Pickleball players readily admit their sport makes noise, but complaining about the sound of people having a healthy good time is out of bounds, say players and officials.

Connie McCann bounces a ball off her paddle, and says the rhythmic pok-pok-pok is only about as loud as street traffic or rain on a roof.

Not everyone agrees. In Victoria, pickleball players are being banned from some tennis courts due to noise complaints.

B次元官网网址淭he noise is people having fun,B次元官网网址� said McCann, president of the Victoria Regional Pickleball Association. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a good noise.B次元官网网址�

She said she was shocked the city decided earlier this spring to prohibit pickleball from her James Bay neighbourhood, located near British ColumbiaB次元官网网址檚 legislature, because some residents living near the courts complained about the noise.

The James Bay pickleballers were instead told they could play on courts in Central Park, in VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 downtown core. It was a response that highlighted the cityB次元官网网址檚 slow and inadequate accommodation of the sportB次元官网网址檚 growing popularity, McCann said.

READ ALSO:

B次元官网网址淎 pickle-brawl,B次元官网网址� said McCann, 70, laughing as she stood courtside while other players warmed up for a doubles match.

B次元官网网址淚t was definitely an abrupt change for pickleball players, and because there is such a great demand for courts, the closure of two courts was a significant blow,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t left over 100 players with nowhere to go in their neighbourhood.B次元官网网址�

Pickleball dates back to the mid-1960s when several vacationing families in Washington state were looking to play new games on an outdoor badminton court.

It combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton and is played over a tennis net with what look like oversized Ping-Pong paddles and a hollow plastic ball.

Recently, Victoria council approved plans for two and possibly three new pickleball courts in a former parking area in the cityB次元官网网址檚 Beacon Hill Park.

The city is also planning six more pickleball courts next year close to existing sports fields.

The more courts the better, said McCann. But Victoria still lags smaller communities such as Kelowna, Kamloops and Vernon, which each have at least 10 dedicated public pickleball courts, private pickleball clubs and public tennis courts that can accommodate pickleball.

Pickleball Canada President Karen Rust said pickleball is becoming a sport for all ages, with the fastest growing sector the 18-to-35 age range.

She boasts that the worldB次元官网网址檚 top womenB次元官网网址檚 pickleball singles player is QuebecB次元官网网址檚 Catherine Parenteau.

Pickleball Canada has more than 29,000 registered players, but the actual number of participants is much higher, said Rust, 65, in an interview from Regina.

READ ALSO:

Courts are being built across Canada, from Medicine Hat to Moose Jaw to Inverness in Nova Scotia, she said.

Rust advised cities to build dedicated pickleball courts in places away from homes to deter noise complaints.

B次元官网网址淭here are a few things that can be done,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淵ou can put noise-reducing barriers around courts, kind of like wind screens that have noise-reduction abilities. There are some paddles that are a little quieter and there and some balls that are a little quieter.B次元官网网址�

But noise is part of the joy of pickleball, Rust said.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of laughter, and I think thatB次元官网网址檚 one of the reasons thereB次元官网网址檚 noise complaints because people are having fun,B次元官网网址� she said, adding B次元官网网址渟ometimes that seems to bother people.B次元官网网址�

The sport brings economic spin offs, said Rust, with a national tournament in Red Deer last year contributing $1 million to the local economy.

B次元官网网址淧eople will move to a community that has these kind of facilities,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 know Victoria is maybe a little short of space but they have to look for it because itB次元官网网址檚 important to their residents. ItB次元官网网址檚 important to people who are thinking of moving to Victoria and thereB次元官网网址檚 economic benefits as well.B次元官网网址�

McCann, who retired from round-the-world sailing to pursue her love of pickleball, said itB次元官网网址檚 become her quest to convince city officials to help the sport grow.

B次元官网网址淲ould I say they have a full grasp of the situation? No they havenB次元官网网址檛, but it is our responsibility to educate them and weB次元官网网址檙e attempting to do that to the best of our ability,B次元官网网址� she said.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .