The Shawville Lions Hall was filled with grunts and thwacks as a handful of pickleballers gathered on Monday for some games. 

Organizer Mary Ann Abrams explained that they had previously played at Shawville United Church, but renovations to the floor meant they had to look elsewhere for court space in the winter. While some courts are available at Dr. S.E. McDowell Elementary in the evenings, she said that they were looking for options during the day, which is why they approached the Lions. 

“We’re mostly seniors, retirees, so we’re looking for something to do during the daytime. We talked to the Lions Club, because we thought [the ceiling’s] not quite high enough, but big enough for one court,” she explained. “So they agreed we could play there at no charge. We had to retrofit, they had globe lights, so we had to hire an electrician to put in pot lights, recess them, and we had to get sprinkler covers for the sprinklers. So that worked out to about $3,000.”

Abrams said that they had received $500 each from the Shawville Rotary Club and the Municipality of Shawville, and sold memberships at $200 each to raise the remainder. She said that while there’s only one court, it’s full length, and they have a scheduling app to ensure it gets used to its full potential. 

Abrams said they have even put in a request to open up for Saturday games if the hall is available, and said that it was nice to have another option for the summer months as well. 

“Now if it’s rainy or windy, and we choose, we can just go to the hall, we have a code to get in,” she said. “We’re lucky the Lions were agreeable, or else we wouldn’t have any pickleball other than at night.”

Abrams is also offering beginner lessons for anyone interested in trying the sport out. The only equipment required is indoor running shoes. 

For more information or to sign up for beginner lessons, contact Abrams at 613-371-6866.