The Rise of Pickleball

The growing popularity of pickleball has resulted in the creation of more courts at parks as well as conflicts with tennis players.

1 minute read

November 15, 2021, 9:00 AM PST

By Clement Lau


A mixed-doubles game of pickleball.

bhpics / Shutterstock

Pickleball is one of America's fastest growing sports. For those who don't know what it is, pickleball is a paddleball sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis.  Due to the sport's growing popularity, park agencies across the United States have created new indoor and outdoor courts, or made modifications to tennis courts to allow for pickleball play.  In this article, Margie Zable Fisher introduces readers to the sport and offers ten fun facts about the sport:

  1. Pickleball has been around for over 50 years.
  2. You don't need to be a pickle lover to play pickleball.
  3. Pickleball isn't just for old people.
  4. You can get a workout playing pickleball.
  5. Naples, Florida is known as "The Pickleball Capital of the World."
  6. Pickleball may eventually become an Olympic sport.
  7. You don’t need to have played tennis or even any racquet sports to excel at pickleball. 
  8. While many new pickleball courts are being built, some tennis courts have been repurposed as pickleball courts.
  9. Tennis pros of all ages and abilities are moving to pickleball. 
  10. Celebrities love pickleball.  

To learn more about pickleball, please read the source article and visit the USA Pickleball website.  Also, because some courts are shared between tennis and pickleball players, conflicts or disputes have arisen, as exemplified in this story. 

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