Fredericton Pickleball Club Medal Winners Canada 55+ Games 2018

In August 2018, Saint John, New Brunswick hosted the Canada 55+ Games 2018. These games are held every 2 years and they include a number of different sports and recently, pickleball has been added. Participants must be at least 55 years old.

A number of Fredericton Pickleball Club (FPC) members qualified to participate but did not know what to expect as this is the first time FPC competed at the Canada 55+ Games.

Pickleball at the Games had Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles in age categories starting at 55 and in increments of 5 years. The play was structured with Round Robin matches on Day 1 to determine seating of the players and then the Playoffs were on held on Day 2 to determine the recipients of the Gold, Silver or Bronze medals.

FPC had very impressive results by winning 8 medals including 2 Gold.

Alden Briggs & Reg van Drecht won Gold in Men’s Doubles 60+

Gordon Plummer & Susan Plummer won Silver in Mixed Doubles 60+

Ruth Henry-Dickinson & Doris Kennedy won Bronze in Women’s Doubles 60+

Ron Buck and Bill Morris won Silver in Men’s Doubles 75+

Alden and Reg are pickleball National Champions!

In addition to winning Gold in the 60+ category, Alden and Reg also won first overall in the Round Robin play which included both the 55+ and 60+ brackets much to the chagrin of the second-place 55+ team from Ontario. In fact, in the Round Robin play, Alden and Reg beat all the eventual Men’s Doubles 55+ medals winners.

The next Canada 55+ games are to be held in Kamloops, BC, in the summer of 2020. If all goes well, FPC members will be part of the NB team competing with the rest of Canada to defend their pickleball medals.