Moving from an outdoor activity indoors can be a challenge at the best of times, but for the Quesnel Pickleball Club, preventing the spread of COVID-19 has complicated their plans.
Sharon MacDonald said the club worked hard to follow all rules and regulations.
The main strategy is to separate players into 12- to 14-player cohorts. All games during the winter have to be within the same cohort.
A survey was sent out to all 130 members of the club, and cohorts were made based on who plays together and how often players are looking to get on the courts.
From there, Rick Prosk had the complicated job of putting together a schedule.
“We’ve got to tick all the boxes for everyone before we can go ahead,” MacDonald said. “Prosk had done a friggin amazing job.”
In between sessions, the three courts at the Quesnel Seniors’ Centre will be sanitized, and the group coming in will have no contact with the group going out.
Games will start at the Seniors’ Centre after the B.C. election on Oct. 24 is completed. Some days could see the tick of balls on rackets going steady from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
MacDonald said the club’s membership is passionate about getting their games in.
“Come hell or high water, we were going to be playing,” MacDonald said. “We’re still outside … There would be people out there with shovels in their parkas.”
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