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. We are a public benefit non-profit corporation (501 c 3).
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.
Duane Klein | Vice President
Duane's playing career started in 2022 and he soon decided to became a certified coach to help grow the sport of pickleball in and around Soldiers Grove WI. He is actively involved in local pickleball groups like VAPA and play regularly in Viroqua, Gays Mills and Richland Center.
Havvah Spicer | Secretary
Havvah has lived in Viroqua for the past 11 years with her two children and has fallen in love with the community she now calls home. An avid adventurer, she enjoys mountain biking, downhill and cross-country skiing, and teaching yoga. She discovered pickleball in July of 2025 and was quickly hooked—now she’s on a mission to convince everyone they need to play! Her favorite part of the game is how it brings multiple generations together on the same court—something she hasn’t found in any other sport. Havvah is passionate about activities that strengthen community through movement, play, and connection, and is excited to support pickleball’s continued growth in Viroqua.
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.
Tony Sung | Bylaws
Tony Sung has been involved with racquet sports since his college days at SUNY Stony Brook where he played Paddleball and a little squash. While living in the San Francisco Bay Area, he played Racquetball and was introduced to Pickleball. Tony was born in Hong Kong and grew up in NY. After attending college in NY, he moved to CA where he lived and worked in both Southern and Northern CA for over 30 years in Technology and Healthcare. After retiring, Tony moved to Viroqua where he and his wife, Diane live on her family’s Century Farm in Brush Hollow. In addition to Pickleball, Tony is an avid scuba diver for over 35 years and dives whenever he can all over the world. He is also a Course Director in diving, having taught Beginning to Instructor level students for 30 years. His volunteer days spans his entire life from working in rural Appalachia; with the Asian Pacific Community in California; and in performing scuba recovery services for various Law Enforcement Organizations.
Committees
Bylaws: Tony Sung Chair, Matt Bomkamp, Duane Koons, Havvah Spicer, Matt Bomkamp
Finance: Matt Bomkamp Chair, Duane Koons, Laurie Feller, Diane Sung
Web/Social Media: David Levin Chair, Duane Koons, Angie Feltes, Havvah Spicer
Education: Duane Koons Chair, Duane Klein, TJ Semanchin, Matt Bomkamp, Paul Bergquist, Kathy Overbo, Jim Barmore, Paul Grenier, Jim Slentz, Laurie Feller, Lydia Charaf
Fundraising/Events: Nan Marshall Chair, Angie Feltes, Lydia Charaf
Courts/Facilities: Mike Suchomel Chair, Jim Feltes, Paul Bergquist, Paul Buhr, Peter Bergquist, Matt Kronschnabel
Official Documents
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.
