Picking up a new sport came easy to Nicholas Rush.
“At first I was a little skeptical cause I heard pickleball was for a certain age,” Rush said.
The former competitive badminton player traded his racket for a paddle about five years ago and hasn’t looked back.
“It’s a lot of fun and I was still able to get my competitive juices flowing,” Rush, who’s also the president of the Pickleball Club of Winnipeg, said.
Rush is just one of many who are part of the pickleball craze.
“I got into pickleball, tennis was sort of dying out for my generation,” Cole Lacap said.
Pickleball Manitoba says the growth of the sport in the province is incredible.
“We are increasing anywhere from 50-60 members a month we are adding,” Pickleball Manitoba president Ted Fardoe said.
Pickleball Manitoba also recently announced it will be hosting nationals in 2025, welcoming 600 to 700 athletes from across the country.
“It allows us to step forward as a leader in pickleball in the country,” Fardoe said.
The growth of the sport and demand to play is leading to business opportunities in the province too.
“I’ve wanted to do a facility for a long time and initially I thought it was going to be badminton,” Rush said.
But as his love for pickleball grew, Rush switched gears. He’s now constructing a 24,000-square-foot facility in Headingley, Man., with indoor and outdoor courts, a sports medicine area, a restaurant, a shop and more.
“Because I’m local and grown up here, I want it to be accessible,” Rush said. “I want people from all backgrounds to get together.”
Rush’s pickleball facility isn’t the only one planned to open next year.
American chain Picklr is expanding into Canada and has picked Winnipeg as the first franchise location.
“We are looking at anywhere from 10-12 courts in an indoor facility plus if there’s space a few outdoor spaces as well,” TPC Development Corporation president Bernie Plett said.
So whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned veteran, there will be an abundance of new courts and opportunities to play in 2025.
“Age doesn’t have to be a barrier,” Rush said.