Building the Pickleball Community in Belgium with Kassandra Bourgeois 🇧🇪 | Future of Pickleball
Summary
TLDRThe transcript details an interview with Cassandra Bis, the leader of Belgian pickleball, who shares her journey in introducing and developing the sport in Belgium from the ground up. The interview covers her initial discovery of pickleball in the United States, her efforts to promote the sport in Europe, and the growth of pickleball in Belgium and across Europe. Cassandra discusses the challenges faced in popularizing the sport, the increasing number of players and clubs, and the future prospects of pickleball in Belgium. She also talks about her role in coaching and the upcoming Belgian Open tournament, inviting international players to participate and highlighting the sport's growing international appeal.
Takeaways
- 🏆 Cassandra Bis is a leader in the sport of pickleball in Belgium, having introduced and developed the sport in the country from the ground up.
- 🌍 The growth of pickleball in Europe has been significant, with many countries starting around the same time and experiencing a surge in interest and participation.
- 🇧🇪 In Belgium, pickleball is played both indoors and outdoors, with a preference for outdoor play during the few months of suitable weather.
- 📈 Cassandra estimates there are around 50-60 clubs and approximately 10,000 players in Belgium, with the sport seeing continuous growth.
- 👥 The demographic of pickleball players in Belgium is diverse, ranging from young children to seniors, similar to the trend in America.
- 🚀 The quality of play has improved as former tennis and paddle players have taken up the sport, bringing their athletic skills to pickleball.
- 🏃♀️ Cassandra herself is a high-level player and actively involved in coaching and promoting the sport, even running a 24-hour class for aspiring coaches.
- 🏆 The Belgian Open, an international tournament, has seen participation from over 20 different countries and is expected to grow further.
- 🤝 There is a strong sense of community and family within the pickleball scene, which contributes to its growth and appeal.
- 🌟 Media coverage, including TV and radio, has helped to raise awareness and interest in pickleball in Belgium.
- ✈️ Cassandra frequently travels to play in tournaments across Europe and has also been involved in the European Championships and the Global Pickleball Federation.
Q & A
What is the name of the segment that Selkirk TV is introducing to discuss pickleball globally?
-The new segment being introduced by Selkirk TV is called 'Selker World in Cerk World'.
Who is the guest in the first interview of the 'Selker World in Cerk World' segment?
-The guest in the first interview is Cassandra Bis, who leads Belgian pickleball.
What is special about Selkirk's line of pickleball nets?
-Selkirk's line of pickleball nets is the official net of the PPA tour, offering a range of nets that cater to every player's needs, from budget-friendly to premium options.
How did Cassandra Bis first encounter pickleball?
-Cassandra Bis first encountered pickleball in Florida, where she was living for two years and playing the sport regularly.
What was the initial reaction to pickleball when Cassandra Bis introduced it to Belgium?
-Initially, it was a struggle to introduce pickleball in Belgium due to competition with other sports and the public's unfamiliarity with the game.
How has the growth of pickleball in Belgium been in recent years?
-The growth of pickleball in Belgium has been significant, with around 50-60 clubs and approximately 10,000 players as of the time of the interview.
What are the typical playing conditions for pickleball in Belgium?
-In Belgium, pickleball is mostly played indoors due to the weather, with only three or four months a year suitable for outdoor play.
How does Cassandra Bis promote pickleball in Belgium?
-Cassandra Bis promotes pickleball through social media, TV, and radio, inviting people to try the game and leveraging the support of the media to raise awareness.
What is the demographic of pickleball players in Belgium?
-The demographic of pickleball players in Belgium is diverse, ranging from children to seniors, with a significant number of players coming from tennis and padel backgrounds.
How does Cassandra Bis view the future of pickleball in Belgium?
-Cassandra Bis sees a bright future for pickleball in Belgium, with more courts being built, more players joining, and an increase in the number of tournaments.
What is the role of the European pickleball Federation (EPF) and the Global pickleball Federation (GPF) in promoting the sport?
-The EPF and GPF play a significant role in promoting pickleball by providing support, infrastructure, and promotion for tournaments and the sport in general, helping to grow the game across Europe and globally.
