The first annual Pickle and Cheese Tournament brought together pickleball players in New Bothwell today.
Pickleball is a growing sport. Organizer Aleksandr Trinkies says running the tournament was an opportunity to bring people together.
“So, to be able to kind of bring people together and do something like this and watch other people having all the fun in the world. And it also grows the game. It grows the community.
Trinkies says that many don't realize how great this sport is for physical and mental health.
When Trinkies began playing pickleball, he thought, “I suck at this game, but I love it. I hate the name, but I love it.”
“It was a couple months later, playing every week, that I realized I wasn't getting as tired. I had better focus during the day, and I started looking forward to Thursdays because that's when I got to go and hit things with the stick.”
When the idea of a pickleball tournament was brought up, Trinkies jumped in with both feet.
“I love running tournaments. I love setting up the brackets and stuff like this, and whether it was ping pong or hockey or whatever. The idea of it is a lot of fun for me.”
The winner of the tournament goes home with a medal, as well as a bag of New Bothwell Cheese.
Trinkies says he is excited to grow the tournament even more in the following years.
“For future years, things like door prizes, 50/50, silent auction, and stuff like that. We'd love to be able to start incorporating that.”
The event will be annual, and the team is already working on plans for next year's tournament.
If you're interested in preparing for next year's tournament, you can play pickleball on the open courts at the New Bothwell Rec Center from 8 am to 10 pm
The Dairy Queen Celebrate Summer Jeep will be at tons more events this summer!
Make sure to scan the QR code on the side for a chance to win some prizes. This week, you can get $250 to MIDCAN Powersports!