.jpg/:/rs=h:203,cg:true,m/qt=q:95)
HISTORY OF PICKLEBALL IN CANADA
There appears to be no one clear cut date that pickleball began in Canada. However, from the early years of the 1970’s, snowbirds were returning to Canada bringing back with them tales of playing pickleball in the southern United States and wishing to continue playing pickleball in Canada. The returning pickleball players were spread out across Canada, and at first it was difficult to find pickleball players and courts to play on.
Sometime during the 70s courts were built on the roof of the Doan Development building at 1050 W Pender Street in Vancouver, BC. By 1984, there was a 48 team pickleball league on these rooftop courts. At this time, the game was played with wooden paddles and “dinking” was very uncommon.
In 2007, Marcel Lemieux and his wife, Louise Barette brought Pickleball into the province of Quebec. Two years later, in 2009, they created the Quebec Pickleball Federation. They both remained actively involved in promoting the Pickleball in Quebec with Marcel becoming the President of the Federation de Quebecoise de pickleball until 2020.
Pickleball EtiQUETTE
If you are a pickleball newbie, here a few unwritten rules to consider when playing pickleball. Even is you are veteran player, it's useful to remind yourself that for recreational play, it's all about having fun.
Here are several etiquette rules for Pickleball
that you won’t find in any official pickleball
tournament handbook or rulebook:
- When somebody inadvertently hits a ball onto your court from another court, retrieve it and toss it back.
- When retrieving a ball from another court, make eye contact with someone from that court and then directly toss or hit them the ball. Don’t just hit the ball back into their court without looking. That’s very annoying! NEVER GO ONTO ANOTHER COURT TO RETRIEVE A BALL!! YOU'RE ASKING FOR A COLLISION AND POSSIBLE INJURY!! THE BALL WILL COME BACK TO YOU!!
- Don’t cross the court behind a match until play has stopped. It’s not only rude, but it can be very dangerous as well.
- Don’t chest-bump or be excessive in the celebration when your opponent makes an error. If, on the other hand, you or your partner made a great play… 🙂 Same goes for the “spectators.” Please don’t clap or cheer when the opposing player misses an easy shot.
- If you are asked to play with a group that is obviously of a lower skill level than you, graciously accept and play a game or two with them. They will likely appreciate your graciousness and understand that you want to get back to similarly-skilled players after the game.
- If you are obviously the strongest person in your foursome, tone down the competitiveness and hit your opponent’s balls that they can return. Work on a new skill – perhaps it’s a great time for work on that third shot drop shot.
- If you and your partner can’t determine if the ball was in or out – or if you disagree with your partner on a line call – the benefit of the doubt goes to your opponent. Wait! That’s actually an “official” rule!
Source: Pickleball Max