Ingersoll Athletics was created from a lifelong love of sport and a desire to bring more accessible opportunities to the Ingersoll community. Growing up, sports played a huge role in my life, providing me with opportunities to build confidence, develop friendships, challenge myself, and become part of something bigger. When I looked around our community, I saw a need for more accessible opportunities for kids to learn and play sports like volleyball and pickleball.

Volleyball has been a major part of my own journey. My name is Janelle Albert, I played at both the university and college levels, competing for Western University and Fanshawe College, where I was fortunate to receive Player of the Year recognition at both levels. I also had the opportunity to represent Team Canada on the B Team for one year. These experiences showed me just how much sport can teach young people—not only about competition and skill, but also about teamwork, perseverance, confidence, and community.

Over the past two years, I have developed a real passion for pickleball through my experience as a General Manager at a pickleball facility startup. What started as learning the sport quickly grew into a genuine love for the game — I took lessons, dedicated time to improving my skills, competed in tournaments, and even medaled in two of them. Through that experience, I came to truly understand the game and saw firsthand how fun, social, and accessible pickleball can be. I also realized there are still very few opportunities for kids in our area to learn and experience the sport, which became one of the driving forces behind starting Ingersoll Athletics.

Ingersoll Athletics is a not-for-profit organization created to better our community through sport. Our goal is simple: to give local kids more opportunities to get active, try something new, develop their skills, make friends, and discover a sport they can enjoy for years to come. We want to create welcoming programs where every child feels encouraged to participate, regardless of their experience or skill level.

We believe every child should have the opportunity to play, learn, grow, and find a sport they love—and we want to help make that possible right here in Ingersoll.