Red Deer is Ready To Host The Nationals

The Red Deer Pickleball Club is pleased to be hosting the Pickleball Canada National Championship 2021.

The Pickleball Canada National Championship 2021 will be held in Red Deer at the Red Deer Pickleball Club courts which are located at Motorworks Field (located at 290 67 Street, Red Deer, AB).

The tournament will be held from August 10th - 15th, 2021 and features participants from across Canada.  The tournament will showcase Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Singles Pickleball events in a wide range of skill and age divisions.  There will be a para pickleball demonstration this year as well.

On-site events are available for players and their spouses with tickets to live nightly concerts, and dinner.  Those that need to escape the heat and are no longer competing that day are welcomed to relax in the Beer Gardens.  “The social atmosphere is second to none and reminds me of fond memories of Curling Bonspiels and Ball Tournaments. I look forward to seeing everyone there,” said Terry Hanasyk a long-time member and part of the tournament organizing committee. 

There are a total of 904 participants registered to play with another 48 on the waitlist. We are pleased to see that we have 80 players from the Red Deer club/area registered to play.  The majority of players are from Alberta with a total of 510 Albertans registered, 133 from BC, 63 from Sask, 20 from Manitoba, and we have 74 players coming from Ontario, 34 from Quebec, and 6 from as far east as New Brunswick.  For more information on Tournament Registration. Please visit:  https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?cpg=i&eid=e9cb2fe3-09ef-43bb-88f5-b0e696031f36

Tournament Chair Dick Feser says “We are very excited to see restrictions lifted, and the enthusiasm for Pickleball is lining up to be a tremendous turnout.“  The recent move to stage 2 in June and the clear schedule of stage 3, gave the club the confidence to move forward with its hosting plans.  “Barring any changes from AHS, we will be wide open and enjoy a top-notch event”, Dick added.

When asked about the tournament size, Tournament Director Gene Vollmin stated “This is by far the largest Red Deer or Alberta has hosted for a Pickleball tournament.  This may be larger than Kelowna and Kingston when we’re all done.  With last year's cancellation of the Nationals in Kingston, the demand to get back out competing, and seeing Pickleball friends is through the roof.”

What can the players and spectators expect?  A wide range of play, skill, and excitement.  Pickleball events are broken down into Age and Skill categories.  Skill levels are as follows:

• 3.0 - Experienced Novice
• 3.5 - Intermediate level
• 4.5 - Advanced Level 
• 5.0 - Expert Level
• Open - Pro Level (5.0+) 

For more information on Pickleball, Skill Ratings visit the Pickleball Canada Website https://pickleballcanada.org/play/competitive-pickleball/ratings-2021/2-digit-ratings/

The youngest competitor registered is 14 years old and there is a 13-year-old player on the waitlist for the Junior Double (10-16) Category.  The eldest player registered is 81.  The majority of players are in what is often referred to as “masters” age categories that 50’s & 60’s age range.  This is common due to the popularity of the sport in sunbelt retirement communities.  

Rob White,  Red Deer player & competitor commented “It’s been such a fun sport for all ages really.  Many of us have played racket sports when we were younger.  Sports such as squash, Tennis, or Raquetball.  Then as we got older with kids and work we tend to play less.  Along came Pickleball which is a hybrid of table tennis, badminton and tennis.  It’s a very social game, and fun for all ages.  What’s been great to see is the new friendships that develop, and the young guns coming in.  They have really sped the game up. Like a lot of sports we continue to evolve and, well the game gets more advanced and faster.”

For those new to Pickleball, or intrigued and want to try, we encourage them to visit us online first at https://reddeerpickleball.com/.  The cost to be a member is $50 for an annual membership with the Red Deer Club, and that included unlimited outdoor play at the 20 permanent courts at Motorwork Field.  Non-members can check our schedule or come play with a member for a drop-in fee of $10.

Links to the tournament, registration and events can all be found on the club's website https://reddeerpickleball.com/. 

For additional inquiries please contact:

• Patrick Galesloot, 
• 403-346-0021
• patrick.galesloot@century21.ca