Our second tournament attracted over 500 competitors, and this time we extended it to four days — and what a cracker of a tournament! Perfect weather, a new food van, an outstanding refereeing team, and so many happy players made it a real highlight.

A special thank you goes to all our volunteers. From setting up at first light (6:00am) to closing at 10:00pm, this event was powered entirely by volunteer effort. We received countless compliments, and everyone involved should be incredibly proud of delivering such a successful tournament.

Congratulations as well to all our medal winners. PACT players claimed more than half the medals on offer, with some truly outstanding performances. The standard of play continues to improve with every tournament.

Ahead of the Big Chill, nine club members completed their Level 1 refereeing course — congratulations to all! They will provide great support to our existing Level 2 referees, and we’re delighted to welcome them.

All our referees generously volunteer their time for free, which helps us keep tournaments viable and affordable. Many other clubs are now facing rising costs as interstate referees require payment.

You may also notice more of our Level 2 referees during social play, as updated requirements mean they need to log additional hours to maintain their accreditation.

Women in sport coaching grant

This weekend, we welcomed Tony Morgan to deliver coaching training to 10 women as part of our successful Women in Sport grant.

It was also a great opportunity to make full use of the Pickledome while Futsal took a two-day break. Seven women achieved Level 1 coaching certification, and three achieved Level 2 — an excellent outcome.

As Tony had some spare capacity on the weekend, PACT also subsidised coaching for five of our male members. By all accounts, it was a hugely successful weekend.

A special thank you to committee member Belinda Mitterdorfer for her work in organising the program.

PACT representation on National Inclusion Committee

Lance Nash has been doing fantastic work developing programs for players with a disability, and we’re proud to share that he has now been appointed to the PA National Inclusion Committee — congratulations, Lance!

We look forward to seeing the impact of this work at a national level. Lance will also continue supporting PACT as we strengthen inclusion across both social and competitive play.

Wishing Louise a speedy recovery

Late last year, we welcomed Louise Monge as our local administrator, working three half-days per week, including two at the Pickledome.

Louise has unfortunately been unwell and away for the past month. We wish her a smooth recovery and look forward to welcoming her back soon.

Thank you Jen and Lee

We would sincerely like to thank Jenny Heddle and Lee Andrews for their work running the Tuesday night tournament training sessions.

What started as a small group of dedicated players has grown into a hugely popular session, regularly attracting 50+ players and selling out within minutes. It’s clear there’s strong demand for competitive play opportunities.

Don’t forget to collect your 2025 ACT Championship medals

There are still dozens of uncollected medals from the 2025 ACT Championships.

If you’re yet to pick yours up, hosts can arrange access to the office during any Pickledome session — just ask.

PACT clothing store now live

You can now grab your PickleballACT gear online — just in time to rep the club on and off the court. We’ve launched two ranges:

• PACT Pickleroos – fun, community-driven designs
• Classic PACT – clean, simple club branding

Most items are available in both cotton and performance (poly) options, so you can choose what suits you best.

Head to the store via Rojo Custom's PACT website and get kitted out. 

We’re excited to announce that PACT has secured the Canberra round of the National Slam competition.

The Canberra Slam will take place from 19–21 June, with entries now open and capped at around 200 players. The event will be delivered by an external team across our 11 courts.

We’ll be calling for a small number of volunteers and referees to assist. Special thanks to committee member Denver Camoens for his work in securing this event.

We’re launching a new Tuesday Night League, kicking off 14 April at 7:15pm and running for 10 consecutive weeks.

PACT Tuesday Night League - Pickleball League

This is a co-ed doubles league (men’s, women’s or mixed), where you’ll play with your chosen partner throughout the competition. Matches will be DUPR-based, with teams grouped against players of similar skill levels.

• Open to 40 teams (max 25 teams per night)
• Opt-in each week — play as many weeks as you like
• Register individually and select your partner
• Registration opens 8:00am, 1 April

Prizes on offer:

• Top 3 teams
• Most improved team (includes free entry to 2026 ACT Championships)

To be eligible for prizes, teams must play at least 5 sessions.

Spots will fill quickly — make sure you register and opt in early.

Maintaining a clean and high-quality playing environment at the Pickledome remains a top priority.

We now pay for the toilets to be cleaned an additional two days per week (beyond the original lease arrangements and additional costs are shared by us and Futsal) to ensure daily cleaning.

PACT also funds a professional deep clean of the playing surface every 6–8 weeks. However, windy conditions have been bringing dust into the Dome. To address this, we’ve installed artificial turf outside to reduce dirt entry and will soon trial a walk-behind vacuum system for more regular maintenance between deep cleans.

Additionally, new internal screens will be installed along the northern side of the playing area in the coming weeks. After a long wait, we’re hopeful these upgrades — combined with improved cleaning — will have the Pickledome sparkling.

See you on the courts!
Michael Thompson
President, Pickleball ACT