This month we’re featuring Rita Vine and Tom Keane, regional admins of the growing pickleball community in Toronto Canada.

Rita and Tom met in 2021 when they signed up on PlayTime Scheduler to play on a shabby pickleball-lined tennis court in Toronto. Tom had been introduced to the game by a neighbor in at the start of the pandemic in 2020, and Rita had just started playing pickleball as a snowbird in Florida.  

Much has happened since that initial meeting. Rita and Tom were part of a small group of dedicated players who successfully lobbied Toronto’s mayor in May 2022 to paint pickleball lines on all the public outdoor hockey rinks in the city, so that the rinks could be used for pickleball during the hockey off-season.

Demand for the game shot up as soon as lines were painted. In 2023 most rinks had lines but no nets. PlayTime Scheduler to the rescue! Meetups were arranged and players added notes if they could bring their own nets. The formula worked well: Rita and Tom now keep 47 outdoor public park locations updated in PTS with the help of local players who notify them of additions, closures and changes.

Local pickleball clubs, like the 600-member East Toronto Pickleball Association (Tom is the President), can pay the city for permits to reserve court locations on specific days and times. The city also runs open recreational play for residents at several locations between May and October. Since every location has different available times, PlayTime Scheduler has made it easy for players to find meetups that fit their level and schedule.

What do Rita and Tom love most about the sport? “There’s great camaraderie and friendships made. We love that the game is easy to learn and hard to master.”

Their advice to other communities? “We have found PlayTime Scheduler the best way to help build a local pickleball community and ensure that available courts are known and used. Some communities have a hard time transitioning to PTS if they are already using other apps or platforms, so be patient. Having a core group of players who use and promote PTS will encourage others to use it too.”