In a modest indoor sports hall in Gungahlin, something extraordinary was brewing. What started as a “side project” for tennis coach Robbie Manzano quickly transformed into an unstoppable force that would reshape Canberra’s sporting landscape.
Within just two weeks of advertising his first pickleball sessions, every spot was filled. Three weeks later, they needed more court space. Fast forward 18 months… Pickleball Canberra now hosts 300 weekly players across multiple venues, with waitlists growing longer by the day.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Robbie recalls, his eyes lighting up as he shares the story. “We’ve been in the tennis game for years, and we were getting more inquiries about pickleball within two or three weeks of advertising than we would typically see in peak tennis season.”
But this isn’t just another sports trend sweeping through the nation’s capital. For Robbie, pickleball has become what he calls “a golden sport” – one that breaks down barriers, builds communities, and brings people together in ways he’d never seen before in his 20-year coaching career.
From tennis coach to community builder: Meet Robbie Manzano
The path to becoming “Mr. Pickleball Canberra” wasn’t one Robbie could have predicted. With nearly 30 years on tennis courts and 20 years of coaching under his belt, he had already built a successful tennis academy. But it was his background in public health and exercise science that would ultimately define his approach to sport as a vehicle for community wellbeing.
“During my twenties, I went overseas just to find perspective in life, as you do as a 22, 23-year-old,” Robbie shares. His journey led him to Nepal, where two months of volunteer work in community health would forever change his outlook. “I came back [to Australia] and really went, ‘Okay, we’ve got to look after our health, we’ve got to look after our community.'”
This philosophy would shape his approach to sports coaching for years to come, but it wasn’t until discovering pickleball that Robbie found a sport that perfectly aligned with his community health vision. “Pickleball just ticked so many boxes, every single time.”
This public health lens shapes everything Robbie does. Where others might see just a racquet sport, he sees opportunities for community connection, preventive health, and social wellbeing. When pickleball came along, it wasn’t just another offering for his academy. It was a powerful new tool for community transformation.
Born and raised in Canberra, Robbie’s connection to the city runs deep. His face lights up when talking about his hometown, and that passion fuels his mission to build something special for the community. “I just love Canberra so much. I want it to do good,” he says with unmistakable pride.
It’s this genuine love for his city, combined with his experience in sports coaching and community health, that created the perfect foundation for what was to come.
For Robbie, Canberra isn’t just Australia’s capital – it’s home in the truest sense. “We’re not New South Wales, we’re not Victoria – we’re our own thing. That’s why I personally had to get out for a bit, to see the world. But I always came back because there’s something special here.”
That deep connection to Canberra has shaped his approach to community building. After establishing Tennis Canberra and running it successfully for 12 years, he had learned valuable lessons about creating sustainable programs in the capital. “Whenever I set up a program, it’s not meant to last two or three, four years. It’s meant to last forever – like 50 years for Canberra. That’s important.”
A typical day for Robbie starts early with his daughter’s wake-up call and extends late into the evening, managing both tennis and pickleball programs. Between 9 AM and 8 PM, he’s juggling everything from coaching sessions to administrative work, social media management, and his own training.
“I don’t eat enough during the day,” he admits with a chuckle. “I drink like coffee and water. When I get busy… I’ll have another coffee.”
Building from the ground up: The birth of Pickleball Canberra
The birth of Pickleball Canberra came from an unexpected phone call. About 18 months ago, a connection from Melbourne reached out with a simple question: “Any pickleball in Canberra?” While there was a small association starting up, the scene was minimal.
That call would change everything.
“He came down and basically had a hit with me, trained me and a few of the coaches, and within two, three weeks we started a pickleball community.” But finding a home for this budding community proved challenging. “I emailed every single school in Canberra to find a hall,” he laughs, remembering the hundreds of rejection emails.
Then came what Robbie calls a moment of serendipity. A long-term booking at a hall in Gungahlin had just fallen through, and the coordinator had coincidentally heard about pickleball the day before. That Thursday night spot would become something special in Robbie’s heart – today, it hosts 96 players weekly at capacity, with the same electric atmosphere that was there from day one.
