monthly online sessions, successful clubs share real strategies, practical solutions, and lessons learned (including what didn’t work). No theory, just proven approaches you can adapt for your club.
Pickleball Ontario created the Love the Game program to help clubs learn from each other’s successes and challenges. By sharing knowledge and best practices across Ontario, we accelerate club development and build a stronger pickleball community province-wide.
This program offers monthly knowledge-sharing sessions for club presidents, board members, program coordinators, and volunteer organizers. Learn from clubs that have successfully navigated the challenges you’re facing—from municipal partnerships to tournament organization to maximizing your club management systems.
Love the Game Sessions are held on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM EST via Zoom. Each session features club leaders sharing real experiences, practical strategies, and interactive Q&A. Sessions are free for Ontario pickleball clubs and recorded for those who can’t attend live.
Session 7
TOURNAMENTS
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 @ 7:00 PM EST
TOURNAMENTS – Tips on running a good tournament.
Featuring:
Ryan Hanes – Director of Competitions Pickleball Canada
SESSION 1
MUNICIPAL MATTERS: WORKING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Thursday, October 30, 2025 @ 7:00 PM EST
How do you convince your municipality to repurpose tennis courts or build new pickleball facilities? Learn from clubs that succeeded. Michelle Cundari and Chris Derochie (North Bay) and Bill O’Byrne (Peterborough) share how they converted courts and secured a 14-court facility. Get strategies for approaching decision-makers, building your case, and overcoming common barriers.
Session 2
CLUB INCORPORATION AND HST FOR NON-PROFITS
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 @ 7:00 PM EST
Should your club incorporate? This session demystifies the process. Learn when incorporation makes sense, navigate the Ontario process step-by-step, understand HST obligations for non-profits, and manage compliance. Perfect for clubs ready to formalize their structure and ensure proper governance.
SESSION 3
MAKING THE MOST OF PCNS
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 @ 7:00 PM EST
Your club has PCNS, but are you using all it can do? Learn from power users who’ve mastered the system. Discover how to create tournaments, ladders, and round-robins, build engaging club pages, leverage communication tools, and streamline event registration. Get tips and tricks to make PCNS work harder for your club.
Session 4
Sport Integrity and My Club
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 @ 7:00 PM EST
Sport integrity and our clubs. Will Russell from Sport Level unpacked what sport integrity means in the context of our clubs.
Featuring:
Will Russell BA, MMM, JD – Sport Lawyer
https://sportlaw.ca/team/will-russell/
SESSION 5
Engaging Members
Tuesday, March 27, 2026 @ 7:00 PM EST
Engaging Members is the topic and three presenters from different clubs share their experiences and lessons learned: on the court, online and putting feedback into action.
Doris Tardibuono from Markham Pickleball Club
Shelagh Yanni from Soo Pickleball Club
Sandy Sheahan from Kingston Pickleball Club
Session 6
DUPR and My Club
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 @ 7:00 PM EST
DUPR is always a hot topic.
Featuring:
Ryan Hanes – Director of Competitions Pickleball Canada
Chuck Mitchell – Certified DUPR Coach
