Young people got experience of one of Bermuda’s fastest growing sports when they took part in the inaugural Pickleball Festival at WER Joell Tennis Stadium on Tuesday.

A collaboration between the Pickleball Association of Bermuda and the Department of Sport and Recreation, the initiative featured between 150 and 200 children from across the island engaging in a fun-filled day of pickleball.

Children aged 9 to 14 were introduced to the sport through a variety of activities, including co-operative and competitive rallies, fun castles, and interactive drills, with the event providing an excellent platform for young athletes to interact and play with peers from different camps across Bermuda.

“Our goal is to make this festival an annual event, promoting the growth of pickleball and providing a fun, engaging and interactive activity for Bermuda's youth,” said Gavin Manders, the PAB national director.

“We are incredibly excited about success of this festival and the positive impact it has had on the children. Amid the current challenges facing our island, this festival underscores the importance of providing positive and constructive activities for today’s youth.

“Engaging in sports not only promotes physical health but also fosters teamwork, discipline, and a sense of community. Events like this are crucial in guiding our young people towards a brighter and more positive future.

“This new partnership between the PAB and the Department of Sport and Recreation holds the power to plant the seeds for the growth of the sport.

“It can lay the foundation for future educational pathways, encouraging continuous engagement in sports and fostering a healthier, more active community.”

The event, attended by Owen Darrell, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, was supported by various community partners, including coaches from across the island, such as the whole Manders Tennis Management team, Coral Beach, Lambert Island Tennis, and PAB board members.

Nspire Bermuda, a recently launched charity, also showed their support to the development of racket sports on the island by lending a helping hand.

Quincy Aberdeen, the sports co-ordinator for the summer day camps, indicated that they sought to spice up the gatherings with something more enjoyable.

“What we tried to this year was to introduce our campers to a new sport,” Aberdeen said.

“We wanted something different and a bit more fun and exciting, especially with pickleball growing the way it is.

“I’m sure most of the children had probably never heard of the sport before, but with pickleball taking off the way it has, it’s something that we want to bring forth to the children.

“Most of the children were for the most part engaged and despite the heat they really enjoyed it.

“We actually had some good feedback from the children, it’s something new, something they had fun with, and something they would like to do in the future.

“We’re trying to introduce our campers to new things. Pickleball is a shortened game, it’s a bit more hands-on and that really helps the youngsters to focus on their hand-eye co-ordination.

“We had 150 to 200 campers from the eight camps run by the Department of Sport and Recreation.

“We’re hoping to make it an annual event where we can introduce different type of tournaments between the camps.

“A big shout out to Gavin Manders and his PAB team for introducing us to this great game.

“The highlight of the summer day camps is the Mini Cup Match next Thursday at Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club from 10am to 3pm.”