I have been playing pickleball for two years now. It was a retirement project for me, along with learning the game of golf. I now play at OPA locations and at Nepean Sportsplex and at the RA in winter, and at Amberwood and Elmridge clubs in the summer. I am and always have been a very active and high energy person both at work and play. I played badminton competitively for years so when I picked up a pickleball paddle, I immediately took to it and am investing time learning and growing my skills to play. Because I meet people easily and engage in discussions around the pickleball community I am aware of some of the challenges that our sport is experiencing in terms of accessibility, and sport growth and development to meet the growing and changing requirements of players and in particular our OPA current and future members.

I began my career as a professional coach and moved quickly into Organization Development and Effectiveness work, building high performance teams and organizations across many sectors – notably high tech, health care and consulting sectors. I have been a member of corporate executive teams where I became known as the spark plug for transformational change, I have sat as an executive on several volunteer boards in Ottawa. Most recently I spearheaded the establishment of Kids Up Front Ottawa , a local child serving charity where I served as a member of the board executive for 5 years. I have consulted to several sport governing organizations and clubs and believe I can bring value to the OPA Board.

I am an avid outdoors person- I love camping, skiing, hiking and cycling , open water swimming, and kayaking and have competed in triathlon, road and track running, and ironman on the local, provincial, national and world levels in age group competitions.

My education includes a Masters Degree specializing in Coaching and Sport Psychology. I have worked with athletes and coaches; business teams and leaders; providing them with a unique tool kit to draw upon whether performing at work, at play and in competitive and demanding environments.

I was introduced to pickleball 3 years ago through a family acquaintance. Having played table tennis recreationally and competitively many years ago in Montreal where I grew up, I immediately became addicted to pickleball and joined the OPA-APO. Playing in the Ottawa/Gatineau pickleball community is extremely gratifying. It allows me to meet wonderful people and expand my circle of friends. I can’t say enough about pickleball. Iregularly promote the sport to family and friends, and to new people I meet.

On the professional side, I am a Chartered Professional Accountant with 25 years of experience working for the Canada Revenue Agency, occupying several auditor and managerial positions. I retired in August 2017 as Manager of the Risk Assessment/Systems Development section in the International and Large Business Directorate.

Since my retirement, I have volunteered preparing income tax returns for seniors, disabled, and low income individuals in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program offered jointly through the Chartered Professional Accountants Association of Ontario and the CRA. I am also a part-time instructor teaching Business Principles at Algonquin College, and volunteer as a league coordinator for the OPA-APO.

I love sports and enjoy being with anyone that wants to get out and move! Many, many years ago I heard about pickleball and was invited to play in Florida but thought it a gimmick game. Somehow, I did play and caught the PB bug!

It is such a great sport when meeting people that have the same passion, spirit, desire and does not matter if they are competitive or not – who wouldn’t want to have fun and stay in shape. I have met amazing people and experienced tournaments both in Canada and Florida. My desire is to be part of a great organization that is growing quickly and not discerning of age or cost. My other passions are rowing and kayaking.

Lee Redpath

In late 2019, after 32 years, I retired from the federal public service.  My post retirement life was spent biking, kayaking and swimming.  In 2020 a friend started talking about this sport called pickleball – admittedly the name didn’t encourage me to try it but a year later, a neighbour said there were courts in Manotick and that a group of us should give it a go.  Well, I was instantly hooked!  Suddenly the wonderful game took over my life and before I knew it, I was playing 5 times a week and other activities took a back seat.  

Hello, my name is Dave; I am an avid pickleball player. My pickleball journey began in April 2022, and like many others, I found a passion for the sport. I am interested in joining the Ottawa Pickleball Association Board because I would like to use my skills, knowledge, and experience to help grow the sport in our community. I believe that my experience and my enthusiasm for the game would make me an asset to the board. I am excited about the opportunity to work with other members to promote the game of pickleball, organize events and create opportunities for local players to develop their skills.

In the volunteer sector, I have held various Board of Director positions, including vice president of the Cumberland Food Bank. I have also held multiple coaching positions in girls’ and boys’ hockey at competitive and non-competitive levels.

Professionally, I currently operate a boutique consulting firm focusing on digital transformation and organizational change management. My career has spanned multiple decades in Information Technology, Human Resources, Project, and Change Management. I have worked in various industries, including not-for-profit, public, and private sectors. I enjoy guiding and advising executives and their teams on game-changing business and digital transformation programs.

Matthew Kawamoto – Head Pro

Matt Kawamoto started playing pickleball in 2016. Since then, he has grown to become the top player in Ontario and one of the best in Canada. He has taken gold in both men’s and mixed doubles at the last three Ontario provincials and has also been successful at many international tournaments including gold at the US Open.

Having graduated from teacher’s college, Matt currently pursues a career in pickleball and enjoys teaching and competing in the game. He brings his love of teaching to all his lessons and clinics and finds a way to connect with each student. He is a director and a level 2 instructor for the IPTPA, one of the leading coaching organizations.