Pickleball gave him a spark. He’s trying to grow the sport in Ridge Meadows

During some of the darkest moments of his life, Chris Ellis built a trophy. 

The trophy itself was far from unique: a piece of plastic, with a cup and two handles, that anyone could buy on Amazon for less than $5. But when he longed for a community of like-minded people again, Ellis made it come alive. 

It was early 2020 and, after spending 15 years as a police officer in the Tri-Cities, his mental health had deteriorated to the point where he sought inpatient care at Homewood Ravensview, a private facility outside of Victoria that offers mental health treatment to first responders and veterans. 

Ellis batted through severe post-traumatic stress from being on the job. The enduring pressure to respond to calls — break-ins, assault, other forms of violence — escalated over his career. 

“It’s death by 1,000 paper cuts,” Ellis said. “You’re exposed to the worst parts of society on a daily basis. It just builds up, and builds up, and builds up.” 

The stress finally culminated when he got in a car accident while on duty. The crash required five back surgeries, and while he was recovering, he felt cut off from the force.

“When you’re working with the RCMP and you’re injured, unfortunately, you don’t feel as part of the group anymore,” he said. 

“It cost me a community of people that supported me.” 

The back injury eventually forced him into retirement.

At Ravensview, however, he was introduced to a sport that helped him reconnect with a version of his former self. 

He played pickleball on a nearby court for hours with other first responders and former military members, many of whom were struggling to make the transition from officer to civilian life. 

Being on the court helped Ellis feel like he was part of a group again, a community of people who were all chasing a similar goal: winning. 

He engraved a plaque. He found a pickleball and bedazzled it with glitter. He suspended the ball from the trophy with a pair of pipe cleaners. 

Tournaments were formed, partners were selected, and up to 50 competitors vied for the trophy on a weekly basis. 

“When you won the trophy, you got bragging rights,” Ellis said. “You’re there with other cops, first responders, military guys, and it’s a competition of type-A personalities in a safe space.” 

After his nine-week stint was up, he wasn’t sure what would happen to the trophy. 

Grabbing the paddle

Pickleball was not an entirely new sport to Ellis. 

In high school, he played tennis and ping pong. He loved all racquet sports, or anything that had to do with eye-hand coordination. Ellis had never played pickleball, though, until entering Ravensview in 2020, the same year the popularity of the sport surged across Canada and the U.S.

Pickleball matches taught him how to be patient, something that Ellis has struggled with for a majority of his life. 

“Someone who has mental wellness issues, frustration usually leads to anger,” he said. “Being on court, practising patience, waiting for your moment to strike, I love that part.” 

Following a second visit to Ravensview in 2021, he returned to Pitt Meadows and a friend introduced him to the Golden Ears Pickleball Club, a group founded in 2020 to advocate for more court space and playing opportunities in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. 

He joined the club, and in 2022, took over as president. 

In his first year as president, the club grew from a little more than 100 members to 325. The collective also hosted their first ever tournament this summer that brought roughly 200 people to the Pitt Meadows Athletic Club.

“I was blown away,” Ellis said. “I thought we would get 50 people to register, we had over 200 and the tournament raised over $12,000.” 

Despite the club’s growth, they are still looking for space to accommodate a growing membership, Ellis said. In the summer months, they play at Bonson Athletic Park and Garibaldi Secondary School. Right now, Golden Ears Pickleball is offering indoor pickleball five days per week at the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows rec centres. 

“We’re booking up 100 per cent,” Ellis said. “We have a 6:00 a.m. [session] on Friday mornings and it’s booked solid.” 

Keeping the rally going

While pickleball is an increasingly popular sport nation-wide, it has come up against hurdles from residents and other sports. 

The loud noise made when a paddle smacks a ball — ping! — has resulted in complaints from people who live near the park. Tennis players on Mayne Island, worried their court space would be altered, lost a court case that would have prevented pickleballers from using their courts in the summer.  

Golden Ears Pickleball has never had any complaints, Ellis said. However, he understands the controversy associated with the sport and invites anyone to join their group.

“I can be a cynical guy too,” he said. “They have the right to complain, everyone has their reasons, I always say come out, join, and have some fun with us.” 

Since the sport gave him a community after his police career, he’s inspired to grow it even more. He said he wants to build an indoor pickleball-specific facility in Ridge Meadows, and encourage young people to pick up the sport in both cities. 

“You have universities in the U.S. offering college scholarships, professional athletes making seven figures, I don’t see why Pitt Meadows can’t be the hub of Canada for youth,” he said.

When he returned to Ravensview in 2021, he noticed the facility had built another pickleball court due to high demand. Participation had only increased since he left one year earlier, and they were still hosting tournaments. 

Standing in the building, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and gentle rolling hills, he watched dozens of people smile and laugh — forgetting about whatever previous trauma brought them to the facility. 

He listened to the ping of the ball and noticed something on the side of the court, the object that each team was vying to win every week. 

It was a trophy with a bedazzled pickleball.