About Us
Our mission
The Viroqua Area Pickleball Association (VAPA) is dedicated to sharing our passion for this fun and healthy sport, and seeking camaraderie through education, increasing access to play, and organizing events for all ages.
Duane Koons | President
Duane Koons has been playing pickleball for “too many years to count”. He and wife Maureen O’Connor moved to Viroqua in 1989 to work and raise 4 children and several dogs. They have been active in education and local sports including to help start Viroqua Park and Rec's youth soccer program and local girl's hockey in the 1990s. Duane worked in Viroqua as a family and emergency medicine doctor until 2020 and now works part-time at Scenic Bluffs Community Health Clinic in Cashton. He is a USAP Pickleball Ambassador and is working on his coaching certification. When not pickling he enjoys hiking, biking, landscaping, reading and napping.
Paul Grenier | Vice President
Paul Grenier has been playing racquetball since 1981. He discovered pickleball in 1995 while living in Long Beach, CA and was instantly hooked! After moving to Viroqua in May of 2000, he was thrilled to discover one of his racquetball buddies had a pickleball court in his backyard! The wonderful thing about this sport is that it is a perfect family game. Paul has had the pleasure of sharing the love of this game with his wife Paula, three children and many friends. All ages and sizes can be on the same court competing with each other. The tall, young or strong do not necessarily dominate. Paul loves active sports. When he is not playing pickleball, you could find him playing golf, hockey, volleyball, skiing, hiking, biking...etc. If you consider poker a sport, you might find him playing that too! Paul has been a practicing chiropractic for 35 years — a perfect profession for somebody that wants to promote movement, flexibility and well being.
Niki Steele | Secretary
Niki Steele was born and raised in Viroqua, Wisconsin. She moved away to earn her college degree, moved to the Twin Cities for several years, married her husband (now of 25 years), and felt the pull to return back to raise a family. That was almost 25 years ago. Niki and her husband Jason now have two boys, age 17 and 20, and a lab named Lucy. She has enjoyed watching her boys grow up playing hockey and becoming independent young men. Her youngest will be a H.S. senior this year. Niki now volunteers on the Viroqua Chamber board, started beekeeping, gardens and enjoys hiking in Vernon Co. She first learned about pickleball when she joined a league through Viroqua’s Park and Rec program. That was a few years ago, now she is hooked! Niki has enjoyed several different sports over the years, including softball, basketball, cross country, tennis and racquetball. Not only does she enjoy pickleball most for the activity, but also for the socialization. She has met so many people from the area she may have never met. Pickleball can also be an activity for all abilities and ages. Niki has worked with youth and adults with disabilities for the past 25 years. She currently works for Aptiv as their Employment Division Director. The trifecta for her is that pickleball can bring people from all over to participate. This allows for our community to thrive when people visit, shop, fish, hike and play some pickleball!
Matt Bomkamp | Treasurer
Matt Bomkamp has grown up in Viroqua his entire life. He started his racket sports journey in middle school when his family got a ping pong table and joined the Viroqua tennis team in high school. When he went off to college at UWL, he joined the club team for table tennis. After graduating he started his job as a CPA in Viroqua where he lives with his wife Joyell, one dog and four cats. He was introduced to pickleball in January 2023 when Joyell heard about the Park and Rec league and thought they should try it. Now, he tries to play at least two times a week and they have done multiple mixed doubles tournaments together as well.
Tripp Hughes | Bylaws and Membership
Tripp has been playing all kinds of racquet sports since he was a kid and found pickleball to be a new favorite sport in recent years. He's served on many boards including Viroqua Area Hockey Association.
Additional Members
Eileen Karpfinger
Angie Feltes
David Levin
Paul Buhr
Paul Bergquist
TJ Semanchin
Jim Slentz
Bill Schultz
Jeff Lawrence
Duane Klein
Kale Proksch - Viroqua Parks and Recreation
(non voting)
Additional Committee members:
Nan Marshall
Kathy Overbo
Peter Bergquist
Jim Feltes
Committees:
Bylaws and Membership
Courts and Facilities
Website and Social Media
Competition
Fundraising and Promotions
Education
Our Projects
Collaboration with Viroqua Parks and Recreation
VAPA works closely with the Viroqua Parks & Rec to support pickleball programming for youth and adults. Activities including supplying balls, training aids and stencils for line painting at the Court Street Park court. VAPA also provides volunteer hosts for open play sessions and coaching for clinics, administers the ladder leagues, and co-sponsors events.
Cashton Village Park
VAPA provided paint, labor and expertise to assist Scenic Bluffs Health Center staff to line two permanent pickleball courts at the Cashton Village Park in 2024. We periodically offer free clinics to staff and Cashton community members.
Viroqua Area Schools Tennis/Pickleball Court Project
In the summer of 2024, VAPA partnered with the Viroqua Area School District and Viroqua Parks & Rec Department to create eight pickleball courts on the schools' tennis courts. The Viroqua Area Foundation granted $2,000 to the district to purchase 4 semi-permanent nets. The Viroqua Lions Club donated $1,200 for 2 additional nets and supplies. Viroqua Parks & Rec contributed two nets and $700 for specialized paint. Nelson’s AgriCenter donated $100 for painter's tape and line chalk. VAPA donors and volunteers supplied the remaining equipment, supplies and labor to complete this project with a total estimated value of $12,000. Open play sessions began Aug 5, 2024.
This project expands public access to free pickleball court space and continues Viroqua’s strong tradition of public-private partnerships to address community needs.
Line painting crew members: Peter Bergquist (Lead), David Levin, Paul Buhr, TJ Semanchin, Matt Bomkamp, Tom Huber, Anton Bezin, Kathy Overbo, Maureen O’Connor, Duane Koons, Laurie Feller, Jeri Pettis, Jim Feltes, Paul Bergquist
Future Projects
Wouldn't it be nice to have indoor courts year round? 🤔
Local Pickleball History
The Beginning
The origins of pickleball in the Viroqua area date back to 1999 when JL discovered four wooden paddles and whiffle-like plastic balls in the box that came with a new backyard basketball court. He invited three friends, PB1, PB2 and DK to come try out this new “West Coast” game. Weekly pickleball sessions soon became an important antidote to the stresses and strains of their medium-age lives.
Over the years their play circle expanded to include TH, WS and PG as a parade of subs deepened the bench. Two guys even got ambitious and played a tournament in Winona and managed to win a few points — and even won one game when an opponent ruptured his Achilles tendon. (He's fully recovered and is still playing PB.) In addition to gaining valuable playing experience, these players began to realize there’s a lot of nice people out there who want to play with us.
Web design: David Levin & Hannah Hamilton
Lead court builders: Peter Bergquist, Paul Buhr & Paul Bergquist
Social media: Kathy Overbo
Graphic design & fundraising: Angie Feltes & Nan Marshall
Competition: Matt Bomkamp
Education: Duane Koons
