The nation's fastest growing sport, described as a badminton, tennis, ping-pong mashup. This is none other than the sport of Pickleball. Known, and loved by many, the sport is currently the fastest growing sport in the US, as well as beginning its growth globally. A combination of both casual and avid players add to make about 36.5 million people in the United States, lovers of the sport.
“It’s social and extremely fun and easy for the whole family to play—everyone from a young kid to a grandma,” professional pickleball player Parris Todd said.
What started out as an age 55+ sport, is now being predicted to be an event in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This sport has become so popular with a more youthful personnel that many high schools are implementing it into their PE lesson plans. PE teacher and Pickleball lover Cheryl Lombardo has even created a pickleball club here at Newtown High School.
“I think people enjoy it because it is quick to learn and racquet skills are easily developed. Once strategy is implemented and players find success the game becomes exciting and even somewhat addicting,” Lombardo said.
This club at Newtown High School has rapidly picked up new members, and hopes to continue its growth throughout the year.
“I am thinking of alternatives for the winter and spring season so that the club can run all year long. Since we are just starting, I am excited to see how the club evolves over time,” Lombardo said.
“When our club started, it sparked the interest of a few students, that has since grown since the start of the club. As our club continues to grow and develop, I believe that we will be able to increase interest in pickle ball and organize fundraising opportunities to further support the club and people involved with it,” Freshman Dominick Hammond said.
One of the many things that makes pickleball so enjoyable for so many people, is that the game can be played at any level of competition.
“It can be a social event. Unlike tennis, the ball cannot be hit harder than 55 mph. It is played with dinks and dunks to slow the game down as well. It can be played by all ages. I even bring my 3 young sons to play on the weekends,” Assistant Principal David Roach said.
While 2023 marks 58 years of pickleball, it really wasn’t until the COVID Pandemic that the sport started to gain a following. The majority of pickleball courts being in spacious, outdoor areas, pickleball was a very Covid friendly game. There are currently about 44,100 pickleball courts in the US, about 20,000 of them being indoor, year-round facilities.
“I started playing pickle about 4 years ago in the winter at my workout facility THRIVE in Middlebury. We measured the space of our facility and our fitness coach taped out a regulation court. We started playing on Sunday mornings for something to do to pass the time in the winter months. We now play year round at different facilities in the Middlebury and Southbury area,” Lombardo said.
Due to the court being less than half the size of a full tennis court, Pickleball has drawn in many retired tennis players that just don’t want to deal with such a large area to cover. It has been shown that the health benefits of the game are obvious, especially for the older population interested in the sport.
“The health benefits are not only the exercise, but also the joy it brings,” Todd says.
This low-impact sport is proving to be increasingly popular throughout all age groups, all over the country, even spreading around the world.