The Windsor Pickleball Club wants to see new padding installed along the walls of Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) after a member fatally hit his head while playing the sport.

Club president Patrick Brown confirmed in an interview with CTV News that an 80-year-old Windsor man died after colliding with a wall while attempting to shoot at WFCU on June 28, 2024 .

“One individual fell and hit his head on the wall, lost consciousness and suffered a brain hemorrhage. Despite some operations, he died a few days later,” Brown said.

Brown shared the news with Windsor city council during a meeting Monday as part of discussions about new security features.

The club wants to see padding installed around the gym walls to prevent further injuries.

The local club wants to fund new nets and temporary flooring to improve the safety and play of pickleball. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

“So, you know, the facilities weren’t necessarily designed for pickleball. So now it’s about looking at increased use of the gym and adopting it accordingly,” Brown said.

City staff told council they are waiting for quotes to determine the cost, but if it is high, it could require funding outside of city coffers.

“We’re just counting on the city to put padding on the walls to prevent future accidents and tragedies of this nature,” Brown said.

“It was quite shocking for the people present because it happened right next to the bench, where people were sitting and waiting to enter the field.”

Club manager Pamela Knowler told CTV News the pickleball community was heartbroken to learn someone had died playing the sport.

“He hit his head on the wall and it’s not the first, but I think it’s the most tragic,” she said during a pickleball game at WFCU Tuesday night .

Members of the Windsor Pickleball Club took part in league action at WFCU Tuesday evening. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

In addition to the padding, the Pickleball club wants to see new nets and temporary flooring installed to improve safety and overall play. Through grants and funding, the club intends to cover the cost if the city pays for the pads.

For Knowles, additional safety measures would be a welcome addition to the sport.

“Whenever I get a group together, the first thing I say is play it safe,” Knowles said.

“It just means don’t back down, you’re not getting paid for this, it’s not your career. Don’t look for bullets that could hurt you.

Although the club hopes to have the padding installed in the near future, the matter has been left to Windsor’s budget negotiations for 2025.