Author: Estha Parg Murenbeeld

WALTER KNECHT, FOUNDER

When pickleball took hold of Walter in the summer of 2013, he insisted on taking us all along for the ride!  Beginning on the North Shore, Walter organized indoor and outdoor play (2014), chaired the BC 55+ pickleball games (2015 in North Vancouver and 2016 in Coquitlam), started up and ran the North Shore Picklemania tournament (2016-2018) and established the very successful North Shore Pickleball Club (2017). 

He then set his sights on organizing the whole province.  In 2017 Walter created Pickleball BC in parallel to BC Pickleball, soon supplanting the older organization. Then the real work of creating a large and provincially-accredited sports organization began. 

There were a myriad of procedures and policies to write and adopt. In 2018 the first-in-Canada Memorandums of Understanding were signed with B.C.-based clubs and Pickleball Canada.  Walter also initiated discussions in 2019 with Pickleball Canada for a higher-level member management system which we now know as the very powerful and useful PCNS.  By July 2021, in just four years, Pickleball BC had achieved Provincial Sport Status.

A provincial sports organization needs a provincial tournament which Walter has helped organize. He has been and continues to be involved in organizing other regional tournaments, fundraisers, the BC 55+ Games, and other initiatives that grow the game.  He was also national leader of officiating from 2020 to 2022.

Walter’s early collaborators noted that he liked to have his way but then “he was usually right.”  All agree to his ability to manage the complexity of “a growing and complicated organization in a calm, decisive manner” and his commitment to the work required.

In ten years, Walter has built a significant and lasting structure upon the foundations laid by earlier B.C. founders.   B.C. pickleball players, today and in the future, are thankful for Walter Knecht’s abilities, passion and gift of time in the pursuit of pickleball excellence.

Submitted on Behalf of the North Shore Pickleball Club,

Estha Parg Murenbeeld, President

February 2024

Register beginning at 7-pm on Monday February 26. Visit the Members’ Area page.

Note the change to the Men’s Double event.

Lots of space left. Join the fun and support a good cause. $20 from the $50 registration fee goes to PADS. Additional donation is optional.

No partner needed and a whole event just for beginners/2.5’s!! Register at Pickleball Brackets https://pickleballbrackets.com/pts.aspx

This is a BIG step in quiet paddles as McEnroe will be playing with it. Celebrate the Owl Paddle’s North Shore connections and catch the action tomorrow! Read more about the paddle here: https://www.owlpaddle.com/news PS The Owl is making balls now too, the official ball of the APP!

January 2024

Mayor and Council,
We understand that the District of West Vancouver is undertaking engagement on its upcoming 2024
budget and we are pleased to provide inputs to your efforts. This letter is sent on behalf of the West
Vancouver players within the North Shore Pickleball Club (NSPC). The three main points we would like to address are:

• Our appreciation of Council & Staff addressing the needs of the pickleball community for
• facilities in West Vancouver and our availability to provide support.
• The need to choose a budget option that will retain money for permanent pickleball facilities, and
• The fast growth and popularity of the sport of pickleball.

First, we would like to extend our appreciation knowing that staff and council members in the DWV are expanding time, resources and budget to address the needs of the pickleball community. We understand that there are many competing issues that need tackling within a municipality, additional pickleball facilities being one of them. We applaud the creation of the Pickleball Advisory Roundtable and we are working closely with one of its members, Anne Watson, to ensure that our interests and needs are represented. Additionally, we are staying in contact with the West Van Players group to ensure that our common interests are presented in a coordinated fashion to the DWV. We welcome the opportunity to weigh in on future plans and any proposed changes prior to finalization. Thank you.

Second, we received confirmation that the DWV had allocated $800,000 in last year’s budget for the
installation of new permanent pickleball courts to replace the loss of the courts from 29th Street. We
urge council members to retain the budget allocation of $800,000 to address the needs of the growing
pickleball community and avoid the dilution of funds to other competing sports. If these funds are not retained, we must support a budget option in 2024 that ensures pickleball specific courts can be built in a central location away from residential neighborhoods which is accessible by foot, transit and bicycle, offers suitable parking and has access to bathrooms and water.

Finally, you may be interested to know pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America. It is
extremely popular because it is easy to learn, inclusive, and social. It is cost effective and provides an
enjoyable means of exercise. It is a densified sport compared to tennis; 16 pickleball players can play in the same space as 4 tennis players. Pickleball is played by all ages, but the popularity among baby
boomers is exponential. The demographic of WV is well suited to this ideal form of exercise and social engagement. Permanent outdoor pickleball courts will ensure the DWV will remain a vibrant city addressing the needs of their population in 2024!

Thank you for your consideration on behalf of the West Vancouver residents of the NSPC.
Court Advisory Committee
North Shore Pickleball Club