Pickleball clubs aim to have players of all ages involved

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on January 27, 2022.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Valerie Boras, president of the Coaldale Pickleball Club, gives some pointers during a pickleball introductory class as part of the Wellness Wednesdays program through Lethbridge College's Be Fit For Life Centre, in partnership with Healthy Lethbridge, Wednesday at the Val Matteotti gymnasium.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge College’s Be Fit For Life Centre, in partnership with Healthy Lethbridge, offered a Pickleball introductory class on Wednesday at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.
During their Wellness Wednesdays program, when they offer free activities for older adults in the community, members of the Lethbridge Pickleball Club and Coaldale Pickleball Club offered an introductory class for those in attendance.
“We’re introducing people to pickleball. These are community members generally who haven’t played pickleball before, maybe once or twice and we’ve got some folks from the Lethbridge pickleball club who came out to help us teach them some of the basics,” said Diane Gallagher, projects coordinator of the Be Fit for Life Centre at Lethbridge College.
Gallagher said the whole point behind their Wellness Wednesday program, is to try to connect older adults (55 plus), with opportunities for healthy living in our community. To connect them with exercise, recreation, nutrition and mental wellness opportunities.
“We have been offering a variety of programs and opportunities with this Wellness Wednesday group. This is the first and probably only time we’ll do pickleball, but there are opportunities in the community for these folks if they find this really fun,” said Gallagher.
According to Valerie Boras, president of the Coaldale Pickleball Club, pickleball is a sport for all ages that traditionally started with retired seniors, but there is a real move for young players to get involved. She said all the top players in the world are now in their 20s.
“One of our mandates for the Coaldale Pickleball Club is to get a youth program going. We really want to get young people involved in playing this game,” said Boras.
In Lethbridge the Pickleball Club has been around since 2017, with their start in the Kinsmen Courts located at 1101 9 Ave. South, and will remain as their main site until wind screens are installed at Legacy Park in 2022.
“Right now they’re promoting the idea of getting windscreens, and the city is going to build a court on the existing court with plexi-pave surface and windscreens around three sides so that we will be able to play even when it’s windy,” said Marjo Marsé, LPC member in charge of events and fundraising.
She said that during the winter they play at the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization because they do not have an indoor facility.
“I have played a multitude of sports in my lifetime, but I’ve never had as much fun and experienced as much challenge in the game as I have with pickleball. It is the top sport that I’ve ever played for enjoyment and for exercise and for the sociability of it,” said Marsé.
For more information on Be Fit For Life visit https://lethbridgecollege.ca/departments/be-fit-for-life.
For information on pickleball visit https://secure.pickleballcanada.org/club/lethbridge-pickleball-club/1027/venues/715/

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