The sport of pickleball is thriving in Saskatchewan.
Both Regina and Saskatoon are seeing a rise in demand for playing surfaces, but with great facilities, such as the Queen City Pickleball Hub, these Saskatchewan cities are not strained for space.
Queen City Pickleball Hub manager Ray Greenwood says that both markets are handling the demand well.
“In Regina we’re really lucky, we have the largest indoor facility in Canada for pickleball,” Greenwood said. “We have currently about 2,700 members here. We also have another place in Saskatoon which has eight courts. We’re probably the leader in all of Canada for pickleball.”
Pickleball Regina President Randy Dove said his group is always looking to expand to keep up with demand.
This year, a dozen new pickleball courts will open at Douglas Park.
“We continue to look at the expansion of courts. The new 12-court facility outdoors coming in the summer will be just awesome in terms of providing additional space for people to play,” Dove said.
Dove also noted a new initiative from Pickleball Regina called ‘meet and play.’
“It’s to try and get people to come back who went through our learn-to-play program, and then give them a way to begin to build a network, build their skills, and meet some people,” he said.
In Greenwood’s view, the ability for the sport to grow so rapidly stems from pickleball’s inclusivity.
“We welcome everybody, it’s a fun environment, fun people, and once you start you get hooked,” he said.
Dove also said there will be an announcement in the near future concerning a big event at the Pickleball Hub.
So, pickleball enthusiasts; stay tuned.