Richmond Hill Pickleball

03/30/2025

Some Municipalities in Ontario Understand Pickleball — Why Doesn’t Richmond Hill?

On March 29, the City of Burlington proudly opened its outdoor pickleball courts, recognizing the sport’s rapid growth and the need for accessible, year-round play. Meanwhile, Richmond Hill continues to fall behind — despite clear and growing demand from local residents.

Here are the facts:
• Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America.
• The Richmond Hill Pickleball Club now has close to 2,400 members, while the Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club has about 500.
• Richmond Hill currently has 81 outdoor tennis courts… and just 2 outdoor pickleball courts, built in 2020. Four more are expected to open this spring — but that still leaves the community drastically underserved.
• In 2022, Council approved a plan to build 16 dedicated pickleball courts at David Dunlap Observatory Park, with a seasonal bubble for indoor play. That project was later put on hold by the current Council, led by Mayor David West.
• Richmond Hill’s pickleball programs consistently sell out in minutes, leaving many residents without access. As a result, players are traveling to Vaughan, Stouffville, and Newmarket to find court time — especially between October and May when indoor options are extremely limited.

The numbers don’t lie: the demand for pickleball is real, and it’s not going away.

To city leaders: we respectfully ask for clarity. The pickleball community is growing, passionate, and ready to work with you — but we need to know where you stand. Please stop saying that the current court access is sufficient when it clearly isn’t.

Just be honest with us: Are you committed to building what’s needed — or not?

07/07/2024

06/15/2024

Predictable Partner.

There is nothing wrong with driving the ball when the opportunity presents itself.

There is a problem when you continually drive the ball at your opponent/s at the net, ready and waiting for your predictable drive.

You automatically put yourself and your partner on defence, and you give your opponents the ability to control the non-volley zone and then take control if the game.

Challenge: count the number of drive per game and success rate of points won or lost after a drive.

05/30/2024

It was just a few months ago that tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios was bashing pickleball. We had no idea he was hiding his addiction.

03/18/2024

Failing to plan, is planning to fail

Repurposing tennis courts to pickleball courts that are located 60 feet from nearby homes was not going to end well.

Mike Megley , a retired 60-year-old, said the games go on 13 hours a day, every day of the week, producing a cacophony that reaches his home even with the windows closed and the television turned up.

In response to neighbors’ complaints, the Braintree town council recently approved $22,000 to install sound-deadening acoustic panels that will partially enclose the courts, raising hopes of a truce between the two sides and testing whether the mitigation measure will be enough to appease neighbors.

Braintree will spend nearly $19,000 to make noisy pickleball courts quieter for neighbors.

02/28/2024

Pickleball's Unstoppable Growth!

The Sports and Fitness Industry Association announced that pickleball is again America’s fastest growing sport. The game saw a 52 percent increase in participation last year. That is on top of the 86 percent increase in the previous year.
There is still a long way to go to catch up with some other mainstream sports, but continued growth is key. The SFIA estimates pickleball participation to have reached 13.6 million players last year. For reference, tennis has an estimated 23.8 million players and basketball tops the list at 29.7 million.

If baseball is America’s pastime, then what does it mean if nearly as many Americans played pickleball in 2023 as baseball? According to the annual Topline Participation Report from the Sports and …

02/11/2024

MEMBERSHIP FREE PICKLEBALL

Toronto pickleball clubs seem to be popping up in droves lately, and it seems like the trend is nowhere near slowing down with the announcement of the city's latest.

Fairgrounds, the city's newest raquet club is set to land at Etobicoke's Cloverdale Mall this month, with another location set to open at Assembly Park in Vaughan shortly thereafter, and it'll be home to more than just pickleball.

The new club opens as part of a redevelopment effort for Cloverdale Mall by QuadReal Property Group, who plan to transform city's oldest mall into a futuristic new community.

The Cloverdale club will be home to nine pickleball courts that are open to the public of all ages with free membership."The whole idea is to make pickleball [...] more accessible to more people and keep up with the growing demand across the country," says Fairgrounds co-founder Drummond Munro. QuadReal Property Group

The experience of the club doesn't end when the game does, though. It'll also be home to a restaurant and bar where you can squash your rivalry over drinks and food.In addition to pickleball, the club will be home to a padel court, so you can try your hand at another raquet sport rapidly gaining in popularity worldwide.

Padel, if you've never heard of it (which I sure hadn't), is a combination of tennis and squash, using the tennis scoring system in a smaller, enclosed court where the ball can bounce off the walls.

While no official opening date for the club in Vaughan has been confirmed, the Fairgrounds location at Cloverdale Mall will officially open on Feb. 16, with more locations planned to open in 2024.

01/30/2024

🎾 **Exciting News in the Pickleball Courts! 🎉**

Pickleball Enthusiasts,

We're thrilled to share the amazing news that once again, our Saturday morning Pickleball Ladder Leagues at Rouge Woods have completely sold out – this time in a record-breaking 30 seconds! 🚀

To those who secured a spot, congratulations! 🥳 For those who missed out, don't fret – be sure to join the waiting list, as opportunities may arise! 📋

🌟 **Why the Frenzy?** 🌟

The demand for pickleball is soaring, and our passion for the game continues to grow! 🏓 However, we're faced with a challenge – the current court availability on weeknights and weekends simply isn't enough to accommodate everyone.

🎾 **Call to Action! 📢**

Join us in rallying for more organized, skill-based pickleball leagues during weeknights and weekends! 🙌 The City has been a fantastic partner, but we believe there's room for more opportunities.

Here's how you can help:

1. **Join the Waiting List:** If you couldn't snag a spot, sign up for the waiting list – more chances may be just around the corner! 🔄

2. **Share Your Pickleball Passion:** Let's collectively voice our need for additional indoor and outdoor courts on weeknights and weekends. 🗣️

3. **Tag the City:** Show your support by tagging the City and expressing why more court time is vital for our growing community! 🏙️

Together, we can make waves in the pickleball scene and ensure everyone gets their fair shot at playing this fantastic game. 🌐 Let's keep the pickleball spirit alive and thriving! 💪🥒

City of Richmond Hill Godwin Chan David West, Mayor, Richmond Hill, Ontario Joe DiPaola

01/30/2024

Sold out in 30 seconds... We need more leagues on weekday evenings....