Pickleball Magazine 9-3 | Page 77

Mexico ’ s Mission : Expand Courts in Every Community

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2024 Pickleball Canada Major Events Kick Off Strong

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By ELIZABETH WERNER
PICKLEBALL CANADA
Pickleball Canada has three to four major events each year across the span of the country . This year , the Pickleball Canada Western Regional Championship is being hosted by Vernon , British Columbia , located in the beautiful Okanagan Valley . The event will welcome players from all across British Columbia , Alberta , Saskatchewan , Manitoba , and Yukon . The event will take place July 25-28 . Registration for the event opened on April 8 , and in less than 48 hours more than 500 players registered for the event . As of April 19 , the event had 629 participants registered and was still growing !
Pickleball Canada ’ s Atlantic Regional Championship is being held in Moncton , New Brunswick , June 13-16 . The event will bring players from across Newfoundland , New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , and Prince Edward Island to compete for the coveted designation of the Atlantic
By JAVIER REGALADO
GPF BOARD MEMBER AND PRESIDENT OF PICKLEBALL FEDERATION OF THE AMERICAS
I am frequently asked , “ How is pickleball going to be able to grow into a massive global sport ?” My answer is to focus on the groundwork , the community work — the work in the trenches .
This hard work is done by volunteers and / or entrepreneurs who work individually or together to grow the sport in their local communities . In some cases , there is support from the local government , but in many cases there is none . So the growth of pickleball thrives through these individuals who , regardless of their financial interest , have a passion for the sport .
As we are working to build the Global Pickleball Federation as the preeminent world authority in pickleball , the main objective is to find ways to support the work in the trenches . It is the only way we will achieve making pickleball massive . We need to find ways to expand the number of courts in every community .
In Mexico , the work in the trenches is growing , but with many challenges . Here are just some of the warriors inside the trenches : Victor Lopez in Hermosillo , Sonora ; Miguel Tinoco in Morelia , Michoacáz ; Miguel Jiménez in
Region ’ s best pickleball athletes . Registration opened April 1 , and in less than 48 hours registration hit 450 participants . Registration closed on April 16 with 495 players planning to compete .
The 2024 Myoflex ® Pickleball Canada National Championship Presented by Think Turkey will be held Aug . 20-24 in Halifax , Nova Scotia . This is Pickleball Canada ’ s marquee event of the year , which brings athletes from across Canada to compete for the title of national champion . Registration for the event opened on March 17 and within 24 hours there were 660 athletes registered . As of April 19 , 895 participants were registered !
Check out Pickleball Canada ’ s website at pickleballcanada . org to stay up-to-date on our major events ! •
Puebla ; Luc P . Richard and Consuelo in Puerto Morelos ; Quintana Roo and Jeffrey Blake in Playa del Carmen ; Emmanuel Valdovinos and Adrian Reyes in Ixtapa , Guerrero ; Mario Vega , Joy Paul and Jackie Clayton in Puerto Peñazco , Sonora ; Eduardo Gutierrez in Torreon , Coahuila ; Marco Mascarenas in Monterrey , Nuevo ; Leon Alejandra Gomez in Guadalajara , Jalisco ; Toño Assad in Mexico City ; Victor Rodriguez in Cuautla , Morelos , Sonora ; Kike Casillas in Barra de Navidad , Jalisco ; Roberto Salgado in Veracruz , Veracruz ; Carlos Ang in Merida , Yucatan ; Eddie Sandoz in Ensenada , Baja California ; Paul Bland in Barriles , Baja California Sur ; Mauricio Kobe in Oaxaca , Oaxaca ; Rodrigo P . in Chihuahua , Chihuahua ; Paul Carlino and Jessica Frick in San Miguel de Allende ; Francisco Contreras in León , Guanajuato ; and Jorge Ramon in Saltillo , Coahuila .
These warriors and their continuous and arduous efforts are changing communities for the better and making pickleball a part of their lives . Any questions , please email me at jregalado @ globalpickleballfederation . org . •
MAY / JUNE 2024 | MAGAZINE 75