Jeff has been with us for many years now, as admin for our first region established outside of North America – Mt. Roskill / Waiheke Island in Auckland, New Zealand. When Jeff first contacted us, the site didn't even support non-US postal codes. We're so glad Jeff got the ball rolling, since we now host over 32 countries (and have learned more than we ever wanted to know about international postal code formats). We asked Jeff to share some of his experiences.

How long have you been playing pickleball and where did you learn to play?
I started playing in 2014 in Seattle. Despite living 11 miles from the birthplace of the game for 30+ years, I played racquetball and other sports before getting hooked on pickleball. I learned to play mainly at the Rainier Community Center, but played at a number of venues throughout Seattle until moving to Auckland in 2017.

When did you first join PlayTime Scheduler as a regional admin?
When I was setting up some outdoor courts in Auckland, in 2018. Reine was brilliant in getting the PlayTime Scheduler website to recognize New Zealand locations.

How would you describe your local pickleball community?
Greater Auckland is in a period of exponential growth of pickleball. The sport came to New Zealand in 2015. When I moved to Auckland in 2017, there were only two venues in the outer Auckland suburbs. Now there are more than a dozen throughout the region and numbers growing each month. My own Auckland locale these days is Waiheke Island. We play 4 days a week indoors and sometimes 3 more days at several different locations outdoors. Private courts are being set up, and the public playing possibilities are expanding on this little island of 10,000 permanent residents.

What advice would you give to a new region considering setting up PlayTime Scheduler?
Get in touch with Reine. She will be very supportive.

Jeff and the Wacky Waiheke Pickleball Fanatics, taking time out for a photo with Pickleball For Dummies.