The Pickleball Craze
What in the world is pickleball?
It is the fastest growing sport in the United States, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, and has been for the past 2 years running. The sport has increased 40% since 2010 to a whopping 4.8 million players!
Pickleball is a unique sport. It is an interesting mix of many sports: Wiffle Ball (the ball has 26-40 holes); Badminton (same court); Tennis (the net); and the paddle (table tennis). This may be due to how it started. In 1965, Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum and Bill Bell had very bored children one summer in Bainbridge Island, Washington. They had set up the Badminton set but alas, no shuttlecocks!! They asked their children to create a game with what they had available. They began with the badminton court and started trying different balls, rackets, paddles etc. and BOOM! Pickleball was born. The friends, Pritchard, McCallum, and Bell then took the experiment, came up with rules and standard equipment and by 1968 Pickleball, Inc. was founded.
The Pickleball craze really exploded during the pandemic because of the need for outdoor activities. This huge boost was aided by the fact that unused tennis courts easily could be converted to pickleball courts or even relined as multi-use courts. Local governments saw a wonderful, cost-effective way to get more people back into their parks and recreation facilities.
All of this success can be attributed to a few key things:
- A new player can start at their first introduction or how-to-play class.
- Players of all ages and physical abilities can play together.
- It is relatively inexpensive to start.
- There is a very social aspect to the sport.
- Any experience with a racket sport translates to pickleball very easily.
- Advanced payers are always challenged by the strategy of the game.
Pickleball has even grown enough to have two professional tours and a national league.
The two associations are:
These two associations have thousands of tournaments each year, including the US National Tournament and US Open Tournament. Anyone can be a member!
What an amazing evolution from such a humble beginning. If you are looking to find another outlet for your fitness journey or just a way to make new friends while being active, Pickleball may just be the ticket.
Sagewell Health & Fitness has two clinics in October (equipment provided). The pickleball court can be reserved at the Sagewell front desk. The pickleball net is set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays and from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays.
Remember, don’t be in a fitness pickle. Pick up a paddle and have a ball! Sagewell Health & Fitness is looking to expand our pickleball program to include leagues and tournaments! Keep an eye on our webpage for new developments or email your interest to sagewell@conehealth.com.
By Laura Fullman Brown
Sagewell Health & Fitness Aquatics and Recreation Manager
