Tecumseh Pickleball Association Inc. (TPA), founded in 2018, Is a Membership Club, “Not for Profit” organization with a volunteer board of directors and supporters. Malinda Hebert is the president.
The Zekelman Pickleball Complex is located within beautiful, Lacasse Park, 590 Lacasse Blvd, Tecumseh Ontario.
Tecumseh Pickleball Assoc. Mission Statement
Our Mission is to Facilitate the growth of Pickleball in Tecumseh for the enjoyment, health and social engagement of all players by offering organized, recreational and competitive play for all skill levels
Our Vision
Our vision is to be nationally recognized as a welcoming club with extensive programs for social and competitive play for all age groups and levels.
History of TPC
A brief History of Tecumseh Pickleball
- 2011 – The Town of Tecumseh converted tennis courts at Shawanoe Park (13158 St. Gregory) to 3 dedicated pickleball courts
- 2015 – Tecumseh Parks and Rec asked a few active residents-players to increase awareness with demo games as part of the Tri-a-Sport Day
- 2016, 2017 – pick up games began on 3 outdoor courts at Shawanoe Park. Membership grew to 90+ players and the real fun began!
- 2018 TPA officially was formed by 5 Tecumseh residents. Discussions began with the town for a larger, state of the art, outdoor venue to satisfy the growth of community pickleball and also attract the larger tournaments. The dream began…. TPA Incorporated, created the TPA logo, designed and purchased banners and created a website, Tecumsehpickleball.ca for the club
- These 5 residents organized weekday morning play, monthly fun tournaments, volunteered at day camps, senior fitness events and Tecumseh’s Fall into Health to build awareness and capabilities for all ages
- In 2019, due a strong partnership with the town and overwhelming player interest, the Town improved the existing 3 courts, added a 4th court, wind nets and a safety fence. TPA membership grew to 165 members on 4 courts. Monday evening play was added to weekday mornings, clinics and lessons were run. TPA’s 1st, very successful, Annual Corn Festival Pickleball Tournament, on 6 courts in the Tecumseh Arena, was held!
- Following a Fall 2019 presentation to Town Council regarding pickleball’s explosive growth, Tec Town Council directed TPA to the Royal Cdn Legion # 261 in Tecumseh to view their hall. TPA & RCL 261 came to an agreement and lined 2 indoor pickleball courts. This continues to provide a small venue for indoor pickleball in Tecumseh.
- June 9, 2022, four years after forming Tecumseh Pickleball (with a Pandemic hurdle) and thanks to a strong partnership with the Town, we realized our dream! The 10 court “Zekelman Pickleball Complex”, named after our primary sponsor, opened! Each court proudly carries a local business banner. 2022 ended with 620 happy players!
In May 2023, membership growth was so incredible, TPA made the difficult decision to cap membership @ 790 players. We strive to balance “paddle up” or drop in play for 3 levels, (JSO’s, ((Just Starting Out)), Intermediate & Advanced) and league play, 6 mornings and 3 evenings per week.
Lessons, drills and skills, social fun tournaments, have been offered to members this year. Our very successful 2nd International tournament was held in June, hosting just under 300 players from 4 US states and many communities across Ontario. Our final in-house Club Tournament is scheduled for September 8—9.
TPA trained 4 Town staff and co-hosted a teen camp in the Arena this summer to introduce pickleball fun to Youth. Weekly Community Living pickleball (for people with disabilities) has been held for 2 years, outdoor and indoor, also run by dedicated volunteers.
Transition to Betterness (T2B), a well-known local charity, approached TPA to host a pickleball fundraiser in late May. This very successful event helped raise $72,000 for this local organization!
Our Club is highly dependent on the 40—50 regular volunteers, who greet, convene courts, maintain courts and do the bulk of “daily peacekeeping”, LOL, in addition to helping with the listed social, fun, organized activities!
