Six-Week Pickleball Program: A group of nearly 100 enthusiastic elementary students from Mission Hill and Harwood schools took to the Vernon Pickleball Association (VPA) courts for a special event, Slamboree, marking the conclusion of a six-week pickleball introduction program.
Students Embrace Pickleball with Excitement
For many students, Slamboree was their first experience with pickleball, and it left a lasting impression. Astrid Gills, a Grade 7 student from Mission Hill Elementary, enjoyed the game’s laid-back nature.
“It’s fun. It’s not that competitive, which I like because I don’t like being competitive,” said Gills, dressed in full pickleball gear, including a visor hat. Meanwhile, Aislynn Jewell, a Grade 7 student from Harwood Elementary, had a different takeaway, appreciating the fast pace and energy of the game.
“It’s a super-fun sport, it’s really competitive, and you get to move around a lot. It’s really high-energy.” – (Jewell)
For Andrew Ellis, a Grade 7 student from Mission Hill, pickleball is a great sport for his peers.
“It’s definitely a good learning experience, especially for kids who are just a bit older. It’s a good way to stay active, so I’d recommend it.” – (Andrew Ellis)
Bringing Pickleball to Schools
The Slamboree event was part of a larger initiative led by the VPA to introduce pickleball into school curriculums. According to Rick Klein, VPA’s President of Player Development, the goal is to make pickleball a core part of physical education.
“Part of the process with this is to introduce pickleball as a curriculum sport in the schools.” – (Rick Klein)
“This is just part of a much larger program that has been started over the last couple of years. It actually began in East Vancouver with a number of retired teachers who thought that getting pickleball in front of K to 7 students would be great and then try to get it in as a curriculum sport.” – (Rick Klein)
The program initially began in East Vancouver, where retired teachers saw an opportunity to engage K-7 students with a fun, accessible sport.
The VPA secured grant funding from Via Sport BC, which enabled them to purchase equipment for the students. Once the initial introduction was completed, the equipment was donated to the schools, allowing them to continue running their own pickleball programs with support from the VPA’s 1,200-member club.
Breaking the “Old Person Sport” Myth
One of the key takeaways from the event was challenging the misconception that pickleball is only for older adults.
“There is some to that for sure. When I first started, that’s what I heard. When I got down here to play, I realized that pickleball is something older people can play. It’s not an old person sport. As you get better at it, the competition gets harder, and we realize that the grassroots movement is trying to get kids involved.” – (Rick Klein)
With younger generations discovering the sport, pickleball is evolving into a multigenerational activity, with students eager to share their excitement at home.
“It’s super important for a variety of reasons. You introduce the kids to another sport that the teachers have. The teachers have to be able to encourage their kids to be active. It’s also a family thing. So we’ve got the kids, they’re going to take this home to their parents and say, ‘Guess what I did today?’ There’s just such a large movement that can happen with this.” – (Rick Klein)
Volunteers Find Fulfillment in Teaching Pickleball
For VPA volunteers, seeing the joy and excitement from the students made all their efforts worthwhile.
“This is what we do, this is all part of it. You see the smiles and the enjoyment from the kids, it’s terrific.” – (Rick Klein)
“It gives us great satisfaction to know that we’re not just a pickleball club. That community footprint, what we do, how we are perceived out there. It’s important. We’ve got a 1,200 member club here with such a variety of members with so many skill sets that we’re able to produce this kind of thing and bring everybody out and show that off.” – (Rick Klein)
With pickleball’s rapid growth and school programs expanding, the sport is set to reach even more young players in the coming years.
News in Brief: Six-Week Pickleball Program
Nearly 100 students from Mission Hill and Harwood Elementary participated in Slamboree, a pickleball introduction event at the Vernon Pickleball Association courts. The event concluded a six-week program aimed at bringing pickleball into school curriculums.
With support from grant funding, schools will now continue pickleball programs using donated equipment. The event highlighted the sport’s appeal to younger players, breaking the myth that pickleball is only for older adults.
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