President's Report to the AGM - December 4, 2019

ANOTHER VERY SUCCESSFUL AND ENJOYABLE YEAR FOR EDMONTON PICKLEBALL CLUB!

In 2019, we have continued to enjoy tremendous growth in membership. In our first year at our new Edmonton Pickleball Club Courts at Royal Gardens, our membership grew from 275 to 480 members. In our second year in our new Courts at Royal Gardens, we grew from 480 members to 706 members and now we are just getting started. Pickleball in Edmonton has truly taken hold!

Thanks to our many engaged volunteers, we have been able to accomplish many things in 2019.

OUR WEEKLY COURTS SCHEDULES HAVE TAKEN SHAPE WITH THE FOLLOWING ENHANCEMENTS:

●      Implemented a 7 day per week court schedule at Royal Gardens and a 3 day per week schedule at Jasper Park Community League.

●      Implemented Track It Hub Ladder Play for 3.0, 3.5, 4.0

●      Inaugurated spectacular Trophies for 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 Track It Hub Ladders which will be awarded annually into perpetuity

●      Continued Inter Club Play for 3.0 and for 3.5

●      Piloted League Play for 3.5

●      Inaugurated 65+ play, Family Play, selected 3.0 All Ages Play

●      Inaugurated Weekend Play for all ratings

●      Piloted 3.5 Women’s Level Up Sessions

 EPC:

Implemented

●      Weekly Orientation to Pickleball Sessions

●      The requirement for a 3.5 Club Rating or Tournament Rating for all 3.5 members in addition to the previously established requirement that all 4.0 members have a 4.0 Club Rating or Tournament Rating

●      A very successful Referee Development Program

•  Continued the use of Sign Up Genius for all skill levels and all members
• Organized and 100% subsidized ratings clinics for players moving from 3.5 to 4.0 and for players moving from 3.0 to 3.5

• Organized and subsidized skill development clinics for 2.0-2.5 and for 3.0

Planned and Hosted

●      Battle of the Paddle sanctioned tournament with more than 220 participants 

●      Ron Strank Annual Charity Members Only Fun Tournament

●      Fall Social Celebration that raised $1907.50 donated to the Zebra Child Protection Centre. An anonymous EPC member matched that donation with another $1907.50 for this very worthy cause of child protection. The celebration also raised in excess of $400 for the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign.

• ·       Employed a summer student for the entire summer, in cooperation with Canada Summer Job Grant.
• ·       Worked with inapicklepals.com (Sean and Leslie) to offer indoor pickleball at B-Active
• ·       Hosted a very successful “Try It Night for Special Olympics Athletes” as an introduction to Special Olympics Program Partnership to be rolled out next year.
• ·       Secured indoor pickleball opportunities through City of Edmonton School Gym rentals at Riverbend Junior High School and at Parkview junior High School
• ·       Secured indoor pickleball opportunities at Westmount Fitness Club and at Game Time Inc.

EPC WORKED WITH THE CITY OF EDMONTON TO SECURE ADDITIONAL SITES FOR OUTDOOR PICKLEBALL.

• ·       Serious discussions are underway with the City to provide Edmonton Pickleball Club access to run our programs for members at Derwent Courts (formerly Bonnie Doon) and at Grand Trunk Rec Centre. Nothing has been finalized to date, but we are hopeful that at least one of the sites will become available on a shared-use basis in the early summer of 2020.

With an additional outdoor site available to our membership, we can realise the following:

• ·       alleviate some courts compaction issues for our 3.0s and for our 2.0/2.5s
• ·       create new sessions such as blended 3.5/4.0 sessions, or blended 3.0/3.5 sessions
• ·       develop ladies, men’s  and couples’ leagues
• ·       offer regular mini tournaments
• ·       expand league play for 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0
• ·       implement a junior program
• ·       hold regular lessons, clinics, and boot camps

EPC HAS CONTINUED THROUGH 2019 TO MAKE OUR CLUB “STAND ALONE” AND SELF-SUSTAINING BY MAKING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR CLUB INFRASTRUCTURE

• ·       Have implemented Google G -Suite for Non Profits whereby we are moving our club’s administration off of our personal computers and onto a site owned by the club.
• ·       Have fined tuned existing Club Policies and developed new Club Policies to guide our priorities and practices:  Privacy Policy, Guest Play Policy, Non-Member Play Policy, Use of Club Logo Policy, Advertising Policy and an Emerging Junior Play Policy

PRIORITY FOR 2020

• ·       Finalizing a long term lease agreement with Royal Gardens Community League.

Helen Thomson
President