Posted on 02/21/2024 10:15:44 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Move over, tennis! There is a new recreational sport in town — pickleball. In 2023, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) deemed it the fastest-growing sport in America for the third consecutive year. They estimate that about 36.5 million people have played the game at least once in the year.
Pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. It was invented in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three friends. The first game was played on a badminton court with a pair of ping-pong paddles. It followed the same rules as those of court tennis.
However, after playing the game over a few weekends, the inventors made a few changes. They lowered the net, moved to a tennis court, and simplified the scoring. The origin of the game's name is unclear. But some believe it may have been named after one of the inventors' dogs, who went by the name Pickles.
Pickleball's popularity has grown since the COVID-19 Pandemic (Credit: Pickleheads/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)
Pickleball remained a local secret for almost 20 years. In 1984, Washington residents Sid Williams and Bryon Olson formed the United States Amateur Pickleball Association and released an official rulebook. The sport saw some success in the following years. However, it really gained momentum in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With many team sports off-limits, people turned to pickleball as a socially distant way to stay active. The game's low barrier to entry escalated its popularity. Unlike tennis, pickleball can be played anywhere. Makeshift courts can instantly be created on a driveway or cul-de-sac using sidewalk chalk or painter's tape and a portable net. The paddles and balls are also very affordable. Additionally, pickleball is easier to learn and much slower-paced than tennis.
"In tennis, the balls are all over the place," pickleball coach Ernie Medina Jr. told The New York Times. "In pickleball, you're hitting a plastic wiffle-like ball, so it's less bouncy and doesn't fly as fast through the air. And the paddle is much easier to handle because it's shorter and lighter than a tennis racket." 
Pickleball is easier to learn than tennis (Credit: Differencebetween.net/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)
Most importantly, pickleball is a fun, social, and effective way to exercise. A study by the University of Colorado found that players can burn up to 354 calories during a half-hour doubles pickleball game. The calorie output increases substantially in a singles game.
"With a singles match, you're definitely going to be covering more of the court, moving more, and burning more calories," study leader Lance Dalleck told The New York Times. "Pickleball is not just a good workout, it's a great workout."
Given the game's attributes, it should come as no surprise that pickleball, once the realm of people over 50, is quickly gaining traction with younger people. The SFIA report found that in 2023, 28.8 percent of pickleball players in the US were between 18 and 34!
The sport's growth is not just reserved for the United States. Australia, Spain, Canada, and the UK all report an increasing number of pickleball players. The game's popularity has led some to speculate that it may someday become an Olympic sport.
Don’t take all the fun out of it by making it a professional sport!
The stats should include how many orthopedic injuries there have been since the Pickleball craze started.
Looks like tennis for old, fat people.
Lots of old people aren’t fat, but they’re stiff and don’t move fast.
I have a neighbor who does still. He’s 70. No idea who he plays with, but there must be a few who hang on to it.
Or retired. The only people I know who play are all retired.
Maybe they’ll stop being fat if they play? They might still be old, but the fat can go away if they stay active.
I’ve seen quite a few old people, but not fat people playing
Pickleball? An Olympic sport? pfffft...
THIS should be Olympic Sport:
https://youtu.be/wJuRvHk9Zco?feature=shared
RE: Looks like tennis for old, fat people.
As the average population ages and people find ways to do less strenous sports compared to Tennis, whoever invented this game has captured a huge market.
“If everything becomes an Olympic sport, nothing will be”
If it’s not exciting to spectators and doesn’t showcase high-level athletic skills, then it won’t make it to the Olympics.
It's the fastest growing sport in ALL age brackets. Young people are flocking to it as well.
I know a lot of people forsaking tennis for pickleball. Young people as well. It's simply more fun, more social, and just a great competitive sport. Most of the comments here are from people who are ignorant of the reality of what is happening with the explosion in pickleball worldwide.
Everything is a fad, isn’t it? I remember heading to a vacant lot and playing baseball - all you needed was a bat and ball and some rocks to mark the bases. Nowadays to cops would be called for trespassing and parents charged with neglect
I had never heard of pickleball until several months ago after reading that new sports complex near me will have 12 pickleball courts. My young friend told me it’s been around a while.
Quote: “This country is aging and this game gives elderly people a decent activity to do that’s also social and not physically taxing. I think it’s here to stay.”
A friend of mind is an orthopedic surgeon focusing on knees and ankles. He told that he has had to operate on more patients for pickle ball than other causes. Point being, I don’t think it is much less taxing than tennis. It is still pavement and it is still pounding. It is more shard change of directions than tennis.
The average age of pickleballers is under 35. It’s simply false that this is a sport for old people who can’t run. An ignorant take at best.
Some people think dressage is absolutely boring; but it’s fascinating if you know anything about horses and riding.
Curling, though, I’m still thinking about...
Put it right up there with Darts and Pin the Tail on Donkey.
Darts takes a lot of skill.
Ah, the thrill of an eight ender. Lots of curling in the Northern states and Canada.
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