Quick question: What is one of the fastest growing sports in America?
Answer: Pickleball!
Surprised by the answer? Does pickleball conjure up images of old fogies slowly meandering around a small tennis court? Well, pickleball might have been first adopted by an older crowd, but it quickly made inroads into a younger people.
What is pickleball? Pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Three dads on Bainbridge Island (near Seattle, Wash.) are credited with inventing the sport in 1965 to have fun with their family members. Creating a court and improvising equipment and rules, the first permanent pickleball court was built in 1967. In 1972 a corporation was formed to protect the new sport and by 1976 the first known pickleball tournament was held in Washington state. By 1990 pickleball was being played in all 50 states.
The popularity of the new sport grew quickly. By 2021, the USA Pickleball Association estimated that more than 4.8 million people played pickleball. Community organizations, tennis clubs, and athletic gear companies have all gotten in on the new sport. Professional pickleball players abound – many are former pro tennis players – and tournaments can found around the nation.
What are you waiting for? Get in on the action!
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Poll students: What are favorite sports? Which sports do the students play?
- Who has played pickleball? Describe their experiences.
- Show USA Pickleball website: https://usapickleball.org/
- Have students research pickleball gear: https://www.pickleballcentral.com/
- Show videos of Pickleball on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4vHhZ03O0PI
- Have students search for “pickleball” on social media.
- How does the cost of pickleball compare to other sports?
- Divide students into teams. Have each team develop a promotion plan for pickleball.
Source: Plummer, T. (Feb. 18, 2022). Pickleball is ready for Prime Time. New York Times.
