Pickleball-related death has Windsor club pushing for improvements at WFCU Centre
Wall padding is being asked for after player died when they hit their head, club says
The Windsor Pickleball Club is lobbying for better equipment — and it's willing to pay for it.
It's asking the city for permission to provide better nets and better flooring at the WFCU Centre where there are three indoor pickleball courts.
But the club also wants the city to pay for padding the wall on one end of the gym where pickleball is played.
That after a man died from hitting his head on the wall earlier this year.
Patrick Brown is the president of the Windsor Pickleball Club and says the current nets at the WFCU Centre are not permanent so they don't hold up to regular use. He also doesn't like the floor.
"There's multiple lines on the floor. There's actually quite a glare from the lights that make it difficult to see the see the ball and even the colour of the floor," said Brown.
Brown said the pickleball club would pay for the new nets and a floor which rolls out in sections.
"The nets and the floorings would probably cost north of $40,000," he said, adding they would only want some discount on the user fees for the facility.
He says the gym is used by pickelball players about 90 per cent of the time.
"The nets would be a heavy duty frame 22-foot long. They are on wheels that can be raised and lowered so when in use the wheels are raised out of the way. The system sits flat on the floor and when it's time to remove them you simply lift it, the wheels pop in place and it can be wheeled into the storage room and out of the way," said Brown.
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Man died in June from brain injury while playing
The club would like the city to purchase padding to put on one of the walls in the gym that is a hard cinder block.
In June, one member died from a brain injury after he hit his head on the wall.
Club member Cory Gatrall believes putting padding on the wall would be a great idea.
"When you're going for lob shot you come backwards, you lose your momentum and you'll fall backwards into the wall," said Gatrall.
"You have to take some extra precautions with the elderly people that are playing," said Norm Bisson, who knew the man who was killed, and says he was in his 80's.
"I think it's a great idea. There's been multiple people who have fallen and hit their heads against the wall already, including some who have had to go to hospital and even worse an actual death," said club member Tracey Heslop.
Jen Knights, the Executive Director of Recreation and Culture told city council Monday they are looking into the costs of the padding.
"We have been working with risk management looking at padding options for the WFCU Centre gymnasium as well as our other facilities. Normally if we were looking at doing something at one facility from a risk management lens we look at doing it at all of them," said Knights.
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But Knights says that may impact other programs and it would take time to put up and take down the padding.
She believes the costs would be substantial.
Council voted to look into the padding at budget time.
"We're pleased with the city council hearing our request and giving consideration to our proposal," said Brown.
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