Outlines
🏓 Introduction to the Future of Pickleball with Cassandra Bis
The video script introduces the future of pickleball with a focus on Cassandra Bis, a Belgian leader in the sport. Cassandra is highlighted for creating and developing pickleball in Belgium from the ground up. The host discusses a new segment called 'Selker World in Cerk World,' which will feature interviews with global leaders promoting pickleball. The host also promotes Selkirk's line of pickleball nets, emphasizing their quality and suitability for all players, from beginners to professionals.
🚀 Cassandra Bis's Journey and Growth of Pickleball in Belgium
Cassandra Bis shares her experience of discovering pickleball in the United States and subsequently introducing and growing the sport in Belgium. After living in Florida and falling in love with pickleball, she returned to Belgium and, with the help of her parents, launched pickleball in her home country. Despite initial challenges due to competition from other sports and weather constraints, Cassandra and her family successfully started clubs and garnered media attention, leading to the growth of pickleball across Belgium and eventually throughout Europe.
🤝 Engaging Ex-Athletes and Expanding the Game in Europe
The conversation delves into the recruitment of high-level athletes from tennis and padel into pickleball. Cassandra discusses her efforts to coach and train new players, including a 24-hour class for aspiring coaches. She emphasizes the importance of teaching these athletes the unique aspects of pickleball and leveraging their existing skills to elevate the game. Cassandra also talks about her travels across Europe to play in tournaments and her role in promoting the sport through media appearances.
🏆 Preparing for European Championships and Belgian Open
Cassandra outlines her role as the head coach of the Belgian pickleball team, discussing the upcoming European championships and the Belgian open tournament. She acknowledges the competitive nature of the sport while maintaining a focus on fun and sportsmanship. Cassandra also invites international players, including those from America, to participate in the Belgian open and shares contact information for those interested in playing pickleball in Belgium.
🌍 Global Expansion and Challenges in Growing Pickleball
The script addresses the global expansion of pickleball, with Cassandra discussing her involvement in both the European and Global Pickleball Federations. She highlights the benefits of being part of these organizations, such as receiving support for new courts and equipment. Cassandra also speaks to the challenges of growing the sport, including misconceptions about its intensity and the need to compete with other popular sports like padel for players and recognition.
📈 Future Prospects and Hotspots for Pickleball in Belgium
Cassandra provides her outlook on the future growth of pickleball in Belgium, predicting an increase in the number of courts and players, as well as more frequent tournaments. She identifies specific venues in Belgium that are becoming hotspots for pickleball, emphasizing their appeal for socializing and enjoying the sport. Cassandra concludes the interview by expressing excitement for the future of pickleball and the international exposure it is gaining.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pickleball
💡Cassandra Bis
💡PPA Tour
💡Selkirk
💡European Championships
💡Belgian Open
💡Global Pickleball Federation (GPF)
💡European Pickleball Federation (EPF)
💡Indoor vs. Outdoor Play
💡Media Coverage
💡Social Media
Highlights
Cassandra Bis is the leader of Belgian pickleball, having created and developed the sport from scratch in Belgium.
She was introduced to pickleball while living in Florida and fell in love with the sport.
After returning to Belgium in 2015, she and her parents launched pickleball there, starting from scratch with no existing program.
They began in a small village and after 2 months had clubs in multiple locations, with media coverage helping to generate interest.
Other European countries like Holland, France and Germany also started developing pickleball around the same time in 2015.
Most play is indoors in Belgium due to the weather, using modified badminton courts.
They overcame initial skepticism by inviting people to try it and word of mouth led to rapid growth.
There are now 50-60 clubs and around 10,000 players in Belgium.
The demographic is diverse, with players ranging from 7 years old to seniors.
Cassandra has recruited high-level athletes from tennis and padel to play pickleball.
She runs a 24-hour coaching course to train new pickleball coaches to start clubs.
Belgium is a member of both the European Pickleball Federation and Global Pickleball Federation to support growth.
