About

Pickleball Canada - Founding member: Chuck Lefaive (the fellow on the right)

Born in Windsor Ontario , I came to British Columbia in 1980. Played baseball, basketball, tennis and table tennis in younger years. I am a carded international umpire for fast pitch and performed at the world Championship of ladies fastpitch this year at Softball City in White Rock . Retired in 2003 and learned to play pickleball in Canyon Lake Texas in 2005 and was hooked. Upon my return, our South Surrey Recreation center offered this new sport, so I volunteered to direct the program.

It now has several hundred members and with its affiliates is the 5-6th largest program in North America. Interests are teaching, playing tournaments, organizing new programs and travel. Looking forward to counseling people on their paddle and ball needs on OK pickleball. Married, two kids, and two granddaughters Summer and Madeleine.

Pickleball Canada - Founding member: Bill Franzman (the fellow on the left)

I was introduced to pickleball after playing badminton at the Seniors Centre in Kelowna, BC in 2000. I never went back to badminton and have been playing pickleball ever since.

After joining the USA Pickleball Association I accepted the task of Ambassador for Kelowna BC which expanded to include the entire Okanagan Valley.

Later on I accepted the Regional Ambassador appointment for Washington, Oregon, Yukon and British Columbia. A reorganization changed this territory to British Columbia and Alberta.

I was a member of the USAPA Rules Committee for more than year. This was a very big job…we read, edited, changed and re-changed the rules one by one as needed. The result is what we now have as the USA Pickleball Association Official Rules.

These appointments kept me busy with clinics, teaching, finding new places to play and conducting tournaments. All of this happened with help from others. Pickleball is an addictive sport because it is so easy to play, costs very little and is available to all ages. It’s a great family game.

During all this time I operated my okpickleball.ca web site, which was incidental in my on-line pickleball store. I made contact, via this web site, with many places within Canada, the USA and several other countries.

Some year’s back I was asked to form a Canadian Pickleball Association, but I was too busy to take on any more and it sort of faded away but never forgotten.

As a founding member of the new and recently formed Pickleball Canada organization I contribute experience and information to the Board for the promotion and advance of pickleball within Canada.

I still play throughout the Valley but mainly in Kelowna at several different venues both indoors and outdoors. I have given up my ambassador appointments but still “help-where-I-can”.

In summary I am still actively involved in pickleball, playing and promoting the game and enjoying every minute of it.