The day dawned gloomy and rainy but developed into a beautiful August afternoon. A perfect day for the “That Pickleball Fling Thing!” at the Flesherton Fling.
A sign from the universe:
As a new Club, just formed in May of this year, promoting and growing the game is BIG on our to-do list. We took it as a sign from the universe that National Pickleball Day in Canada, August 12th, fell on the same date as our community’s annual arts & crafts festival, The Flesherton Fling. Naturally, we called our event, “That Pickleball Fling Thing!” It met with enthusiasm from adults and children alike in a fun, free-flowing way. Many were keen to grab a paddle and get on the court, which doubles as a basketball court. We had a handful of experienced pickleball players offering guidance as raw recruits came along.
Bob Riehl, a Pickleball Ontario Ambassador, provided a wide range of demo paddles to test out. He also brought along a variety of pickleball wares for people to purchase (from Bob’s Racquet Works).
Planting some seeds:
The main show, however, was a short challenge tourney pairing-up four of our local politicians with experienced players. Deputy Mayor Dane Nielsen, Councilors Paul Allen, Nadia Dubyk and Tom Allwood, none of them pickleball players, were wonderful sports and picked up the game with amazing dexterity. There are currently no dedicated pickleball courts in the Municipality of Grey Highlands so we took this opportunity to plant a few seeds.
Councilor Dubyk wrote in an email later: “Thank you for a fun and interactive afternoon. I now understand the pickleball craze firsthand.”
There was also a demonstration match with four seasoned Club members (3.5/4.0) just to showcase a bit of pace and control in contrast to the sedate nature of the celebrity matches.
One false note:
We did have one unfortunate, false note to the afternoon when a woman in her 60s, interested in hitting a few balls, fell backward awkwardly, giving herself a large bump on the back of her head. She was assisted by a local firefighter as we waited for the ambulance to transport her safely to the nearby hospital, where she was iced and x-rayed and observed for several hours before being released. She reported that evening to us that nothing was broken, she expected to recover in a few days, and she appreciated the care she received.
Send in the clown!
On the positive side, lots of fun was created by Dilly our pickleball clown. Dilly (AKA Cara Sullivan), was quite silly and we used her to clear up some common pickleball misconceptions, most notably, that pickles have any place in the sport of pickleball. She was also schooled on proper footwear and suitable playing attire. She was a big hit!
A good day for pickleball:
In short, on balance, it was a good day for pickleball in Grey Highlands, and guess what? We were invited back to the Flesherton Fling next year! Pretty sure we’ll go.
Karen Alton,
Steering Committee, Member-at-Large, Pickleball Club of Grey Highlands