Cassandra sees continued growth in facilities and players in the next 2-3 years, with more courts being built.
The Belgian Open tournament attracted players from 20 countries in its first year and is expanding.
American players are welcome and encouraged to come play in the Belgian Open.
Challenges remain in overcoming skepticism from padel players and others, but they are being addressed.
The growth of pickleball in Europe and Asia follows the successful model established in America.
Transcripts
hi welcome to the future of pickle ball
on Selkirk TV this is the show where we
talk to the leaders of pickle ball from
around the world we're adding a new
segment that's going to be called selker
World in cerk World I'll be interviewing
leaders from around the globe who are
promoting and developing pickle ball
today we're going to begin with our
first interview is with a woman named
Cassandra bis who leads Belgian pickle
ball she created and developed the sport
from scratch we're going to find out her
story and hear what's happening in
Europe with pickle
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show all right let's jump into
it my guest is a lovely woman from
Belgium she began she launched and
founded pickle ball in Belgium she
teaches she coaches she inspires people
not only in Belgium but throughout
Europe Cassandra bis welcome to the
future of pickle ball thank you PA for
this lovely
introduction well I I I've gotta say for
for my audience I have uh I I had a
wonderful opportunity to meet Cassandra
in America in January I had gotten a a
call from a mutual friend of ours and
she said Gee there's this gal that wants
to come in to see the American
scene could you help her meet people get
into the best facilities and that sort
of thing so that Cassandra was here we
had an opportunity to play a lot of
pickleball together and she met a lot of
people Cassandra how was your visit to
America I mean it was just amazing I
told everybody when I came back from
from the the US it's you have to go
there and just see it just believe what
I I'm telling because I mean it's
incredible so many pickle ball courts so
many players and it's just like a big
big family that's what I I was used to
uh when I was in Florida 10 years ago
and it's just I mean the same the same
amazing experience that I got so yeah I
was really amazing that is that is so
great you know one of the things that I
always like to do with my guests is I
like to have them kind of give us a
little bit of a description how did a
Belgian woman find pickle ball and how
did this whole thing develop with you
yeah I mean uh my dad he was actually I
mean it's funny um he had a he was
working for for a company and then he
said yeah I mean I'm a little bit tired
to to work for for a boss so I just want
to launch my my my company um and I want
some sun and in Belgium of course we
don't have a lot of sun there is a a lot
of rain a lot of winters so I said you
know what the Belgian waffles are very
very um wellknown very famous here uh
around the world so I said maybe we can
launch this in Florida then we have sun
we have the beach and we can work a
little bit too but then I said yeah Dad
you can do this but what am I doing so
of course I I wanted to study to get my
degree but besides that I'm I was always
like a sportive woman I I I did a lot of
sports when I when I was a kid and yeah
and I was just looking at the local
newspaper where I used to live in in
Boon Beach and there I saw this pickle
ball and I was like what the heck is
pickle ball I mean I couldn't figure out
what kind of sport it looked like so I
just said you know what I grab the car
and I will just go to this facility in
in downtown and I mean this was just
like wow is this pickle ball I'm really
I fell in love with it how fun so then
so then when did you go back to Belgium
and did you did you start from scratch
or was there a program already going
there no actually we started from
scratch so um I've lived in in Florida
for two years and I was really playing
like seven days uh a week four hours a
day so I was really I mean I was in love
with the sport and then when I came back
uh to Belgium in 2015 I was missing the
sport there was no pick ball so um I was
still young at that age so I had the
help of my parents and we were the three
people the only people in Belgium that
that launched pickle ball belg wow yeah
that is just remarkable so you've got an
awful lot going on take us through that
a little bit so when you got started how
where did you find your first players
how did you go about beginning the
program that's now pretty vibrant yeah
exactly I mean it was first of all it
was a little complicated because we have
so many sports around the world and also
in Belgium and I mean another record
sport it's like I mean we have this this
huge hype padel uh which which we all
know and this was really a hype back
then and to launch picle ball it was
like okay how will we go with this uh
what are the struggles but I mean we are
really like a family that is always
motivated to do new things and I have a
character like I If I have a goal I just
go for it and my parents were motivated
too so we started in a little village
