the rise of pickleball
Sports, Sports, Sports!
America is all about sports. That also seems to be the case on the University of South Carolina campus. Gamecock pride seems to be abundant on campus each year as we go through each sport season from football in the fall to basketball in the spring. You have probably heard of sports like soccer, baseball, and much more as they are popular sports. However, there is a new sport on the rise:
Pickleball. This sport isn’t as new as you may think since it dates back to 1965. Rather than new it’s more of an underrated sport that has begun to gain more popularity over the years.
Now what is pickleball you may ask? Jade Parker, a current freshman and co-founder of the Pickleball Club at the University of South Carolina, describes it as being similar to tennis with slightly different gameplay. While it’s no secret that tennis and pickleball are similar, pickleball is quite unique much like its name. One big difference is the paddle and ball used to play.
“The paddle isn’t see through, it’s solid and then the ball has holes in it, kind of like a wiffle ball.” said Parker.
Another major difference is the two bounce rule. After you serve, the returning team has to hit the ball after one bounce. Then, the serving team has to let it bounce once before they rally back. After that, it’s game on! This rule is in effect at the start of every point. Now that we’ve established the difference between pickleball and it’s sister-sport, tennis, let’s discuss the appeal of pickleball. What about pickleball draws people in? There’s actually many things, one being how inclusive it is.
“I’d say this is one sport that anyone can play ranging from young kids to even 70 year olds.” said Parker.
Pickleball is ideal for all skill levels as it is fairly easy to learn. Whether you’re a beginner who just wants to learn a new sport for fun, or you’re a skilled player who craves the thrill of more competitive play. Pickleball offers something for everyone.
It’s also a social activity. Because of the small court size, gameplay allows players to be close enough to each other to hold conversations. Therefore, pickleball makes it easy to spend quality time with loved ones or go on an outing with new and old acquaintances while also getting an enjoyable workout. In her interview about pickleball, Jade revealed that pickleball served as a social activity for her as well.
“I got into it my junior year. A lot of my high school friends started playing at the same time. I really like the social side of the sport because it allows you to meet people and hang out with friends while playing which you can’t do in many other sports.” Parker said.
Another appeal of pickleball is it’s affordability. Looking to play sports while balling on a budget? Then pickleball is for you.The one time purchase of a pickleball racquet and ball, which is all you need to play, is typically 30 dollars or less. In tennis, 30 dollars is normally the starting cost of just the racquet.
Knowing all this, the rising popularity of pickleball comes as no surprise. In fact pickleball has become so popular that it was referred to as “the fastest growing sport in America” by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association in 2022 and it has only continued to grow since then. As of right now there are about 36.5 million pickleball players in the US according to the National Pickleball Association. It was 4.8 million just last year. Crazy, right?! While pickleball has become a nationwide phenomenon, let’s look at the popularity of it right here in South Carolina.
In South Carolina we have 779 pickleball courts and over 2,000 pickleball players. 250 of those players are Columbia residents. To bring things even closer to home, we also have pickleball players here at the University of South Carolina. Just this year freshman, Jade Parker, created a pickleball club here on campus. The club welcomes everybody and is actively looking for new members. If pickleball peaks your interest and you’re a USC student then you should give it a try.
If you’re not a USC student but are still interested in pickleball that’s okay too! You can start by searching pickleball clubs and courts in your area (there are probably many) and go from there.
For more information about Carolina Pickleball Club email:
carolinapickleballclub23@gmail.com
For more information about where to play pickleball near you go to: