TORFAEN PICKLEBALL CLUB HISTORY
In November 2013, our Honorary President John (Shun) Price returned from his annual October vacation in the Florida Villages where during those holidays he had taken up playing Pickleball, which had a large following in the United States. During this holiday he realized that Pickleball courts were the same size as a badminton court. With this knowledge he decided to bring the game to Wales.
He borrowed wooden paddles (rackets) and balls from the Villages’ coaching staff and with some friends played the game in Wales for the first time at Cwmbran Stadium on 3rd December 2013 from 3pm to 5pm. This group consisted of himself with his wife Janet, Paulette and Bernard Powell and Tania Howard.
There was no way any of them could have predicted how the game has taken off and over the next few months, thanks to friends and acquaintances, the game began to grow.
Shun applied to Wales Sport and got a community grant of £1500 to buy paddles, nets and balls. To do this, there was a requirement for a bank account with a committee so one was formed to process this application with Shun as Chairman, Richard Bowen Secretary and Tania Howard as treasurer.
The local community office helped get it passed and then with this grant the club bought all the right equipment and it began to grow at a rapid pace. New players also joined from Cardiff, Bristol and the Welsh Valleys of which a few had already played in the USA.
In September 2015 4 couples, Shun and Janet Price, Bernard and Paulette Powell, Richard and June Welsford and Richard and Marilyn Strangemore, travelled to Madrid to play in the 1stSpanish International tournament. A first venture outside the UK for the club. Being Madrid’s first also it was slightly disorganised but it proved to be a very good trip with lovely weather and tapas!
On the 30th of August 2016 the first AGM took place and a committee was formed of Shun Price -Chairman. Richard Welsford -Secretary. Janet Price-Treasurer, June Welsford and Alan Arnott both committee members.Richard also wrote and put forward the constitution of the club which was duly passed.
Growing In Wales
From here the game has now spread to other South Wales venues with Cwmbran players going along to help start them off. These included Llantrisant, Newport and Blaenau Gwent, as well as starter groups in Swansea and Beaumaris. We also helped a group from Bristol get started which now plays in 3 different venues in that city.
COVID YEARS
The club survived the COVID years, when the Cwmbran stadium was used as a vaccination centre, with the game being played outdoors.
This was due to the work of the committee and especially John Killick who set up courts at Pontypool Park on the disused tennis courts and Richard and June Welsford with Pete and Julie McGowan, did the same at Usk Tennis club. Sue Smith obtained the use of the indoor courts at Newport Velodrome.
At Pontypool Park in the summer of 2022, again through the work of John Killick, 6 designated courts were laid by the council -the first such courts in Wales.
218 Members
We now have over 218 members including several full internationals and a growing junior section.
As a club we have a training section which consists of some 10 trainers trained to level 1 which is a national coaching qualification and our head of training and development, Matthew Hazlehurst who is in the process of studying for his Level 2 qualification which will make him the only one in Wales.
So whether you are just starting out or if you are already a competent player why not come to Cwmbran Stadium and play the wonderful game of Pickleball with us.
The current committee comprises of Colin Pretlove - Chairman, Pamela Simpson - Treasurer, Jocelyn Haynes - Secretary, Steve Kerslake - Spond administrator and Safeguarding officer, Sandy Pretlove - Welfare officer, Matthew Hazlehurst - Training and Development Manager, Linda Lewis - Sumup coordinator and Wendy Keepin.
