It's exciting news for area pickleball enthusiasts.
Registration is now open for the Sarnia-Lambton Pickleball Club's (SLPC) inaugural Spring SMASH tournament, being held in May at Lambton College.
The event features men's, women's doubles, and mixed doubles across four skill levels. It's anticipated players will come from across the region, spanning from Windsor to Kitchener.
Director Mike Barron said money raised through the tournament will help build a permanent home for the club.
He said they just launched in the fall and already have hundreds of members.
"We're in the process of getting our non-profit status as a club and then we just know there's probably the better part of 500 to 1,000 people playing pickleball in Lambton County," said Barron. "We just need to establish facilities that are able to sustain play 12 months of the year. So, the club is looking to be able to establish a permanent home where they'll be able to play, have six indoor courts and be able to turn it into eight, and probably the same six to eight outdoors. This will give the club the opportunity to host bigger tournaments like provincials and also on the national level. We keep seeing the growth of the game, each week there are televised tournaments. We were out at DeGroot's Nurseries this winter and we introduced over 100 new players to the game."
Barron said the event is hoped to attract anywhere from 180 to 200 competitors.
"We're just super excited that there will be stands set up and it will be free to watch all weekend," he said. "It'll be a great time. If you're interested in coming to learn about the game, you'll be able to come out and see exactly what's happening."
Lambton College Manager of Athletics James Grant said students will help with hands on tournament execution alongside SLPC volunteers.
"The constantly popularity of pickleball is undeniable," said Grant. "We’ve seen a dramatic increase in interest in the sport within Lambton College community, so we’re thrilled to serve as host for this tournament. We look forward to not only hosting this event, but supporting the Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club in more of their upcoming endeavors."
The tournament is set for May 3 to 5 at the Cestar Recreation and Wellness Centre at Lambton College.
You can register until April 24 at 8 p.m. at www.pickleballbrackets.com.
For more information, call Mike at (519) 381-9535 or email sarnialambtonpickleball@gmail.com.