“Within maybe two weeks of advertising, every session we advertised was full. We just couldn’t believe it. We started with access to just four courts, and the second they let us have the other side of the gym, it just grew. Within six months, I was just going, ‘What is this? What’s happening?'”
Creating connections: More than just a sport
For Robbie, pickleball was never just about the sport – it was about creating connections. “When we’re adults, we forget that we’re still kids. If we’re uncomfortable, we revert.” This insight shapes how he runs every session, purposefully breaking down social barriers from the moment players step on court.
“I make them talk to different people, especially if they come as a group. When you’re warming up, you’re partnering with someone new – that’s kind of my trademark.” These “child games,” as he calls them, work surprisingly well with adults. Simple instructions like “find someone with the same colour shirt” create natural icebreakers that help build the community spirit Pickleball Canberra is known for.
This approach has paid off tremendously. Within three months, they had about 100 registered weekly players over just one day at a single hall. Today, that number has tripled, with 300 weekly players across multiple venues, all operating at capacity. But it’s not just about the numbers – it’s about the environment they’ve created.
“It’s not about pickleball. It’s about the social interaction, and that sells it. As much as pickleball is so much fun in general, it’s the people that you play against or with that will sell it. The community that we’ve established – I’m lucky enough, they’re all great people in their own right, so they sell it for me.”
The result is something special – a place where people look forward to coming each week, regardless of what’s happening in their lives. “If you’ve had a stressful day at home, a stressful day at work, you know that’s something you look forward to because of the community, the social connection. You’re getting fit, but you’re having fun. It doesn’t feel like you’re doing cardio.”
From temporary lines to permanent courts
The journey hasn’t been without its hurdles. In a city where you need to convince the entire territory government rather than just a local council to paint pickleball lines, infrastructure has been a constant challenge. “Unfortunately, a lot of the money was used for tennis court upgrades two years before the pickleball scene really popped up. It was just wrong timing.”
But persistence pays off. For a year, Robbie and his team would spend 40 minutes before each session laying down temporary lines at a basketball court, driven by a vision only he could see. “I drove past it one day, this beautiful new basketball court. I looked around and I’m like, ‘They’re pickleball courts.’ I just saw the vision.”
That vision finally materialised in October 2023, when after countless attempts to secure permanent courts, the Australian Catholic University agreed to paint dedicated pickleball lines. “I literally gave up. I basically gave up saying it’s not going to happen. Then, within four weeks, we had four brand new, beautiful courts on a multi-sport court surface. I was so happy… I could die happy. It was one of the best achievements I’ve had in years.”
The new courts represent more than just lines on concrete. They’re a symbol of pickleball’s legitimacy in Canberra and a foundation for future growth. They’re now being used for tournaments and will host the ACT State League, creating a pathway for competitive play that didn’t exist before. “Now it’s got a grassroots pathway to those bigger leagues. It’s really exciting for Canberra.”
Building pathways for Canberra’s pickleball future
With a foundation now firmly established, Robbie’s vision for Canberra’s pickleball future is ambitious yet carefully structured. “I gave myself three years to get to this point. We’ve halved it, and the amount of people we’ve got is kind of what I wanted three years later. So now that we’ve got that, I want to get the pathways right.”
These pathways are taking shape through strategic partnerships, particularly with the National Pickleball League (NPL). After experiencing competitive pickleball himself and seeing the sport’s potential, Robbie knew Canberra needed its own competitive identity.
“I really want a Canberra team. Us Canberrans, we’re so passionate about our city. I just envisioned a Canberra team competing.”
That vision is becoming reality. Pickleball Canberra has secured a Division 2 NPL team, and they’re building local leagues to feed into these higher levels of competition. “We’ve got our social doubles that we push people into, and now we’ve got the ACT State leagues for the guys that want to get a bit more serious. Through there, you’ve got your Division 2 NPL, and then your pro.”
The focus isn’t just on adult players either. A new junior pickleball program for ages 8-16 is already full, and school programs are showing promising results, particularly in engaging teenage girls – a demographic that traditionally proves challenging to retain in sports.
“Tennis was hard to get everyone engaged, but pickleball worked straight away. Everyone was having fun, everyone was engaged. I’m going, ‘Oh my goodness, what is this awesome sport for the community?'”
