Tecumseh pickleball player ready to start pro career

A local athlete has gone pro in the sport of pickleball. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco tells us more about the league.

As pickleball continues to surge in popularity, Evan Hollinsky is riding the wave all the way to the pro ranks.

“I went to Central Park one time for the Clip N Climb. Stumbled upon the pickleball courts there. Thought I’d give it a try and fell in love with it right away,” said the 21 year old.

Two and a half years later, Hollinsky is now a professional pickleball player. The Tecumseh native was recently chosen by the Detroit-Windsor Drive of the Canadian National Pickleball League.

“We had tryouts in London over a month ago, where the scouts would come, they’d watch us play, and they dictated who they wanted to draft from there,” he said.

The Drive will face the Southwestern Ontario Brewers Saturday morning in London.

“It’s like a regular season, how normal sports are played,” Hollinsky explained. “You play each team and you get points, and then you make it to the playoffs and then there’s the finals.”

Hollinsky is one of six players on the team.

The surge in demand for pickleball continues. Pickleplex recently opened in Windsor. The city has opened 28 new courts in the past three-and-a half years.

“We’re responding and we’re going to continue to build these courts, and include these, these features and amenities in the parks across the city as we go forward,” said Coun. Kieran McKenzie.

Essex courts are in the works and Amherstburg is looking to open their courts soon as well. While municipal governments react to the demand, associations are helping others organize.

“We really owe a lot of gratitude to the Tecumseh Pickleball Association,” said Linda DiPasquale, vice chair of the Amherstburg Pickleball Association. “They have been amazing in helping pave the way for our journey to get our eight brand new courts.”

Now there is a movement to create regional competition, including tournaments and a league where players from each municipality compete for their town or city.

“It would be a lot of fun,” said Laurie Howie, organizer of a women’s league in Tecumseh. “All of the associations in Essex County are getting bigger and growing, so there’s definitely a call for it. It’s got to be time soon.”

Pat McGivney would like to play competitively on a regional basis, “Each organization has to approve the league first and then they have to start to organize it so maybe it’s time, but it may not happen as soon as we would hope.”