and then after two months we got another
club and another club and local
newspaper also National newspapers or TV
shows were starting to to talk about
picall and see this hype coming and yeah
sooner or later there were other clubs
popping up now while you were doing this
in Belgium was there anything else going
on in other countries in Europe yeah
there were um the neighbor countries
like Holland and France and Germany they
were also starting around 2015 so it was
actually all the European countries
started around that period and yeah also
this these small tournaments I remember
when I was playing in in these small
tournaments there were like maybe
maximum 100 per people and now we have
the D open in two weeks and they have
more than 300 so you see really the
growth in Belgium uh in in Europe all
over the the place yeah now you
mentioned when we were talking here
about your weather in Belgium so are are
you playing mostly indoors or Outdoors
or a combination of both yeah I mean we
are happy if we can play Outdoors um but
it's only like three or four months a
year so most of the time we just play
indoors and in all this the venues here
in Belgium we have the bedminton courts
the lines so it's easy to just take our
Nets uh four pedals ball and then we can
just play so this is how we sell the
sport actually in the indoor facilities
yeah well that that's interesting
because that course is where everything
started in America um I was from the
Northern Tier in cold weather climate in
Minnesota we had to be indoors and it
was always where do we find a facility
that that really is interesting now when
you talk about this and getting the
interest going was there an interest
because of what people were hearing
going on in America or where was the
interest how did you get anybody to even
pay attention to you I guess people are
pretty curious um especially belgians I
guess or Europeans and and when there is
new sport popping up they are like a
little scared or maybe not scared but
curious like yeah ju just check it and
maybe we can grab a pedal and do some
balls and then see if we like it and we
always like ask people come just come
and see it check it out and then they
are like even in in jeans or in costume
they are coming grabbing the pedal and
they play and actually they say after 15
minutes they say yeah I really love the
game so they come back so that's how we
treat Trier people to come and yeah also
I mean social media uh TV radio I mean
they are really um talking a lot about
pickle ball nowadays so that's how
people also are interested in in coming
and watch so now we're gonna jet forward
from 2015 to today how many facilities
do you have currently in Belgium in
Belgium I would say we are around 50 60
clubs so oh my goodness how cool is that
and so um so now that you've got this
thing in momentum stage do you have any
sense of how many players you've got
throughout the country approximately we
would be around 10,000 players so I mean
I get like every week I get some
suggestions uh from padel or tennis
clubs like hey uh we have another space
free can we maybe put a court in there
because weal hype is really um going on
in Belgium so I mean I can say 1,000
maybe next month it will be even more so
I'm so happy about this and so then are
you you've been to America now are is
your the ages and genders of people in
pickle ball in in Belgium and in Europe
are they similar to the way it is in
America yeah this is a difficult
question because I mean like in Florida
you know it's like the senior State a
little bit so I mean where I used to
live there were more seniors when we
compare it to to Belgium um um yeah we
have some kids I mean I was teaching a
lot in schools um I also have these
University programs with students so
it's it's really um I think the area
based um we have also seniors we so we
have really like a large population that
is it's playing I I have in in h my club
a seven-year-old boy who is playing with
us so I mean it's it's it's really going
from very young to
older and and so now we're you have this
history of of I didn't realize that you
had actually been in America that that's
where you discovered the game and then
took it to Belgium um are you seeing a
lot of the growth patterns and expansion
that you understood went on in America
and I want to come back to your to your
trip but uh did you find that the the
pattern of growth seems similar to what
our history had
been yeah I mean when when I was in
Florida of course bobal was already big
so I I don't realize or I don't know how
it was when it started in in America but
yeah how I see it it's that we are like
five years behind the states and I mean
also with the tournaments that are going
on we see that there are a lot a lot of
players new players coming um like with
the Belgian open I see new new players
um registering so it's it's I think we
we need to wait a little bit more and
and we will have much more facilities
also uh really pickall courts are
building now in indoors and Outdoors uh
from tennis clubs so we really see that
people are getting interested to really
invest in
courts you know i' I've followed your
Facebook page since I met you and and
things that you're doing and you're so
