The Canberra Slam is coming to town The Canberra Slam is approaching fast and will run from 19–21 June across our 11 courts at the Pickledome. This event will be operated by an independent organisation, with support from our PACT referees and a small group of volunteers assisting across the weekend. Entries have been capped to ensure the tournament can run successfully over the three days using our current court allocation. If the event proves successful, we will work with the organisers to expand the tournament next year to utilise the full building and increase participant numbers accordingly. Even if you are not competing, everyone is warmly encouraged to come down, watch the action and support the event. read more > Keeping social play fun and welcoming As PACT continues to grow, it’s important we continue protecting the welcoming culture that makes our club special. Competitive play and hard shots are absolutely part of pickleball, however social sessions should remain enjoyable and inclusive for players of all levels. Members looking for a stronger competitive environment are encouraged to join our many competitive match play and DUPR-based sessions available each week. We don’t want to over-police social play, but hosts may occasionally reinforce a few simple expectations in social and intro to pickleball sessions: Mix up partnerships where possible Avoid repeatedly targeting weaker players Be mindful of excessive body bagging or overly aggressive play in social sessions Remember stronger players help set the tone and culture Remember: Social sessions are: Community first • Competitive second The best club culture is created by players who help others feel included, respected and excited to return read more > New “Soft & Social” midweek session launching We are excited to introduce a new weekly session beginning Wednesday 27 May at 12:00pm. This 90-minute session will cater to all levels, with a focus on relaxed, social play — no smashes and no body bags allowed! The session will be ideal for seniors, newer members transitioning into regular play, and anyone looking for a more gentle style of pickleball. Two Level 1 coaches will also be on hand to offer optional skills and drills throughout the session. Back in Strength Physio joins the PACT family We are delighted to announce a new sponsorship partnership with Back in Strength Physio in Deakin. Business owner Anne Waithman recognised that as one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia, pickleball could greatly benefit from specialist physio support tailored to our players. As part of the partnership, PACT members will receive: 20% off consultations Free AxIT strength testing Free pre-tournament screenings You may also see the Back in Strength team attending some of our weekly sessions, offering complimentary physio and strength advice to members. Anne and her team have already been supporting players at recent tournaments, helping keep people healthy and on the courts. We encourage members to support our new sponsor and take advantage of their fantastic services. read more > New paddle partnership for members PACT has been selling paddles over the past year, however managing stock levels, sourcing the latest models and coordinating paddle try-out days has become increasingly difficult for our volunteer committee. After careful consideration, the committee agreed that paddle retail is not a core function of the club and that the workload involved is no longer sustainable. We are therefore pleased to announce a new partnership with MyPickleball for paddle purchases. MyPickleball stocks a wide range of brands including: Six Zero Joola Franklin Honolulu Luzz Ronbus RPM Selkirk (coming soon) Sypik PACT members can use discount code PACT12 for purchases across all brands except Joola. Paddles will be shipped directly to members’ homes. PACT will continue to maintain demo paddles at the Pickledome, allowing members to trial paddles during sessions by speaking with a host. We would also like to thank committee member Denver Camoens for establishing the original paddle program, and Belinda Mitterdorfer for her assistance with paddle try-out days. read more > Pickleball recycling program It’s finally here! Many members know I am passionate about recycling, and after collecting more than 1,000 broken pickleballs at home, finding a proper recycling solution became increasingly important. Until now, most councils have advised that pickleballs cannot be recycled and should be sent to landfill. However, we have now partnered with Bounce Back Recycling in Sydney, who have established a genuine recycling program specifically for pickleballs. The process includes shredding and melting the balls to create new plastic products. PACT officially joined the recycling program this week, with one of our members kindly transporting the first 1,000 balls to Sydney. As a benefit to the wider pickleball community in Canberra, PACT will also accept broken balls from other ACT clubs and coordinate shipments to Sydney as part of the program. Please place all broken balls in the office at the Pickledome so they can be recycled rather than sent to landfill. Celebrating our first Beyond Bank Volunteer Award winner As part of Beyond Bank’s sponsorship partnership with PACT, a quarterly Volunteer of the Quarter award of $250 has been introduced to recognise outstanding contributions to our community. We are delighted to announce Daryl Walkenhorst as the inaugural recipient. Daryl provides enormous support to PACT through weekly hosting, volunteering for countless club call-outs, and contributing long hours at our tournaments. Living close to the Dome has also proven very helpful for this President on more than one occasion! Congratulations Daryl on receiving the first Beyond Bank Volunteer of the Quarter award. Daryl’s wife Deb also plays a major role within PACT as a General Committee member, regular host, and coordinator of our juniors program. Together they are a wonderful team and we sincerely appreciate everything they contribute to our club. Wishing Brett Barton a speedy recovery Brett Barton from Barton Commercial Property has been a long-term supporter of Pickleball ACT and remains our Principal Platinum Sponsor. Brett is also a keen player and familiar face at many of our competitive sessions and tournaments. Unfortunately, a recent knee reconstruction has temporarily sidelined him from the courts. We hope the surgery was a success and look forward to seeing Brett back playing again soon. See you on the courts! Michael Thompson President, Pickleball ACT