F.A.Q.

1.  What accommodations and amenities are close to the playing facility?
RIM is located in the northeast end of Waterloo, placing it close to numerous hotels. For the convenience of proximity AND options, focus your web search to the area along KING and WEBER STREETs between University and the Market. However, be aware that there is a National Home Hardware Convention in Waterloo the same weekend making that an area of high demand. If necessary expand your search to the over 70 options in reasonable proximity in Kitchener, Cambridge and/or Guelph.

We have made arrangements for a special tournament rate with the following hotel.  Sunbridge Hotel and Conference Centre in Cambridge, please click this link for special rate.

2.  What services are provided at RIM Park?
RIM Park is a 500 acre area facility providing multiple sport indoor and outdoor venues. The Pickleball Provincials will be held in the Manulife Financial Sportsplex and Healthy Living Centre, an expansive indoor venue used to host numerous sporting Championships to Toronto Raptors’ training camp to Davis Cup matches. In addition to a busy weekly role in Waterloo’s recreational activity, the Sportsplex also provides, to name just a few, sport office space, a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a sport medicine clinic.

Specific to the Pickleball Provincials the Sportsplex provides extensive FREE parking, 4 gymnasiums with 3 courts each, change rooms, shower facilities, seating inside the gymnasiums, tables outside the gym for eating, areas for vendors to display their wares, rooms to manage registration, volunteers & tournament hardware. A full viewing of what is available can be found at:

https://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/rimpark.asp

3.  When I registered there were limitations on the number of entries. Why?
A major feedback from last year’s championship referred to the limited openings offered participants, as well as the difficulty having so many individuals in numerous divisions created in scheduling. Accordingly, this year’s Committee looked at all the variables [the number of days, game slots available, divisions offered, facility time restrictions] and sought to offer AS MANY GAMES, PARTICIPANT SPOTS AND PLAYING DIVISIONS AS POSSIBLE. Therefore, to allow optimal involvement, and offer positions to a larger number of interested players, the Committee found that playing in Singles, Doubles and/or Mixed Doubles gave players the most options AND permitted the scheduling to move most effectively and efficiently.

4.  Will there be opportunities to practice on the tourney courts anytime during the weekend?
Good question. At the present the answer is no, but we are working to avail the courts on the Thursday night prior to tournament play. We are working on having early check-in available Thursday night, with court time available for those participants who have travelled in advance of Friday’s games.  When that option is confirmed, we will definitely let participants know of the opportunity.

Once the Provincials have begun, to help keep play on time, there is an open time slot worked into the scheduling each event each day. All things go according to plan,that will provide a time when courts will not be in use. It is impossible to predict when, or even if it will happen, but with 4 gymnasiums involved, there should be at least 1 gymnasium & 3 courts open at least once on a given day.

5.  Is there any Championship merchandise available for purchase?
YES! Look to the Provincials’ website to see when the t-shirts and polo shirts become available. Working with TRACES, our provider and a tournament Partner, clothing will be done on a pre-order basis. This will enable us to include your purchase(s) in your registration bag so you can wear them during the Championships.

[New: Added on August 18:}The registration is now closed, but you can still go online for a last chance to pre-order shirts by August 27th for $20.  A very limited number of shirts may be available at the tournament for $25.

6.  Are there any game format changes we [players] should be aware of?
All games at the Provincials will follow standardized IFP rules, with noted exceptions. These can be found in RULES & REGULATIONS on the Tournament’s website. For example, with single games being used in pool play, a tie-breaker may be required. That explanation can be found in RULES & REGULATIONS.

7.  Why is the Committee using pool play rather than a straight draw?
This decision was a direct response to the most frequently stated feedback from last year’s championships, the number of games provided. Registration is set so Events are in groupings of 4, so every player is guaranteed 3 games. Then, once pool play is done, each participant will have at least 1 more game as the pools are used to rank players and establish additional play.

8. Registration indicates there will be waiting lists…what is that about?
Most obvious here, is the need for names to fill in for withdraws and cancellations.

More significantly, however, is the goal of registering events into groups of eight, with a limit of 16 set in place [don’t react, see the following paragraph]. Therefore, for example, registrants 1-8 are in, but players 9, 10, and 11 have to wait until #16 registers

Additionally, should certain events not be entered or filled, as is often the case, we can fold those and offer places in other similar events.

9.  Has a decision been made on the ball to be used during the Championships?
The PCO has announced their approved ball, the ONIX Fuse yellow indoor ball.

10.  When will we be assigned our specific game start times?
To optimize number of games in the time we have each day, each gymnasium will be using a ‘shift-over’ procedure. As one game ends, the game(s) closest to the bleachers will be required to finish their point and ‘shift’ one court further away. Ideally the game furthest from the seating finishes first and will then exit by the doors at the far end of the gymnasium, eliminating the disruption caused by walking behind the other games in progress.

This does means all participants need to BE ATTENTIVE TO THE POSTING OF GAMES, and BE AT THE DESIGNATED SPOT ahead of time.

NOTE… read the related Rules & Regulations sections on ‘Warm Ups’ and ‘Forfeits’

11.  I’ve played at RIM before and like the way the curtains divide the gymnasiums. Will they still be used, or is there another plan in place?
Yes. Feedback from other tournaments held here, and from the local players here on a weekly basis, indicates the advantages of the curtains down far outnumber those of curtains up. Most significantly, by having the curtains down players on both sides of the net have a similar backdrop, enabling them a fair opportunity to respond to space and shots. This is such an issue that the local club had the end walls of the gymnasiums painted a darker color so players facing the brick walls also get a favorable backdrop to pick up the ball from.

A second detail worth mentioning, with curtains up, the sound carries along the full expanse of the 4 gymnasiums. Curtain down, however, effectively dampen the background noise from other gyms.

12. When will the Committee be sending out the final divisions and their draws?
Registration will be open until AUGUST 17. After that there will be adjustments to complete events and divisions as needed, as well as notifications to individuals should options be in play. Once that is done, the Scheduling Committee can outline all three days of play, and send out notification of completion of all draws. Players will be notified and the website on the first week September.