Sport4All Joins Forces with Pickleball Australia to Promote Inclusion

During this partnership, Sport4All and PAA will collaborate to provide pickleball clubs across Australia with the knowledge and resources necessary to embrace diversity and create opportunities for people with disability. Inclusion is more than a goal; it is a shared responsibility requiring collective action and commitment from the entire pickleball community. 

PAA Executive Officer, Brendan Lee, expressed his delight at the partnership, stating, “Partnering with Sport4All is a win for our pickleball communities and people with disabilities across the nation. Our sport, already inclusive in nature, will greatly benefit from the expertise and resources provided by Sport4All, ensuring our clubs understand their strengths in inclusivity and areas for improvement. This will help increase the number of people with disabilities playing and enjoying pickleball across Australia.”

Blake Cochrane, Sport4All State Manager, shared, “Working with Pickleball Australia presents a fantastic opportunity. The sport is relatively new and growing rapidly across Australia. It’s inspiring to see Pickleball prioritising inclusion from the start, creating a perfect foundation for all its members. Plus, it’s a great sport that accommodates all generations, genders, and abilities.”

Together, we aspire to create a more inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to participate in pickleball.

PAA’s recently formed Inclusion Committee, led by leading Australian ParaPickleball player Matt Hansson, will closely work with the Sport4All team to educate members and grow the ParaPickleball space in both recreational and competitive arenas.

Kim Abbott, Sport4All Inclusion Coach, added, “It’s thrilling to work with Pickleball Australia as a growing community sport and support them through the Sport4All program with education, training, and resources for Associations and Clubs on their inclusion journey. This partnership will support PAA to confidently welcome people of all abilities to participate and be part of the community.”

Sport4All is dedicated to promoting diversity and creating opportunities for people with disability in all aspects of sport. Our national award-winning program aims to drive positive change in grassroots sport, ensuring everyone can enjoy the benefits of sport when, where, and how they choose.

For more information on how your Pickleball club can become more inclusive, please email inclusion@pickleballaus.org.