ANYONE FOR PICKLEBALL?
Pickleball is a mix of tennis, badminton and table tennis, played outdoors and is the fastest growing recreational sport in Australia with over 50,000 now playing recreationally taking the world by storm.
It’s incredible growth is happening all over the world and is bringing communities together, promoting health and wellbeing, and redefining leisure activities.
The appeal is that is it easy to learn and is able to be played by all ages, skill levels and ability. Rules are simple so it is great for people of all ages and ability.
The game was created in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at the summer home of Joel Pritchard. He and two of his friends, Barney McCallum and Bill Bell, are credited with devising the game and establishing the rules.
According to Joan Pritchard, Joel Pritchard’s wife, “The name of the game became Pickleball after I said it reminded me of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.”
Another source suggested the name “Pickleball” came from the name of the Pritchards’ family dog, “Pickles”.
They said the confusion arose when a reporter interviewing the Pritchards in the early 1970s decided it would be easier for readers to relate to the dog rather than a pickle boat.
No matter how the name came about – it is catchy and the sport is growing exponentially, creating an income for many sporting people.
The Gold Coast is home to some of the country’s top players, including Sarah Burr who was Australia’s first player to compete in the major League Pickleball in the USA and Martin Clark who won the National Pickleball League last season.
Australia’s number one draft pick in the Pacific Pickleball Major League is Lucas Pascoe and at the age of 17 has a huge career ahead of him.
Australia is becoming a community of “picklers” – this name is given to someone who can’t put the pickleball paddle down.
Pickleball is a racquet sport played on a small tennis-like court from two to four players either indoor or outdoor.
One person serves the ball, then it’s hit back and forth across the net to earn points. Serving is always underhand and must happen without the ball touching the ground.
It is played with a tennis net, paddle and plastic ball (commonly known as a “wiffle ball”) close to the size of a tennis ball. It is played on a hardcourt surface.
Organisers can also fit four courts on to a tennis court, with most matches played in a doubles format.
Florida is the ultimate pickleball destination, as it has an abundance of top-notch courts, has a vibrant pickleball community, and has yearround sunny weather.
There were over 48 million people playing pickleball in the US over the last 12 months. This is an increase of 35 per cent since August 2022.
The traditional pickleball rules has either one player or the team getting to 11 points first, with a two-point margin being the winner. Only the serving side can earn a point, which is caused by the other side faulting.
From what I can see, there are so many positive aspects to this game:
• Offers older adults lowimpact exercise that improves their overall health while socialising with friends and neighbours.
• Promotes social, mental and physical health regardless of age, gender or ability.
• Develops lifelong bonds through a strong community spirit, including local schools, aged care facilities and other organisations.
• Provides an opportunity in a safe, friendly and family oriented club environment.
• Bridges the generation gap and brings families together to play with equal skills and abilities.
Australia currently has around 40,000 people playing the sport. There are around 9000 players registered to clubs.
The first 1000 people to register as members of Pickleball Australia took 150 days. The last 1000 members took 56 days.
The forecasted growth of the sport in Australia over the next three years is a million people, according to the National Pickleball League.
The average age of players in Australia is 58 years, but is decreasing yearly.
Currently there are a number of professional tournaments being played in Australia. Along with the professional tournaments, there will be 40 sanctioned amateur tournaments to be held across Australia this year, of which half will be held in Queensland, including the Australian Open at Carrara for the next four years.
In Australia, one of the biggest clubs is right here on the Gold Coast, founded in 2017 with only seven members.
Now with 750 members, the Gold Coast Pickleball Association is growing at a rate of around 20 people per month.
The oldest player is 85 and is still competitive. The club plays at four venues and is quickly running out of courts to cater for the growing membership.
On the Gold Coast, the main problem is a significant shortage of courts.
The Association is exploring creating a relationship with schools.
Along with other sports, it would be a great opportunity to maximise school facilities and further increase the exposure within schools.
This will be a win-win situation for schools and the community.
Those people currently involved with pickleball have their fingers crossed that due to its popularity, the sport could well find its way on the sporting program for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.