Fun, social and healthily addictive, the fastest growing sport in America is looking for a way to bounce its way into your heart.
With over 36 million players nationwide, pickleball has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, and for good reasons — the ease of play, the low cost of entry and sociability make the game accessible to people of all ages. The game can be learned in just a few lessons, and players can participate in competitive tournaments at all levels.
Brandon Mackie, co-founder of Pickleheads, the self-designated digital home for pickleball, scours the country for pickleball courts and helps connect people to leagues in their areas.
“Pickleball is a social activity as much as it is a sport,” Mackie said. “It’s commonly played in an open-play format where 50 or even more players show up and rotate games and partners. You also almost always play pickleball as doubles, which leaves many opportunities to socialize and meet players.”
Pickleball combines the elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong to make a fun and easy game for young or old. The rules of the game are simple: two to four players use paddles to hit a perforated ball back and forth over a net on a court that’s about a third the size of a tennis court. The objective is for each side to score points by volleying the ball until it touches the ground in their opponent’s half of the court.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many were looking for responsible ways to socialize and stay active, pickleball provided a way to get out and have fun while keeping your distance. But the popularity didn’t wane as the world returned to normalcy. People were into it and the reasons are clear.
“The magic of pickleball is it’s easy to learn, but hard to master,” Mackie said. “Beginners can go out their first time, learn the game, have fun and even win a few games. But advanced players stay challenged and keep coming back for more. This dynamic is a big reason why pickleball continues to grow like crazy.”
According to Pickleheads, there are 19 official pickleball courts throughout the Oklahoma City metro and over a hundred statewide. Scissortail Park offers free access to their courts, while establishments like Chick-N-Pickle allow guests to play for a fee while enjoying the venue’s menu. Hidden Trails Golf & Country Club, The Greens Country Club and Sante Fe Family Life Center have all added pickleball courts to their facilities, and the City of Oklahoma City’s recent MAPS 4 initiative put aside $150 million to upgrade every neighborhood and community park outside of downtown Oklahoma City which will include some new pickleball courts.
The game was invented in 1965 by three dads near Seattle as a way to entertain their children during their summer vacation.
Armed with only ping-pong paddles and a Wiffle ball with an old badminton court to serve as the playing field, the dads soon found a way to keep their family occupied and active. As for the name, that comes from one of the founder’s dogs, Pickles, who would chase the runaway balls that bounced out of bounds during the games.
The first official pickleball court was constructed two years later. By 1984, the United States of America Pickleball Association (USAPA) was founded to help promote and grow the sport.
Now ‘picklers,’ as they’ve become known, come together in all ages and walks of life to enjoy it. While the young find a great deal of joy in the game, the young at heart find it helps keep them active, healthy and sharp. Seniors love the sport so much that in 2005 pickleball became part of the Senior Games, a multi-sport event for athletes over the age of 50.
Its health benefits are noticeable. A 2018 study from Western Colorado University found that pickleball players averaged a heart rate of 109 beats per minute and burned 354 calories per hour, which qualifies the activity as a moderate-intensity workout on par with yoga, hiking and water aerobics. After playing for an hour every other day for six weeks, the players experienced significant improvements in their cardiovascular fitness, including cholesterol levels, blood pressure and maximal oxygen uptake.
So this spring and summer, grab your paddle and hit the court.
Visit pickleheads.com
