Determined to expand pickleball throughout their community, Bloomington Pickleball Club (BPC), based out of Ellettsville, Indiana, has committed itself to intentional and regular engagement with their local resources to maximize their impact on the area. Civic engagement itself is viewed as “pivotal for BPC as it aligns with [their] core values of promoting health, fitness, and social connectivity through pickleball,” says Dave Martin, Chair of the Board and a Co-Founder of BPC. Martin leads an excellent team of passionate and active board members, along with a dedicated club membership, to cultivate deep relationships within the community and execute their goals. While everyone involved with the club is responsible for the club’s civic engagement efforts to an extent, the BPC maintains a Partnership and Outreach Committee that is specifically tasked with “collaborat[ing] closely with local organizations, businesses, and government entities to maximize the impact of [their] initiatives.” Through their multi-pronged approach, BPC strives to introduce the sport to a wider audience in addition to fostering a greater sense of belonging within the community. BPC seeks to establish pickleball as an integral tenant of the local lifestyle and embolden participation from all walks of life.
