PENNSYLVANIA, USA — It's been dubbed the "fastest-growing sport" in the United States!
Pickleball, a cross between ping pong, badminton and tennis was invented by three vacationers on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle in 1965, according to the blog Pickleheads.
Today, around 36.5 million people play the game in the U.S. which is a 158.6% average growth over the past three years.
Although it's been around for decades, pickleball grew nearly 40% between 2019 and 2021, according to the New York Times. That spike can be directly seen in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic when people were looking for ways to stay healthy while also staying close to home.
There are plenty of guides and videos online explaining how to play the sport, but an abbreviated explanation is as follows:
- Pickleball can be played as either a singles or doubles game, with the same court size used for both.
- One person, the pickler, will serve the ball underhand over the net and diagonally into their opponent's service court.
- The ball is then hit back and forth over the net until a player misses.
- Points can only be scored by the serving team.
- Each game goes to 11 points, but the winner must win by two points.
There isn't much needed to get into the game, just a paddle, a pickleball and a net! The items can be purchased separately or bought in a pack together.
On a physical level, pickleball can be a great workout, according to UW Medicine. Since the sport combines elements of tennis, ping pong and badminton there's a ton of running and swinging involved in the game.
It's also likely not going anywhere either. According to Forbes, there are approximately 70 countries across the globe that have joined the International Federation of Pickleball. There's even been chatter about trying to add it to the 2028 Olympic games as a demonstration sport.
Pennsylvania is on board the pickleball train as well. It ranked in the top ten states with the most places to play the game, boasting a total of 357 locations and counting.
For those located in Cumberland County, a brand-new indoor facility recently opened in August! There are also plenty of outdoor groups and fellow Pennsylvanians playing the rapidly expanding sport.