COLD LAKE - In honour of Seniors' Week, the Cold Lake Energy Centre hosted a special pickleball drop-in session on June 7 at the Reid Field House.
Although the event experienced lower-than-expected attendance, it still offered the club a chance to promote the sport.
Sharron Chaulk, an executive of the Cold Lake Pickleball Club, explained that the club started about seven years ago. She emphasized the accessibility of the sport for seniors, saying, "Social health is fun... It's an activity they can do all year. They don't have to just do it in the summer or just in the winter... And it's an easy enough sport that you can play it as you feel."
Annette Hogan, another executive of the club, highlighted the benefits of pickleball, stating, "It's good exercise, it's social, you have lots of really nice people, and it takes you to other communities like Bonnyville and St. Paul."
There is also a global appeal to playing the sport. "You can go anywhere in the world and play pickleball and meet new friends,” says Hogan.
Lara Bate, a member of the Pickleball Club, was in attendance on Friday and suggested that having someone available to teach newcomers could have made a difference in drawing people to the sport, since "It's a little bit intimidating just to get into pickleball if you've never played before.”
Chaulk highlighted the physical and mental benefits of the sport, stating, "It's a game you can play at your level... it keeps them moving and keeps their brain active as well.”
New members are welcome to join the Cold Lake Pickleball Club by visiting the Pickleball Canada website and then filtering through to the local club where the membership application is online.
Other pickleball clubs in the Lakeland can be accessed a similar way, such as the club in St. Paul.
