16/04/2019
News update.
We haven’t posted for sometime as we have been busy behind the scenes managing some in-house updates and changes.
What’s new ?
Some of you will remember in yesteryear that GB Pickleball was born under the auspices of Motiv8 Sports & Consulting Ltd, that was back in 2014. We then went on to grow and develop Pickleball both local to us in East Kent and further afield across England, excitingly supporting the future map of Pickleball, contributing somewhat to what it has developed into today.
Due to a change in direction and to support the rapidly evolving growth of Pickleball in the UK, Motiv8 Sports & Consulting will now, once again pick up the mantle and drive the Pickleball development forward again under our current and future strategic business plans.
Why the change ?
Since 2014, a few of the things we have contributed- raised thousands of pounds of funding to support the Pickleball community through Sport England, delivered local, national and international tournaments, helped to launch, grow and support several clubs nationally, worked with county sports partnerships delivering pickleball to schools/colleges/universities/leisure centres/tennis cubs/local authorities in many counties across England to publicise and introduce Pickleball, donated hundreds of paddles to schools in deprived wards to bring Pickleball to hard to reach communities ......and this list goes on.
With any business, both for and not-for-profit its an ever evolving spin on a six pence process to move with trends and the demand of the market and with such a fast paced evolving and exciting market, we’ve done just that.
Motiv8 Sports & Consulting Ltd was launched as a sports consulting and development organisation, writing and delivering coaching and personal development programmes supporting the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust to bring motivational, life transforming programmes to young people and has since gone on to support all age ranges and demographics in more areas than sport and personal development.
Motiv8 has been recognised both in Kent and across the UK for its work through winning awards both in sport and business, has supported the NHS, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Mencap, Tesco Charity Foundation, Sport England, Kent Sport and London Sport, having positively impacted thousands of people through sport and personal development.
A wind of change ?
Some of you will remember that our aim was to put Pickleball firmly on the table of Sport England to support the recognition of Pickleball being a firm candidate as a recognised sport in England, we ran out of the stalls with a saddle full of enthusiasm and energy and where our intentions have always been to support Pickleball growth, we recognise that things could have been done differently and in partnership with others that who had the same wishes and intentions. We learn from our experiences.
Fast forward to today, we have cleared the decks, made strategic changes and offered our full support and backing to Pickleball England to forge ahead with its excellent leadership and strategic direction to achieve recognition for Pickleball in England - Karen, Frank and the rest of the team have made an incredible start to this exciting advancement in Pickleball and we are super excited to watch this development and what it means next for Pickleball.
What now ?
Motiv8 Sport will focus its strategic direction on coaching and coaching development, as well as this we continue to offer cost effective Pickleball paddle and sports packs to schools and players - our objective is to get Pickleball firmly onto the education sports curriculum over the next few years having made considerable head way over the last 5 years, most recently featuring in Association for Physical Education reaching 10,000 members and schools to highlight Pickleball which has led to an exciting programme of coaching throughout England.
To this end?
We would like to thank everyone that has been part of our incredible journey over the last 5 years, its been an amazing learning opportunity for everyone to contribute to the growth of Pickleball and the amazing health, sport and community benefits it brings to all that play it.
I’m personally super jazzed (in the words of Rusty Howes) to be part of this next chapter of Pickleball in the UK and as well as being a super passionate advocate for all that our amazing sport is, I continue to skip to the courts with the enthusiasm of a sugar fuelled kid and love playing this wonderful sport and meeting the vast array of people in the Pickleball community both locally, nationally and internationally.
.......and if you have reached this point, thanks for reading and I wish you all well in your continuing journey of Pickleball both on and off court.
In the words of Martin Brooker.......PADDLE UP FOLKS !