involved in things I I noticed that you
have gotten quite a bit of media
coverage and and in terms of those
whether they're TV shows or radio
interviews that you've done have they
found you or did you find them how did
those interviews come about no actually
they they found me um I mean first when
we wanted to start PCO ball of course I
was contacting the the media but after
um they they just came and and called me
and say hey uh we want to talk about
pickle ball we see that that there is a
lot of lot of players coming and and are
interested in the game um so let talk
about it let's make just a nice
commercial about it um so yeah a lot of
radio stations actually are calling me
and just make a two minute three minutes
interview but it really helps to to Pro
the sport in Belgium oh that is that is
so cool because that that it's fun to
watch what you've got going on there
because that really is I've been around
the game for a long time and seen it
from its
infancy um a long ways away from Florida
and uh and uh so that's that's really
fun to hear you know one of the things
that I know you personally you're a high
level player yourself you're one of the
Premier women players in Belgium or in
Europe how have you seen the quality of
the Game grow and
expand yeah I mean you see that a lot of
tennis players that are coming and play
uh pickle ball or even pel players I
mean they have such an advantage that I
mean compared to people that never had a
pedal or recet Sports um they really
have big benefits to to start and play
pickle ball I mean you you can just um I
mean I was playing last week I was I had
the training in Holland and there was a
a woman um she started playing in
January so a few months and she is
coming from tennis and wow she's like a
4 five already so I'm like I mean it's
just amazing how people can just pick up
the game but they need to learn of
course we have a lot of tennis players
that's think that pockle ball here in
Belgium or in Europe is is like a small
tennis you know tennis extra small but
we try to let them know and to teach
them like pickleball is not like tennis
we are don't play on the Baseline we
play on the kitchen line there you go
there you go and so have you have you
been able to um to do recruiting
specific recruiting I know you
personally love the high performance
game and you play it at a high level are
you able to find um a way to draw other
ex athletes into the
game yeah I mean we we are trying now
for example we have this European
championships uh going on in Southampton
so there we really need to recruit the
best players in in in Belgium so um we
have next week we have a selection day
and I mean it's funny to see new players
that I never met and they are coming
from tennis or padel so I'm excited to
to see what their level is I mean they
the requirement was being a 40 player so
I hope they know what it is and so we
will see if they meet the requirements
and be a good player and pickall
player you know it's really interesting
as as I as I see what you're doing I
know from conversations that I've had
with you that you actually run a program
that's kind of broad across Belgium
where teaching pros from the tennis
world and from the pedel world who want
to know about pickleball they're
actually coming to you in classes or
coaching tell us about how that works
yeah exactly um what I'm doing is like a
24hour class uh specifically for for
coaches or beginner coaches who want to
start their own club because of course
in Belgium you don't have this um I mean
the specified coachings you have to go
to the states or maybe go outside of of
of Europe um to have these iptpa courses
for example um so I was like okay I know
with my experience I can I can coach my
my players or the new players that want
to start a club so um that's why I'm
offering these these classes for people
and I mean I'm not only coaching uh
players from Belgium but also from
Holland that were coming to my class so
it's really I mean it's a good program
and people are happy and I mean it's a
future program for to to get new clubs
in and outside of
Belgium you know it is it's really
interesting for Americans you know we we
have such a different perspective on
space and time to the Europeans and you
talk about oh well I jumped up for
training in Holland and I go over to
Germany for tournaments how much travel
have you done how many places have you
played in Europe yeah I guess you don't
want to know I mean I'm traveling all
the time I mean especially also in in
Belgium uh I have a full-time job but
besides that I'm playing like four times
a week so it's always going going for
going um I mean driving for one one hour
playing two hours going back and um yeah
like I told you last week I was uh I was
in Holland playing uh four hours and
having a trip of four hours too so I
mean when you're are really excited
about the game and you want to to learn
and and be better then you really do
these things um tournaments I'm having
them like every month so I'm going to
France um I'm going to Germany I'm going
to Holland we have some tournaments
coming up in Belgium uh so it's really
all over Europe in Spain too I'm going
