Ready for some pickleball? Association announces spring clinics in Taylor

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Does early April warmth mean it’s time to take up a paddle and learn the game of pickleball?

The Peace Country Pickleball Association (PCPA) feels so, and is offering clinical sessions later this month.

Similar to tennis, the sport involves a smaller court, a paddle instead of a racquet, a harder ball and emphasis on team play rather than singles action.

Ted Euchner, president of the PCPA, feels one of the biggest misconceptions around pickleball is it’s just a game for seniors.

“It’s a game for everybody,” said Euchner. “Our youngest member started when he was 14. We did some sessions last summer with Bert Ambrose’s [Elementary] P.E. classes and are doing that again this year.

“The average age of our club is 52 currently, okay, and two years ago it was almost 60. So it is declining.”

Euchner says the sessions are for PCPA members only, with eight players per session to improve the instructor-student ratio. They will be overseen by coaches Robin Sipe and Donna Sipe. 

He adds the intermediate session is already full, with the beginner session at four players. 

Euchner says introductory sessions to the game for non-members in partnership with the City of Fort St. John will again happen in 2025 “down the road” at the courts in Kin Park.

“When you’re teaching a class, [if] you have a dozen or 16 people on the courts, it’s loud,” explains Euchner. “Not everybody can hear what you’re saying, and it’s difficult to kind of watch everybody and critique.”

With the Norkam Rentals Pickleball Tournament in Dawson Creek in May, this session is a good chance to prepare for tournament play, according to Euchner.

He says those with experience in tennis will notice similarities, but notable differences include the “no-volley zone,” an area near the net where volleys are illegal.

“People have difficulty with that because they want to rush up to the net and slam balls down hard,” says Euchner. “They accidentally step in that area. That’s kind of a safety factor built into the game. People aren’t getting hit with the ball at close range. It is a plastic ball, but it still stings when you get hit.”

Skills to be taught during the session include paddle mechanics, drop shots and more complex skills such as game strategy and positioning.

First invented in the mid-1960s as a children’s game, the sport has seen an explosion in popularity over the last decade.

Statistics show about 11 per cent of Canadian households have at least one pickleball player in their household, and about 1.37 people nationwide play the game once per month.

“I live near Kin Park. I can see the courts from my back door,” said Euchner. “I’m looking over there frequently, and there are a lot of people playing there that I don’t recognize.

“I see young guys playing together. They’re going to Kin Park and borrowing paddles and playing on their own.”

The PCPA’s members-only pickleball clinics will happen on Sunday, April 27th at the Taylor pickleball courts adjacent to the Lone Wolf Golf Club course at 9999 99th Avenue.

It costs $25 cash to be paid at the event, and Euchner says paddles will be provided for those who do not have paddles.  

The novice/beginner session will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., while the intermediate session will run from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information about the PCPA and how to become a member, visit the Pickleball Canada website. Registration for the events is available through the website’s event form.