Valemount pickleball players complete official training
By Spencer Hall
While some were out hunting for Easter eggs on Sunday, a few dedicated pickleball players were at the Canoe Valley Recreation Centre working on their technique and coaching skills.
Five Valemount residents were joined by two players from Grande Prairie, two more from Surrey, and one player from Burnaby for an introductory pickleball clinic facilitated by Kerry Chow with Pickleball Canada.
Chow was sent to teach the clinic in Valemount after Korie Marshall, a member of Valemount Pickleball — an informal group in the village who regularly meet to play the sport — reached out to the organization.
“I’ve heard more and more in the last little while that there’s some seniors who are interested in coming out but feel intimidated because they think we’re really good and they’re not going to know what they’re doing,” Marshall said.
She said she wanted local players to gain official education on pickleball so the group can organize workshops and clinics to teach others. Her hope is that by being able to teach pickleball in a more formal setting, it would be a more neutral environment for new players to learn in and they’d feel more comfortable knowing they’d be playing against other newcomers to the sport.
Marshall said she was not expecting attendees outside of the Robson Valley to attend the clinic, however Chow said that it is not uncommon to see coaches travel long distances to receive training.
“There’s a huge demand in the sport right now where people want to support their local community. There are not enough coaches out there,” he said.
Chow said the clinic was held in two parts, the first being a three-hour webinar that focuses on what coaching pickleball entails and the ethical decisions coaches must consider.
“Coaching pickleball has a lot of responsibilities, including protection of children and anybody who you feel needs support,” Chow said.
He explained that pickleball coaches follow a federally-funded and accredited program called the National Coaching Certification Program. He said this program ensures coaches know how to protect children and people at risk while playing the sport.
After the webinar, participants met Chow at the rec centre for the second part of the clinic, which ran for eight hours. During that time, participants practiced five different drills, which taught them the rules of the game and how to serve, hold a rally, return the ball deep into their opponent’s court, and proper technique for their third shot. The third shot refers to the shot hit by the serving team after the ball has been served and returned by the opposite team.
Chow said he received positive feedback from participants, adding the high point of his experience was gifting pickleball paddles to his students.
Marshall said the clinic was more intense than she anticipated, but said she got what she wanted out of the experience. She’s hopeful the knowledge she and her fellow participants gained will give them the chance to get more people in the valley to come out and play pickleball, which she said is a social game that’s mainly about having fun
“It’s active, but it’s not pushing you too much. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of laughs. You get a good opportunity to chat with people and we always mix up who you’re playing against and who you’re playing with. So it’s always interesting and fun,” she said.
To play the sport in Valemount, players just need comfortable running shoes. Those without paddles can use the ones available at the rec centre.
The Valemount Pickleball group meets at the rec centre Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
