Football. Baseball. Gymnastics. Tennis. When one thinks of mainstream sports in America today, sports such as these typically come to mind as they are either entwined with American culture or are so popularized they have become a staple internationally. One sport, however, has recently risen from being generally unheard of to having millions of players across the country: pickleball.
“I think most people don’t know that pickleball is a very easy sport [and] how much fun you can have playing it,” senior Zayd Ajaz said. “Pickleball is an underrated sport and I [would recommend trying] it before you start assuming it is ‘grandma tennis.’”
Pickleball is often noted for its similarities with tennis, which makes complete sense considering the sport, as the Columbia Association puts it, “…was created as a fun fusion of tennis, ping-pong and badminton back in 1965.” While both sports may involve hitting a ball back and forth on a court, the sports are quite different when the details are broken down. For instance, pickleball rackets are considerably smaller than tennis rackets, the serve techniques and court sizes are different, there are unique scoring rules and more.
“I think that pickleball has become more popular because it is both easy to pick up and fun to play,” senior Kyle Kartchner said. “The courts are small so if you are not playing too hard, not much running is necessary. Many neighborhoods now also have courts that you can play on, and getting a cheap set of paddles and balls [can be around] $20. Also, the games are short and can be played with only two people, [so] just grab some friends and try it out. You may find yourself a new hobby.”
According to Statistica, 4.2 million people played pickleball at least once in 2020. In 2023, this number roughly tripled to 13.6 million. Pickleheads (a website devoted to relaying information about pickleball) estimates there were 36.5 million pickleball players in 2024.
“I enjoy playing because it is easy to learn and can still get very competitive,” Ajaz said. “My favorite memory playing pickleball was when I was playing against my friend and experiencing how good someone can be at pickleball.”
Pickleball is not only suited for beginners but for any individual who enjoys physical activity, team sports or is simply looking to try something new.
“One of my favorite memories of playing pickleball is when I played it with my family in [incredibly cold] weather,” Kartchner said. “Every once in a while, there would be a little flurry of snow, and I’d look over at the sidelines to see everyone [watching the] game huddled up around a small heater. Everyone might have hated playing in that weather, but I loved it.”
