Get fit, have a hit and a giggle at Haddon pickleball

January 3, 2025 BY Tim Bottams

Friendly game: Wendy Vorstenbosch has brought social pickleball to the surrounding regions for nearly half a decade. Photos: FILE BELOW: Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the world, and is played across Ballarat and the Golden Plains Shire, including at Linton. This group was inspired by the Ballarat Badminton set-up.

AFTER bringing pickleball to surrounding towns, an avid player has introduced social sessions of the game to Haddon.

Run out of the Haddon Community Learning Centre on Saturday mornings since late November, the weekly initiative is aimed at providing a fun, social outing for all ages.

Wendy Vorstenbosch set up the group after previously establishing sessions at Linton, Clunes, and Daylesford throughout last year.

“I used to play badminton out at Haddon before COVID so I knew there were the courts there,” she said.

“I enjoy pickleball but I enjoy the social side of it. The hit and giggle part, and just having a bit of fun, exercise, and lots of laughs.

Ballarat’s inaugural Informal Volunteer of the Year Awards were held last year, with the Informal Volunteer of the Year honour going to Wendy Vorstenbosch (left) for her women’s health and fitness advocacy.

“I reached out to Rick [Bushell, centre manager] to see if they wanted another activity out there and they said they did.”

The first session, held on 23 November, saw six players including Ms Vorstenbosch, two of whom had never played the game before.

The group grew to 10 people the next week followed by 13 participants after that.

Ms Vorstenbosch preceded her regional pickleball expansion with her 30 Together ladies-only group established in Ballarat in 2021.

She said bringing pickleball to new areas is about introducing a fun, physical, and social offering to different communities.

“The biggest thing is to get more social games happening, more hit and giggles,” she said.

“I think that’s the big thing, to have a rally. For me personally, it’s about being active every day, and if I’m running these, I’ve got no excuse not to.”