About

History

Pickleball was first played in South Australia in late 2019 and with great support from Pickleball Queensland play began with an enthusiastic group of walkers.

Soon there was a need to form an association as players and venues began to expand and Pickleball South Australia was formed with it's first committee adopting the constitution in June 2020.

Our first social doubles tournament was held in early 2021. We had secured our first 4 outdoor courts at Blair Athol. By the end of the year, Pickleball SA had 143 members and 5 weekly sessions in 4 venues. The first club, Adelaide Pickleball Club, had also emerged.

We expanded our outdoor courts at Blair Athol to 8. The first one-day  SA Doubles Tournament was held in July 2022. Pickleball SA players first featured in an interstate tournament at the 2022 Australian Pickleball Championships, picking up a series of medals. We were growing rapidly with 244 members and 11 weekly sessions in 9 venues by year's end.

During 2023 the one-day SA Doubles Tournament was held again. Pickleball SA also hosted pickleball's first appearance in the Australian Masters Games with a three-day tournament involving 171 players. 2023 was another exceptional year of growth with 453 members participating in 17 weekly sessions in 11 venues, along with two clubs and four affiliated venues.

Pickleball SA's Role

Pickleball SA is the official state associaton for the sport of pickleball and affiliated with Pickleball Australia.

Pickleball SA governs the sport's development including tournaments, competitions, new venues development, junior development, coaching and referees.

Pickleball SA presently has a unique model where the majority of playing sessions are managed by Pickleball SA volunteers and the association provides all playing equipment to players.

Our objective is for pickleball to continue to be an open, accessible and inclusive sport for players of all ages and skills.