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The Yukon Pickleball Association (YPA) is hosting another Pickleball Day at the Canada Games Centre (CGC) this year. The day will take place on May 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flexihall.

The Star spoke to YPA director Brenda Dion Wednesday.

鈥淲e did Yukon Pickleball Day last year. That was the first time and we tried to introduce the sport to as many more people as we could. And we had three sessions that day and ended up providing instruction to over 60 people, which was, in our minds a really big success. So we decided with the CGC we would do it again this year. And it鈥檚 a really great opportunity for Yukon Pickleball Association to partner with the CGC because we work together all year round providing instruction courses for them for the public.鈥�

Dion explained what pickleball is all about.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of tennis, played on a badminton sized court. And it鈥檚 kind of like ping pong too. So the net鈥檚 lower and it鈥檚 played with a a paddle kind of like a ping pong paddle and with a wiffle ball. It鈥檚 less area to cover than a tennis court. Professionally, people play singles, and for a real high-intensity exercise. They might play singles, but mostly we all play doubles. And it鈥檚 just fun.鈥�

Dion explained how the day will work this year.

鈥淪o this year, we have four sessions, and the idea was to target a few specific groups. We鈥檙e going to do a family See it, Try it event this year. So it鈥檚 two hours. We鈥檙e asking families to sign up in a pair, so one adult, one youth and we鈥檒l give them an intro to the game and then followed by some really fun round- robin games.鈥�

The Family Clinic takes place from 9-11 a.m.

鈥淲e鈥檙e also offering an educators clinic again, just eight spots. And that clinic is for people like teachers, educational assistants, maybe rec coordinators, coaches, anyone who works with groups of people who want to learn a bit about the game and then maybe introduce it to their group.

鈥淲e have eight certified instructors in the Yukon and we cannot keep up with the demand for introduction to the game. So we think that maybe if we provide some educators with some introduction, they can then take it to their groups and pass that on.鈥�

The Educator鈥檚 Clinic takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

鈥淲e鈥檙e also offering a Youth See it, Try it. This age group is for youth 13 and up. It鈥檚 really an age group that鈥檚 kind of exploding down south in learning the sport, and we haven鈥檛 had a chance to target this group yet. So we鈥檙e inviting them to come and get an introduction to the game.鈥�

The Youth See it, Try it also takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

鈥淎nd then our final group is the Corporate Challenge this year. We want to look at folks who maybe are working so haven鈥檛 had a chance to come and see the game being played. We鈥檙e asking them to sign up in teams of two. We鈥檒l give you an intro to the game and then we鈥檒l play some games with each other over a course of a two hour time frame.鈥�

The Corporate Challenge takes place from 2 to 4 p.m.

She said the purpose of Pickleball Day is 鈥渞eally to introduce the game, maybe to people who don鈥檛 know about the game yet. Lots of people have heard (about it). 鈥極h, pickleball, what鈥檚 that about? I鈥檝e heard about it, but I haven鈥檛 seen it.鈥� So let鈥檚 come on out and give it a go.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a game that鈥檚 so inclusive. It鈥檚 so social. It鈥檚 so fun. They say it鈥檚 taking over North America.鈥�

Dion pointed out that former tennis icons John McEnroe and Andre Agassi took part in a celebrity pickleball event, the Pickleball Slam, on ESPN recently.

There is space for a maximum of 24 people, 12 teams of two, in the family and corporate events.

The youth clinic has 16 spaces and the educator clinic has eight spaces.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not big numbers. We don鈥檛 have a lot of room,鈥� explained Dion. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e expecting it to be full.鈥�

The family clinic is for kids ten and up. The youth clinic is for youth 14 and up.

鈥淲e鈥檙e actually going to be involved with a summer camp with kids under 10 this year, so we鈥檒l get those kids involved then,鈥� related Dion.

There is no entry fee. CGC provides the facility and the Yukon Pickleball Association provides the instructors and some of the equipment, all free of charge.

鈥淲e wanted to be open to everybody, anybody who wants to come and take a specific session. We want them to come,鈥� said Dion.

Dion said pickleball is really growing in the Yukon.

鈥淲e鈥檙e only limited by our facilities. Our schools are asking us for clinics and we just can鈥檛 keep up with the demand. Same thing with communities. We鈥檙e trying to get out to as many communities as we can, but we just can鈥檛 keep up with it. It鈥檚 a big phenomena that鈥檚 happening and they don鈥檛 see it slowing down anytime soon.

鈥淚t鈥檚 also becoming very big in the states around sport tourism. So people are going on vacations to play pickleball, including many Yukoners. My husband and I, we鈥檝e traveled to Croatia, we鈥檝e traveled to Costa Rica, Mexico, all to play pickleball.

鈥淚 certainly see that if we had the facilities here that Yukon could certainly support sport tourism here for pickleball because people want to come here anyway. So pickleball would just be another draw.鈥�

Regarding new facilites, Dion said there is 鈥渘othing firmed up. The Yukon Pickleball Association has been seeking some support for that land, etc. But we鈥檙e in the very beginning stages of it.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 some folks working on a multi-racquet sport facility. So there鈥檚 lots of things in the works, but nothing confirmed, nothing established.鈥�

Dion added CGC offers pickleball drop-in play every day of the week, sometimes three times a day. And sessions are basically always full.

鈥淪o it鈥檚 a big deal.鈥�

For more info or to register, you can contact Dion by email at brendadion1@gmail.com or 336-3466.