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Happy New Year and welcome to the January 2026 edition of our newsletter!
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2025 was a great year for the Pickleball Club of Chesterfield County! We witnessed (and helped promote) the opening of several new indoor and outdoor courts. We added 293 new members to the PCCC community and increased our Facebook group by 250 members. We ran 16 leagues in the spring and 17 in the fall, with over 500 people participating each season. We added several new volunteers to the group's administrative staff. Plus, we were an official affiliate partner for the PPA Tour in Virginia Beach for the first time!
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As we step into a fresh year full of new opportunities, we are excited to share the latest updates, upcoming events, and inspiring stories with our community. We look forward to making this year a memorable one together!
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In This Issue:
- January Calendar
- 2026 USAP Rulebook
- People Making a Difference through Pickleball
- Pickleball Programs Offered by Chesterfield County
- Highlighted Charity Tournament
- Check out Beulah Rec Center, Deep Creek Middle School, and Cogbill Park
- A Brief History of PIckleball in the U.S.
The January Calendar is Here
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Thanks to our dear volunteer Susan Proffitt, we have an updated calendar every month that details court availability in Chesterfield County. You can find the it on our website under the "calendar" tab where you can open and print a PDF version. Plus, it is posted to our Facebook page and pinned under the "Features" tab for easy access (see graphic below).
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2026 USAP Rulebook
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USAP has also conveniently provided a detailed list of the specific rules changes between 2025 to 2026, so if you want the scoop, go HERE.
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People Making a Difference through Pickleball
Is it possible in the midst of war to use sports as a way to lift a heavy heart, create community, and even light a spark of joy? Aaron Trost thinks so.
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Trost, a political consultant in Kansas City, started the non-profit organization Pickleball Planter to spread the joy of pickleball globally, most recently in war-torn Ukraine.
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Trost's mission has taken him around the world to places such as Hungary, England, Poland, Honduras, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Hong Kong.
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According to TheDink.com, Trost’s most recent mission took him to Ukraine where he taught pickleball clinics and camps to many people who had never played before. More importantly to him, he was putting a paddle in the hands of some of the 150,000 people permanently disabled due to the ongoing war with Russia, both soldiers and civilians.
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Here’s a short video clip of one of the clinics co-sponsored by the Ukrainian Pickleball Federation showing Trost and several veterans in action.
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In a podcast with Zane Navratil, he gets personal about how pickleball changed his life and why taking the sport to Ukraine last year was important to him. Listen to their conversation on The Pickle Pod.
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Pickleball Programs Offered by Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County offers classes, bootcamps and open play year round. All of their offerings are easy to find by using the “Activity Search” function on their website.
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Indoor classes are offered for each level PB 101, 102 and 103 from January to March. The next PB 101 (beginner) class starts as early as January 13th!
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***Please note that there will no longer be a printed booklet for class offerings. They will only be online.
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Highlighted Charity Tournament
- Benefits the Children's Hospital of Richmond Neuromuscular Clinic.
- When: January 31st
- Where: Performance Pickleball RVA, 8641 Quioccasin Rd, Henrico, VA, 23229
- Cost $70
- Tournament Info: Matches will take place on 12 state-of-the-art dedicated indoor pickleball courts. Medals will be awarded to the Top 3 teams in each bracket. Partners can be requested if you don't have one.
Find out more about #FearlessFrankie and fundraising efforts HERE!
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Check out Beulah, Deep Creek Middle, and Cogbill Park
Beulah Recreation Center is a pickleball gem offering indoor play weekdays (Mon, Wed, Fri) from 10:00am - 1:00pm, plus Saturday afternoon from 3:00-5:00pm.
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They also run a "Fun for Youth" program afterschool on Mondays (3:00-5:00pm) for ages 10-18.
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Soon they will be adding a Monday night drop-in play between 5:30-9:00pm. The county website currently says that this will start on March 23rd.
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Note: although the website says "full" when you look up the weekday options, the facility supervisor assured me that "walk ins are welcome."
