Currently there are 2 Canadian Pickleball associations vying for your support, but 1 has true intentions of growing the sport throughout Canada, and 1 wants you to support their North American fight to approve their brand of paddles that has been causing strife for the past few years. Pickleball Canada has true intentions of growing pickleball in Canada and has been the only national association for many years. Pickleball Canada is an extension of the USAPA (USA Pickleball Association) and the IFP (International Federation of Pickleball.) Canada Pickleball on the other hand was started 3 years ago by an ex-Pickleball Canada director named Chuck Lefaivre. At the time Pickleball Canada did not like that the Apike & Hush paddles that Chuck had "interest" in, were also part of his business. Those paddles have been tested on numerous occasions and found to have too much trampoline effect resulting from their paddles. They are non-conforming by USAPA, IFP, and Pickleball Canada standards. I will cover how paddles are tested in an upcoming blog post. They have also made up their own pickleball rules so as to suit the inclusion of their paddles. Don't support Canada Pickleball!
I support Pickleball Canada, and have been a member for 4 years, and I encourage all you readers out there across Canada to become a member. It costs $12/year or $32/3 years.
I have been playing Pball (pickleball) for 1 year and it has taken this long to sort out who is who and what is what in this saga of which organization of pickleball is more valid, more right, more legal, more ?? than the other.
ReplyDeleteMy unasked for suggestion would be for a mediator be appointed to bring the two "heads" of all this controversy to come to an agreement and get on with the game.
In the location I play in, (south surrey) I've met many people, approx 90 over this past year and many newcomers - I just want to make friends, have fun, be competitive, get exercise and I want to be free to enjoy the game without all the hassle behind the scenes or right in front of me. However I can't seem to get away from it.
As a fairly newcomer to the sport I have felt pulled to take sides, pulled to support this side or that side and it is rather tiring.
In my job, I work privately for seniors doing home care/respite care. Sometimes behaviors regress to that of childrens behavior - the stamping of the feet kind of behavior - defiant, angry and unwilling to budge. At times this is what I feel like I'm in the middle of...one of my concerns is for new people who, like me, are constantly being swayed one way or another.
Is this sort of behavior 'normal' in sports - issues with names, changing of names, legal or not legal equipment - who's right, who's wrong, what organization I can or can't support and still 'fit in'...even here and now I'm covering my own bases and not saying where I stand, what I believe, or who I support. Please let's just get this sorted out so the fastest growing sport can develop.
Regarding Valerie's comment,
ReplyDeleteI agree that most players just want to enjoy the game, the friendship and camaraderie of pickleball.
However, there would be no game if there were no rules. When a paddle vendor and a paddle importer try to change the rules to have their non-conforming paddles allowed,to suit their own financial agenda, thank goodness there are those who, with no financial benefit whatsoever, donate hundreds of their own hours to defend their own name and also the accepted rules for the game.
Pickleball Canada was the first association in Canada and there was every attempt made by those mentioned above to start a new group intentionally using a name so close to Pickleball Canada to be confusing,in an attempt to make players believe that they are one and the same. Even Corporations Canada made them change the name.
Again,there would be no organized pickleball without rules, and I am sure Valerie would agree that rules are necessary for the growth and integrity of the sport.
The game and rules that Pickleball Canada support is the game that is played by 95% of the pickleball players in the world.
Valerie plays in the one place in BC that has the most non-conforming equipment being played and I understand her frustration.
It is my opinion that Valerie should say what she stands for and what she supports, to do otherwise is like complaining about the results in a political election, when you didn't vote.
The people who volunteer their time for the good of the game, deserve thanks not criticism from Valerie, they are doing it for players like her who just want to play the game.
Dave
Quand est il du Français chez Picklecanada , au Québec on joue aussi au pickleball mais en Français , quand on va jouer aux USA on joue en anglais ainsi que dans les provinces anglophone , c'est une question de respect, si on respect les autres on aimerait être respecté aussi dans notre langue
ReplyDelete