The Drysdale/Clifton Springs Pickleball Club in Victoria State, Australia, established less than a year ago, has quickly gained prominence in the national sports arena.
At the 2023 Australian Masters Games in Adelaide, about 450 miles west of Drysdale and Clifton Springs, held from October 7 to 14, the club secured an impressive total of 35 medals. Australia
A Week-Long Celebration
This event, described as a week-long celebration of sport that unites enthusiasts from across Australia, imposes no qualifying criteria apart from age limitations, generally set at a minimum of 30 years.
The Masters Games draws participants from various corners of the globe. Pickleball is a big thing down under, too, and made its inaugural appearance in the Australian Masters Games this year.
Fiona Bond, the Publicity and Promotions Officer of Drysdale/Clifton Springs Pickleball Club, revealed that the club’s inception on November 30 included 14 enthusiastic pickleball players based in Drysdale who were previously associated with the Ocean Grove Pickleball Club.
Incredibly Popular
Since its establishment, the club has proved incredibly popular and now boasts over 170 members, thereby ranking as Victoria’s second-largest pickleball club.
Ms. Bond humorously recounted her frequent travels to Ocean Grove, stating, “I used to joke to everyone ‘I may as well live in Ocean Grove’ as I was traveling there five times a week.”
Over 35 members of the club participated in this year’s Australian Masters Games in Adelaide, an endeavor that yielded remarkable results.
Ms. Bond emphasized the speed with which the club achieved its success, highlighting the growing influence of pickleball on the Bellarine region:
“It was rather amazing how rapidly we did it all. The Bellarine is the center of pickleball for Geelong – since we started, there’s a new group in Leopold that play, and Queenscliff has started up their own club.”
“Pretty Amazing”
As well as the 35 medals for pickleball at the Australian Masters Games, Drysdale/Clifton Springs Pickleball Club representatives won another three medals for petanque, two for golf, and one for tennis, bringing the haul to 41.
Over 35 members of the club participated in this year’s Australian Masters Games in Adelaide, an endeavor that yielded remarkable results.
“It was pretty amazing. It was more of going for a bit of a trip and a holiday. A lot of us haven’t played in tournaments before because most of them are newish anyway, but it’s a really good experience, and everyone was surprised with the haul.”
“The Addictive Sport”
She emphasized pickleball’s accessibility to players of all ages and particularly emphasized how easy it was to learn.
“A lot of us are ex-tennis players, so there’s a natural progression with hand-eye coordination, but we have a number of people who’ve never played a sport in their life, and they’re in [their] late fifties or sixties, and they just love it, because in one session you’re hitting balls over the net and making winning shots.
“It’s called the addictive sport – and it is, trust me – and it’s also renowned for being fun and very social.”
Drysdale is southwest of Melbourne and about 90 minutes by car.