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The new Deep Creek Middle School off of Otterdale Road installed a number of pickleball courts which are open to the public after 4:00pm during the week (and on school holidays), as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. I recently checked them out and noted that they lack dividers between the end lines of back-to-back courts (see picture below). This is a little odd. Perhaps they're intending to install something in the future, but for the time being, you can have fun playing on alternate courts!
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Don't forget about the brand new courts at Cogbill Neighborhood Park. Players are enjoying them and welcome additional players.
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Pickleball History - A Brief Timeline
The sport of pickleball celebrated 60 years in 2025. But it really took off in the last 15 years. In fact, since 2021, pickleball has been the fastest growing sport in the U.S. according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). USA Pickleball has created a timeline worth viewing, showing how the sport began, how it grew, and what its status is today. Here are a few highlights starting with the sport’s humble beginnings in the Pacific Northwest.
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1965, Bainbridge Island, WA - Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell were looking for an activity to amuse their bored family members. They dug up some ping pong paddles and a perforated ball and headed to the old badminton court in the backyard. They experimented and soon found that lowering the net and allowing the ball to bounce added dimension to the game. Soon after, Barney McCallum was introduced to the game at Pritchard’s home, and the three men created basic rules for the now beloved family-friendly outdoor game.
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- 1972 - The corporation Pickle-Ball Inc. is formed to protect the creation of this new sport.
- 1976 - Tennis Magazine publishes the article, “America’s Newest Racquet Sport,” spreading awareness and spurring mass orders of pickleball products.
- 1984 - The United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.) is organized, and the first rulebook is published. (In 2020 the USAPA rebranded and is now USA Pickleball (USAP)).
- 1990 - Pickleball has spread to all 50 states.
- 2001 - Pickleball is introduced at the Arizona Senior Olympics, drawing 100 players -- the largest event ever played to that point.
- 2009 - The first USAPA National Tournament for players of all ages is held in Buckeye, Arizona (November 2 – 8). The tournament draws almost 400 players from 26 states and several Canadian provinces.
- 2010 - PICKLEBALL IS INTRODUCED TO CHESTERFIELD COUNTY RESIDENTS AT ROCKWOOD PARK WHERE IT SOON GROWS AND SPREADS TO ALL AREAS IN GREATER RICHMOND AND BEYOND.
- 2014 - The Pickleball Channel launches, making it the first professional media group for the sport.
- 2018 - USAPA creates a national certified referee certification program. The first US Open Pickleball Championships are held in Naples, FL.
- 2019 – Both the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) and the APP (Association of Pickleball Players) come into being, with the APP offering the first USA Pickleball-sanctioned tour for professionals and amateurs. Anna Leigh Waters becomes a professional pickleball player at the age of 12, making her the youngest pro player in history. Of the estimated 3.3 million pickleball players in the United States, 62% are men, and the average age for all players is 41 years old, according to SFIA.
- 2020 - Pickleball popularity explodes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2023 - SFIA names pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America for the third year in a row. According to their findings, pickleball is now up to a total of 8.9 million players in the United States over the age of six years old, an increase from 4.8 million in 2022.
- 2024 - USA Pickleball National Championships feature wheelchair pickleball as a competitive division for the first time, which marks a significant step for the sport’s inclusivity.
Isn’t it amazing that one small backyard court and a few family and friends in 1965 spawned this addictive sport that now boasts over 68,000 pickleball courts and over 20 million players in the U.S. alone?
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Note: The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) estimates the number of pickleball players in the U.S. is over 48 million, which is more than double the SFIA reporting. The discrepancy likely results from how they define a "player," with the APP using a broader definition that includes even casual players.
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Next month we'll start sharing what to expect for Spring Leagues, and I hope to have some news to report from the next meeting with Chesterfield County Parks and Rec. We are so grateful to the county officials who support us and the employees who respond so promptly whenever something needs attention at the courts. Carrying on a 10-year tradition, on behalf of the Pickleball Club of Chesterfield, Gloria Lambert and I met with many of the county representatives during the holiday season and shared trays of Christmas cookies and other edible treats to show our appreciation and to thank them in person for all they do for us.
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To all of you -- thank you for being great members who encourage each other, teach each other, and set the standard for fun, welcoming pickleball in the Greater Richmond area.
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