to the English open so I'm really
traveling a lot for for Cal that is that
is so exciting you know I I want to come
back to your travel with how other
people might do travel there but before
we do that I want to I want to drill a
little deeper I know you're the head
coach of the Belgian champ uh team
that's being put together when when you
do that um with the players that you've
gotten what your experiences in
tournaments all around Europe how how
good do you think the Belgian team can
be in the European championships no this
is a tricky question because I know that
the English players uh and the Spanish
players they are really they have a
really good level so I mean I would not
bet anything on having a medal there we
will do our best I mean we are very
competitive and I mean we also want to
have fun so this is actually our motto
like be competitive but also have fun
but yeah we will just make a good
selection and yeah we are all thrilled
uh to be there I mean it's it's an
amazing first European Championship um
so everybody just wants wants to go
there but we have to make a selection
unfortunately for the people that have
to stay in
Belgium so now in Belgium you have you
have a big event coming up in July in
terms of the Belgian open this is your
second year is that correct exactly yeah
tell tell us about what you're going to
what's going to be there and what
players we'll see that participate in
that yeah I mean last year was just a
blast I mean um I didn't expect so many
players we were around 300 players
already for the first edition so this
was really really nice um there were 20
different countries coming to the to to
the Belgian open and I mean it they were
just so amazed they were happy and they
immediately asked me is there a second
edition next year so of course I had to
work on that and um yeah so at the end
of July we will have the second edition
and um I was just checking uh before uh
we came on the call uh we have already
15 different countries uh registered for
so yeah oh
wow I think it will be even better than
last year now it's been really fun I
just saw a report uh we've just had the
uh US Open played here and that we had a
number of countries that brought players
in are you beginning to see any
international non-european players
coming in to play in tournaments that
you're at yeah I mean when I'm going to
tournaments um that are outside of of
Europe I mean we see new faces from
different continents so we really see
that picco ball is is growing all over
the world um I mean most of them I know
them um from just watching them on TV or
I mean on the PPA tour or just um
because we are at a pro level um but we
always see new faces and this is nice
this is really nice about the sports so
yeah so there's there's a a couple of
other key things that I want to cover
because of your background in in terms
of the um the globalization of pickle
ball now there is you're in involved in
the European Federation am I correct in
that yeah tell me about that what's
going on with that yeah so first when we
uh launched Pall Belgium there was the
ipf the
WPF um I mean the ifp sorry and I mean
these were two Federation that we didn't
really know about um and then last year
uh they launched the EPF so the European
pickleball Federation um to only help
actually the Europe the Europeans and
then after that they launched a gpf so
it was kind of a little U confused for
everybody like okay we have now four
different federations I mean Belgium is
on the EPF but then you saw all the
benefits that the gpf uh the global
Federation was offering so I said yeah
why not jump on that one too so um we
are also member of the gpf I mean they
are offering a lot of things um like
helping um countries with like Nets or
sets to to give to beginners um
beginning countries that to develop the
sports so I mean it's it's only
beneficial so that's why I said okay
let's be part of the two federations and
see how they can help us and and are you
are you beginning to see some value in
that either on the European Federation
side or the global pickle ball
Federation yeah I see that things are
really moving on I mean the the last
months I mean they are doing a lot of
promotion especially for the the
European championships that are coming
in Southampton uh in November and also
the GP is also doing a lot of uh
promotion I mean They are promoting my
my Belgian open or other tournaments so
I really like it we need this this kind
of uh media support uh because we know
that it's reaching out I mean they are
reaching out to a lot of a lot of
players you know when when uh one of the
things that was really interesting after
your visit to America and you had met so
many people that I know and there was a
tremendous amount of interest you talk
about the conversations that you had
when you went back to Europe well let me
tell you here in America there were so
many people going God I would love to
travel to Europe and play pickle ball
how do you see the possibilities of that
can can could an American play in the
Belgian open as an example if they
wanted to of course they should they
should come I mean it's in Brussels and
Brussels is just a beautiful city I mean
and we are known for the waffles for