The pathways are about more than just creating competitive opportunities – they’re about building something that serves every member of the community. “My focus is on community health,” Robbie explains. “I need a vehicle, anything – it could be any sport to get people healthy or different environments to get healthy.”
Building a Local Pickleball Club: Lessons from the Journey
For those inspired to start their own pickleball community, Robbie’s journey offers valuable insights.
“Step number one is finding a venue,” he emphasises, “and I’ll say that lightly.” His own search involved hundreds of emails to every school in Canberra, facing rejection after rejection before finding that first precious court time in Gungahlin.
But securing a venue is just the beginning. “Learn the sport as well,” Robbie advises. “Learn the little intricacies of pickleball, because you may come from a tennis background, but unless you’re actually playing it, you can’t sell it or teach it properly.”
Even with his extensive tennis coaching experience, Robbie spent a year immersing himself in pickleball to truly understand its unique qualities.
The infrastructure challenges can be daunting, from laying temporary lines for months to navigating government bureaucracy for permanent courts. But Robbie’s experience shows that persistence pays off. “I was relentless. You just got to do your best and be patient.”
Having built both Tennis Canberra and Pickleball Canberra from the ground up, Robbie emphasises the importance of building a strong team. “I’m fortunate to have coaches who allow me to dedicate time to pickleball. I’ll never forget having that opportunity.”
This support system has been crucial, allowing him to balance both programs while maintaining the high standards each community deserves.
The power of pickleball: Beyond the court
Watching players of all ages and abilities share the courts, Robbie sees something that extends far beyond the game itself. His experience running both tennis and pickleball programs has given him unique insight into what makes pickleball special.
“I love tennis, but it just didn’t give the results I wanted for communities. It could take a couple of years for somebody to get good or find a community, just to engage with something. But with pickleball, because the court’s so small, you can talk to each other. You talk to your partner, your opponents are like 4 meters away. On a tennis court, you’re yelling.”
Robbie also has a message for those who might be skeptical, particularly tennis players. “Tennis players have big egos. I was one of them,” he admits with a laugh. “I love being humbled. I love that experience because it just gave me kind of… perspective.”
His hot take? “Give it a go. There’s some people that just won’t give it a go. Too prideful. But the second they’re on the court, they love it. Every single one has loved it.”
The ‘golden sport’: A vehicle for community change
Sitting courtside at the Proton Australia Open in Melbourne, Robbie’s eyes light up every time he spots one of “his” Canberra players competing. “I’m so proud when I’m watching them,” he admits. “I watch their matches more than the pros because it’s just gold.”
It’s this genuine joy in others’ success that perhaps best explains why Pickleball Canberra has flourished under his leadership.
“Every day I explored it for those first handful of weeks, I’m just going, ‘This is awesome for this community. This is awesome for this age group. This is awesome for this group of people, this network. Every single day I was just going, ‘Man, this is… it’s a golden sport.'”
As Pickleball Canberra continues to grow, Robbie’s vision remains firmly rooted in the community he loves. In a world that often feels increasingly disconnected, he’s building something that brings people together, gets them moving, and creates genuine joy – one ‘come-and-try’ session at a time.
“That’s what makes it golden,” Robbie beams, his enthusiasm as infectious now as it was when he first discovered the sport. “It’s not just about the sport, it’s about what it does for people.”
xo,
Tati
New to pickleball? Get involved with Pickleball Canberra!
Learn more about Pickleball Canberra via their website, contact them at play@pickleballcanberra.au and follow them on social media!
How can I try pickleball in Canberra?
Pickleball Canberra offers regular ‘come-and-try’ sessions across multiple venues. No experience or equipment needed – just come along and they’ll provide everything you need to get started. Your very first hit with Pickleball Canberra is free! Be sure to book in a free coaching trial.
Do I need any special equipment?
No! Pickleball Canberra provides all equipment for beginners. If you decide to continue playing, they can advise you on purchasing your own paddle and equipment.
Where are the pickleball courts in Canberra?
Pickleball Canberra operates across multiple venues including:
- South Canberra (Forrest)
- Gungahlin (Amaroo)
- North Canberra (Watson & Dickson)
- Belconnen (Bruce)
