A Fine Gentleman, a Great Athlete,And the Longest Standing USAPA Member
In the Great Lakes Region - Tony Sequeira
Last April when I was thinking about heading back up North to my home in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada, I knew I had to find somewhere to play pickleball or start my own club. I just could not experience six months of Pickleball withdrawal, that would be too painful.
I read an article on the USAPA website about a tournament in York Region written by Tony Sequeira the ambassador for the Greater Toronto Area. I contacted Tony by e-mail and we followed up with a couple of phone calls. Tony invited me over to his club at the Milliken Recreation Centre and another pickleball friendship was established immediately.
Tony and I sat and talked pickleball for almost two hours that Tuesday and then played a couple of games. I think Tony thought that since I had played in Florida, I was some sort of Pickleball god, but once he saw me on the court, that all changed. However, during last summer Tony and I spent many hours travelling to different clubs and just talking Pickleball.
Tony is foremost a gentleman who goes out of his way to make players enjoy this great game of Pickleball. Second , he is a very gifted athlete who plays table tennis, tennis, and pickleball at a very high level. He is always challenging himself to get better, the sign of a great athlete. He and his partner, Terry Paul, placed first in the York Senior Games, the first tournament he ever entered. The best players at his club are always challenging Tony to see if they can beat him.
Tony first found out about Pickleball from his older brother John who played the game in Mississauga, Ontario. John talked Tony into driving almost an hour across the top of Toronto to play this new game. Tony hated the drive but he loved the game and the people.
In early 2001, Tony went to the recreation department of the Milliken Centre and asked if they would allow him to introduce this new game. Marie James, the head of the department knew about Pickleball, and agreed to allow Tony to try and introduce Pickleball. Tony invited his brother and Terence Rosario of the Mississauga club to come to Milliken and do a demonstration. To Tony’s disappointment, only three people showed up.
Disappointed, but not discouraged, Tony continued to offer sessions and the next week six showed up and the rest is history. Today Tony has a club of over 40 members. He has helped set up another program at the Malvern Recreation Centre as well. Under the guidance of Ed and Yolanda Lew, that program attracts 40 players as well.
Tony joined the USAPA in April, 2005 and is the longest standing member of The Great Lakes Region. I think this is amazing for a Canadian. In fact, until just recently Tony was the only USAPA member in Ontario and the only ambassador. That is starting to change and I know many more will join and Tony will be a big part of the growth.
Congratulations Tony, I cannot think of a finer gentleman to have this great honor.
I am pleased to be your friend and Pickleball buddy.
Wayne Roswell
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