chocolate and beer so that's why I mean
um Americans can can come everybody can
come I'm I'm just I mean it would be
nice and a lot of Americans are actually
contacting me and say hey I'm there for
the weekend of all week in Brussels or
there or there where can I play so I
mean we have a lot of connections with
Americans and I mean they always love it
when they are here in Belgium cool so on
that note would you please tell our
audience how to reach Belgian pickle
ball what's the best contact way
direction for you guys I mean the best
way is just on our Facebook page pickle
ball Belgium and then they are reaching
out to me so that's the best way and
don't forget pickle ball Global there
they can register on the Belgian open oh
very nice very nice you know one of the
things that's sort of interesting when
when we talk about how fast things are
developing I I like to ask and and and
I'm really trying to find answers for
the growth of pickle ball what are your
major challenges that keep the growth or
are there any major challenges that
you're trying to
overcome I mean I think there are always
challenges otherwise we had maybe more
than 1,000 players it's just that um
people are a little bit like they're
waiting and and see if it's really
getting a hype or um I mean like padel
here we have a lot of uh players that I
mean that they are also laughing about
pickleball because they they think that
it's maybe a sport where you don't move
that much because I mean they think it's
it's ten is for for older people you
know so that's uh that was really a
struggle when I started to promote it
but now I mean then I'm always
challenging them and say like
hey you know with a good player and then
they are like no I guess I have to
change my mindset you know so I mean
this was a struggle that we had I mean
we still have but now that padel clubs
are really seeing the the growth of
pickle ball and the big interest and the
benefit I mean they are really turning
um and and seeing only the the
beneficials yeah one of the things that
I think is very exciting both to what's
happening in Europe but also in
Asia is the fact that we now have a
template that has been proven in America
as to how big this thing can be and all
of those descriptions that you're making
are all things that those of us that
were involved in the early days of
pickle ball faced early on I'm I'm
really looking forward to what's
happening with the international
tournaments the number of events um I
know there's been an announcement of a
new world series of pickle ball that's
intended to have uh big money pro events
on every continent that visibility I
would imagine should be great for you as
much as anywhere else in the in the
world shouldn't it oh yeah I mean we are
jumping on these kind of things so um
yeah if we can be part of it of course
Belgium is I mean we know that the
players they want to travel a lot for
for pickle ball so we are the first one
country to jump on oh well very very
nice you know it is one of the things
that I do um in the future of pickle
ball show is I always ask my guests
where do you see pickle ball in Belgium
in the next two to three years I think
in the two I mean in the future um there
will be much more courts uh being built
uh inside outside I mean we are seeing
this now that from last year to now um
there were much more um cords being
built um much more people that are
interested in facilities where they can
just put one or two cours just to start
with and then they just put two or more
I mean two or four extra after this test
of one year so I guess in two three
years we will have much more players
maybe more tournaments even though we
have already five six tournaments a year
in Belgium which is really a lot uh
already for our small country but um
yeah I guess the future is just being
bright for us yeah oh I think that's so
cool you know as as I think of how
Sports have grown around the
world in Europe where you're so
interconnected and your countries are so
close together are there any are there
any particular hot spots that that you
or in Belgium maybe one of them that
you're seeing are the model that could
be the example or sort of the bright
star of where things are going in Europe
in terms of courts or venues you mean
quarts and venues I think primarily um I
mean we have nice very nice venues I
mean with with like eight outdoor courts
um just pickleball courts only dedicated
for pickleball so this these are really
the the hotpots where people need to go
and I mean it's like the chicken fle not
that that extra large but uh we are
starting small um but they can just play
pickle ball um and eat something have
fun have a drink with the friends so
this these are really the hotpots in
Belgium so you uh you you had the
chicken and pickle experience when you
were in America didn't you isn't that a
hoot I think that is so fun well
Cassandra I want to thank you so much
I'm your interview will be the first of
the international ERS that I'm looking
to talk to to hear their stories from
around the world thank you so much for
joining us today have fun thank you for
having me oh my pleasure
[Applause]
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