The days of pickup basketball and wiffle ball dominating the casual sports scene are over as the emergence of pickleball has blown the sporting world wide open. In the year 2024 it is estimated that over 36.5 million Americans have tried the sports phenomenon leading to its remarkable growth in popularity and arrival on the big scene of athletics.
Despite only becoming popular in the past few years, pickleball has existed for many decades, originally being created in 1965.
Pickleball is a simple game, much akin to that of tennis or ping pong, which can be played individually or in teams of two. Each rally begins with a serve that must land in the opposite box. Both the serve and the serve return shot must bounce before hitting back, and then volleys are fair game. The main difference between Pickleball and Tennis is the concept of the “kitchen”. On either side of the net there is a seven foot zone called “the kitchen” in which players are not permitted to volley back and forth while standing in. Games are generally played to 11, and points can only be won by the serving team.
The sport has really hit its stride in growth in the past three years, seeing an increase of players by 223.5%, leading it to become the “fastest growing sport in America” according to the SFIA.
What makes this remarkable growth possible is without a doubt the sheer levels of accessibility the sport provides, allowing players of all ages and abilities to enjoy the game. The lack of physical intensity while having the same core elements of more physically taxing sports like tennis creates the perfect combination of casual sport with competition.
Additionally, the health benefits of pickleball make its sudden surge in popularity remarkably positive. Playing pickleball has been proven to improve heart health, muscle and bone strength, balance and coordination and brain health according to Cleveland Clinic.
These benefits have been seen around Bernards High School as well, as pickleball has become a multi-week unit in physical education. Jack Cohen ‘26 has greatly enjoyed pickleball being added to the gym curriculum saying “pickleball has been a blast in PE, and I look forward to playing it more this winter”.
Despite mostly being a leisurely sport, pickleball has made its way into the professional scene as well byway of the PPA Tour, or Professional Pickleball Association. The PPA hosts 26 tournaments each year, spanning across 16 states over the course of a season. Although it has not caught on to mainstream professional sports enjoyment it is almost inevitable that it will as the sport continues to gain interest among people of all ages.
In addition, many high schools around the country have created pickleball teams, competing against other schools in their region. Although Bernards High School does not currently have a pickleball program, the increased interest in Bernardsville may change that within the next few years.
In March of 2023 Bernardsville built the pickleball courts near Bernardsville Middle School and the town pool, hopping on the growing trend. It contains three courts available for public use, and has helped to increase public interest in the game.
Jack Martin ‘27 has taken an interest in pickleball, saying “The construction of the courts makes it more available for people to come and play and it brings more awareness to the sport allowing it to grow”. Martin has noticed the popularity grow, noticing that “all three courts are always packed”.
As the sports world continues to change, pickleball seems to be here to stay as the sport continues to grow and take over the athletic world by storm.
