PICKLEBALL ARC

Pickleball: America’s New Favorite Sport?

6/4/2024

0 Comments

While it’s true that Pickleball may not be America’s all-time favorite sport, a distinction occupied by American football, (followed by basketball and baseball) it’s worth noting that pickleball is very rapidly increasing in popularity, and has attracted the attention of sports journalists internationally.

As noted in an article from the BBC, “According to the Sport and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), pickleball participation grew by a whopping 21.3% last year”, which a remarkable increase, which appears to be attributed in the article to many Americans seeking new ways to stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic. The BBC article continues with a quote from Stu Upson, Chief Executive of USA Pickleball, the sport's national governing body, who says: "It's growing like crazy - in other parts of the world too… there are 37 countries that are part of the International Pickleball Federation. That's more than double where it was 18 months ago."

Why is Pickleball becoming more and more popular?

The truth is that it’s hard to say for certain beyond casual speculation. Perhaps it’s because the game is generally less physically intense than other racket sports, and requires less well-practiced hand-eye coordination. (Which really makes me wish my High School had this in gym class instead of tennis).

Another possible explanation is that local Parks and Recreation departments are becoming keener on encouraging the sport in parks because in the same space used for one tennis court you can fit as many as four pickleball courts, which means that more people can play without having to wait for others to finish their game. Also, it could be that because the rules are simple to learn and the game is often less competitive than tennis, that the game is more attractive for parents with young children, and for the elderly.

That’s not to say that the sport is just for kids and old-timers! According to the SFIA report, less than 14% of casual pickleball players are over 55. Particularly in professional tournaments, players are young and athletic, as you would expect in most sports competitions.

So what is Pickleball?

Imagine if ping-pong and tennis got married and had a baby! That’s probably a little bit of an oversimplification, but the basics are that the game is played on a court that has similar dimensions and layout of a badminton court, while the rules and gameplay are reminiscent of tennis, although instead of a racket the players use a paddle similar to that used to play ping-pong. The ball used is perforated with holes and so bears resemblance to a wiffle ball.

It’s a bit of a sports-Frankenstein, but considering how the sport was invented, it makes sense.

The sport has its origins in the mid-60s when a group of friends, Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum, and Bill Bell, attempted to set up a game of badminton but realized that they didn’t have a shuttlecock and decided to use a wiffleball instead. They then lowered the net and then used makeshift homemade paddles to play the game.

Should you try Pickleball?

Absolutely! It’s great fun for family and friends because it’s much easier to have casual conversation while playing when compared to games like volleyball and tennis which are played on larger courts and require significantly more focused attention to play. Give it a try, you will love it!

0 Comments

Pickleball...a sport for the "ages"

5/10/2024

0 Comments

The popularity of pickleball in the United States of America

Pickleball is a sport that comprises components of badminton, ping-pong, table tennis, and tennis.

Pickleball is being played in countries like Argentina, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Spain, and most notably the USA. The USA is reportedly the country with the largest pickleball participation with a jaw-dropping total of 3.5 million players who play pickleball in the USA.

Pickleball currently is not being played in Olympic and Paralympic competitions because it hasn't met the criteria for such competitions. A sport must be played in 75 countries across four continents for men's competition or be played in 40 countries across three continents for female sports to be registered for such tournaments.

However, pickleball hasn't met up these criteria but the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) has grown substantially over the years as the sport has exploded to many regions, with the IFP already having over 58 countries across five continents on their list.

Pickleball has grown so popular in the USA that in Florida and Arizona, there entire communities being built around pickleball courts. In the five years prior to the end of 2019, pickleball participation grew by more than 7% while other Americans' overall activity stayed level according to Sport and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).

Pickleball gained more popularity in the USA thanks to the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic. During quarantines when gyms and other recreational centres were closed, many Americans switched attention to playing pickleball to while away time as it is cheap to set up compared to other sports like golf, and lawn tennis to mention a few.

According to Sport and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the USA as the SFIA reported a 21.3% growth in 2020.

0 Comments

Pickleball: America’s New Favorite Sport?

Pickleball...a sport for the "ages"

The popularity of pickleball in the United States of America

Archives

Categories

Pickleball: America’s New Favorite Sport?

Pickleball...a sport for the "ages"

​The popularity of pickleball in the United States of America

Archives

Categories

The popularity of pickleball in the United States of America