A great time was had by the 63 pickleball players at the Spring Fling Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, March 30 at Opeongo High School. The event was hosted by the Westmeath District Recreation Association (WDRA) Pickleball Club, which was started in 2017 by Sheila Perras and Randy Fletcher.
Ten communities were represented from Perth to Deep River. This was a fun, social event and a great opportunity to meet new people that share the love of pickleball, said Mary Garfat, one of the organizers.
What is pickleball? Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports! It is played on a badminton size court with ping pong-like paddles, a tennis-type net and a plastic ball similar to a Wiffle Ball, she described. It can be played by any age and level of ability and is very easy to pick up.
“It is not just a game,” Mrs. Garfat said. “It is a time to socialize, a fun weight loss program, great for stress and your mental health. What a wonderful way to bring the generations together and to get people of all ages moving! I have even heard comments like, “Pickleball saved my life!”
A great place to start if you would like to learn this fantastic sport is at the Tuesday beginner’s night at Beachburg Public School from 7 to 9 p.m.
For more information please check out the blog, wdrapickleballclub.blogspot.com or email [email protected].
Special thanks to all who donated prizes for the event: Manta World Sport, Pembroke Crane Rental, Meridian Credit Union, E A Ted Barron Reality and Ins., Olmstead’s Home Hardware, Scotia Bank Beachburg, Simple Things, Maple Creek Farm, Danna Abrams, Pat Elliot, Roman Kanarek, Philip Candelaria and Terry Ruddy.
