New Charlottetown Pickleball Club 'scrambling' for space as interest explodes - Action News
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PEI

New Charlottetown Pickleball Club 'scrambling' for space as interest explodes

The Charlottetown Pickleball Club is searching for places to play as its numbers boom after a successful summer program at UPEI.

'We hope to find places soon because we have to match the supply with the demand'

A group of pickleball players holding up their racquets
Some of the intermediate players in the Charlottetown Pickleball Club after their morning session at the UPEI Sports Centre. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Organizers of the new Charlottetown Pickleball Club have a problem. Interest in their sport has exploded in the capital city, with 186 players and counting, but now they need to find space for all those new players to play.

This summer, the club operated a program at the University of Prince Edward Island, fillingmore than 800 two-hour time slots through July and August.

Acting president Lisa Murphy said they are grateful for the space at the UPEI Sports Centre, but they need more.

"The biggest challenge has to be the venues. We need to have spots for people to play during bad weather times, but also in the winter. People want to be active all winter long."

A woman standing next to a pickleball game
Acting president Lisa Murphy said they are grateful for the space at the UPEI Sports Centre, but they need more. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Murphy said her group has met with the Charlottetown mayor, and the parks and recreation committee.

The club's venue search committee is also reaching out to schools and other places with gyms, looking for spaces with a good floor and a high ceiling.

"We're just scrambling, and looking for places," Murphy said.

"We hope to find places soon because we have to match the supply with the demandWe don't want to get a whole lot of people signed up ready to go, and we don't have the venues for them."

A game of pickleball at UPEI
Murphy said her group has met with the Charlottetown mayor and members of the parks and recreation committee. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Murphy points tothe City of Summerside, which has built a six-court outdoor pickleball venue next to the Wilmot Community Centre.

"We look to that venue and we say, 'We want that too,' but we also want indoor facilities."

Huge potential

Parker Fisher, 20, is acting vice-president for the new Charlottetown club, and an avid pickleball player who has been playing almost every day since January.

Fisher said there are some locations in the capital city that would be ideal for pickleball.

"For an outdoor venue, Victoria Park, it has eight tennis courts. You can put fourpickleball courts on one tennis court. So that would be great for the summer time," he said.

"The ideal location for indoor play all year round would be a new venue for us. But that's a long-term goal obviously. Right now, we're looking for anything we can."

Players tap racquets at the end of a pickleball game
Players with the Charlottetown Pickleball Club tap racquets at the end of their game. (Rick Gibbs/CBC)

Pickleball P.E.I. has 465Islanders registered, playing in school and churchgyms, legions and community halls,as well as on outdoor tennis courts.

"Pickleballhas huge potential. It's been the number one growing sport in North America for the last three years," Fisher said.

"We're getting crazy numbers here on P.E.I. It's just gonna keep growing."

Players playing pickleball at UPEI
This summer, the Charlottetown club operated a program at UPEI, signing up 183 members who filled more than 800 two-hour timeslots through July and August. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

'It's just booming'

Alfie Wakelin, 78, is also part of the new Charlottetown Pickleball Club.

"This woman that I bowled with, about eight years ago she wanted me to play pickleball, but the name sort of turned me off," he said.

"She kept on persisting, and then two years ago I took up pickleball, and I love it."

A man holding a pickleball racquet
Alfie Wakelin, 78, was initially turned off by the name pickleball, but now loves the sport. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

"It's just booming. It's going to just escalate. I hate to say it, but it may hurt tennis a bit. It's just taken off, and it's like an addictive sport," Wakelin said.

"The more you play, the more you want to play."

A woman holds a pickleball racquet next to a court
'The people are lovely,' says Tracey MacLeod, who started playing pickleball in July. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Tracey MacLeod started playing pickleball in July.

"We came to our cottage for the summer, and my wife plays, and she said, 'Let's go play pickleballand meet some people,'" MacLeod said.

"It's a really easy sport to pick up, and the people are lovely. It's just a really fun sport."