Pickleball continues to thrive in Echuca-Moama with the formation of the Echuca-Moama Pickleball Club. Photos: Jordan Townrow
As the sport continues to grow in the region there is now an official pickleball club in Echuca-Moama.
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Echuca Moama Pickleball Club officially formed in May and has been running sessions since July.
The club, formed from a group of dedicated players who had been participating in one-off sessions, decided to formalise the club to try and grow the sport further in the region.
“Everyone was happy playing socially, but there were people as well who wanted to play competition, and we wanted to involve kids and all age groups,” vice-president Trish Black said.
“We felt that the way to achieve that was to have our own club.
“We also wanted to make sure that we had a club within our own region, specific to Echuca-Moama, so that was the impetus behind that.”
Echuca Moama Pickleball Club committee members Helen Mubariz, vice-president Trish Black, president Doug Black, treasurer Sue Shinners and coach Gail Miller.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Now affiliated with Pickleball Victoria, the club is holding two sessions a week: Thursdays at 10.30am to noon and Fridays from 6pm-7.30pm.
In the next few weeks, an additional two sessions will be introduced on Monday mornings and Tuesday evenings.
All sessions are held at Echuca Basketball Stadium at Echuca South Recreation Reserve.
Club president Doug Black said the club wanted to make pickleball available to all types of players.
“(Some) people prefer to come out during the day session and so we want two sessions a week for that,” he said.
“(We’ll also have) two sessions a week for competitors in the evenings where you can really go hard.”
Mark Bainbridge executes a forehand.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Club members also petitioned the councils on both sides of the river and secured public access courts at Echuca East Recreation Reserve and on the Moama Football Netball Club netball courts, where members can freely hold casual or practice sessions.
Grant applications and tournament opportunities are also in the works and the club has a Level 2 coach available to assist new members.
“We really want to do it for the whole community, we don’t want this perception that it’s just for retirees or elderly people,” Trish said.
“It’s for everybody, kids all the way through, so that’s what our aim is with our coach.
“We’re going to schools, we’ll do school holiday free programs, all that kind of thing to get kids into it.”
Carol Cakebread takes part in a Thursday morning session.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Pickleball is a fast-growing sport with elements similar to tennis that has really started to take off in Australia recently.
Registered membership in pickleball clubs nationwide increased by more than 63 per cent in the year to May 1, 2025.
The sport involves a hard plastic perforated ball, rallied across a net by players on a 13m x 6m (44ft x 20ft) court, the same size as a doubles' badminton court.
All equipment at Echuca Moama Pickleball Club sessions is provided by the club, with members then free to buy their own paddle if they wish.
Sessions for members are $7.50 each, alongside a $50 affiliation fee.
Non-members can take part in up to four sessions, at $12 each, before being required to join for further sessions.
To get involved with Echuca Moama Pickleball Club, interested players can simply show up to a session.
They can also contact the club via its Facebook page and group or email address empbclub@gmail.com
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