Picking pickleball: the world’s favorite new sport!
December 18, 2022
“I’d say [that] in the last year, [pickleball] exploded. It just exploded,” Alyson Aiello, co-founder of the Marin Pickleball League, said.
Aiello is not wrong. Pickleball is currently the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. It seems every tennis court has drawn pickleball lines, and everyone has now heard of the game. But what makes this sport so popular? Why has it grown so much in the past couple of years?
In order to understand its rapid rise in popularity, it’s important to understand the game. Pickleball is played on a small court with a paddle and a ball that is slightly heavier than a wiffle ball. Games are played to 11 points, either one versus one or with a partner as a doubles match. The game is similar to tennis in many ways, but the strategies and techniques are very different. All of these add up to the perfect equation for its ultimate growth and likeability.
Some attribute the spread of pickleball to COVID-19. Teresa Taupal, Marin Pickleball League’s co-founder, started the league during the pandemic and felt it was the perfect time to do so.
“Because of the pandemic, [and with] everybody being home, you couldn’t [go play] any other sport, and you couldn’t [play any sports with people of ] all levels, ages and genders,” Taupal said.
Due to the spacing of the game, people were able to be outside and play. The ease of pickleball is also part of the reason so many people started playing it. Anybody can pick up a paddle and learn to compete quickly.
English teacher Lindsey Kornfeld noticed this as she learned pickleball from her in-laws. While her background in tennis made it easier for her to understand the game, she thinks anyone is capable.
“Pickleball is much easier to play and teach [than tennis],” Kornfeld said. “The barrier to entry, if you’ve played any racquet sport, is lower than trying to have a full tennis match. So it’s been more fun. [My husband and I] have more people we can play pickleball with than people we can play tennis with.”
Pickleball often has less running than tennis, which means people of all ages can play. It is often played among family members, as grandchildren and grandparents can play together.
This aspect of inclusivity has also led to the game’s expansion. Pickleball is an extremely social game. Taupal and Aiello’s league is a round-robin league where people play random competitors and get to know them.
“People can laugh on the court. It’s not quite as serious. It’s serious when you’re in the moment, but after each point, people kind of laugh. I think that is what brings everyone together. And it’s so easy to switch partners and opponents; people [can] move around,” Taupal said.
For more reasons than stated above, pickleball has grown into a phenomenon. In Marin, there are plenty of pickleball or tennis courts striped with pickleball lines. While this has helped many people play pickleball in Marin, it has also created some controversy.
Pickleball courts being painted over tennis courts can make playing both sports difficult. Due to Kornfeld’s experience on pickleball courts that aren’t over tennis courts, she is able to compare the two.
“[Now] it’s really confusing. [My husband and I] played pickleball up in McGinnis Park, and it’s striped over two tennis courts. [When] striping is where the [tennis] service boxes are, close to the [kitchen (inner pickleball court lines)], [the game is much] harder, and you have to pay really close attention to which line you’re on. In Canada, it’s only a pickleball court, and it’s much more clear where you are,” Kornfeld said.
With pickleball taking over tennis courts and being a similar game, the two are often compared. As pickleball grows more popular and gains more players, the need for more courts will only grow. While some may be hesitant to try the game, man
y people have found a lot of joy and a unique community in this sport.
“We’ve brought so many people together and turned them on to pickleball, and now all these people have become friends. It’s become a little community. It’s incredible,” Aiello said.
Taupal also loves the community their league has created. Through switching partners and seeing people consistently in their league, she feels she has bonded with people in a new way.
“The community we have is so amazing,” Taupal said. “Sometimes, we don’t even know [a player’s] last name or what they do for a living, but we know where their daughter is and how they’re doing and where they’re going for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s really fun. Everyone kind of likes that they feel they’ve joined a whole other world within our little Marin area.”
