The game that was once the lesser-known cousin of tennis and badminton has become one of the fastest-growing sports in North America, finding a home in communities all over the U.S. and Canada — including Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Pickleball Club, the town’s passionate cohort of pickleball players, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its formation this year with a special tournament set for Saturday, June 6.
The Tin Cup Pickleball Tournament will take place at the Meridian Credit Union Arena from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m., open to members only. It will feature women’s, men’s and mixed divisions across multiple skill levels: 3.0 and below, 3.25-3.5 and 4.0.
The event aims to bring together club members for a day of friendly competition, community spirit and celebration. It’s open for all to attend and watch.
“If you’ve never experienced pickleball before, come watch a game and discover why the sport has become such an important part of our community, and why we’re proud to celebrate 10 years in NOTL,” said club chair Dragana Simao in a media release.
Since its launch in 2016, the town’s pickleball club, which started out playing on a handful of courts at the Community Centre, has been steadily growing. As of July last year, it had 570 members, a portion of whom live outside NOTL.
New outdoor pickleball courts opened at the Virgil Sports Park in June 2019. Four years later, in October 2023, the Central Community Centre on York Road opened six indoor courts, in order to meet demand. The club also hosted its first major tournament in the summer of that year.
