No matter where you were this summer, there seemed to be a faint clacking of pickleball rackets audible somewhere in the distance. Pickleball courts have been more crowded than usual, with people lining up at parks for a spot to play.
So, what makes this sport so popular?
“My wife loves tennis, and I like it, but this is a little less running around and you can do it in a smaller space…Like when I miss hitting the ball it doesn’t go as far,” Chris Curry, assistant athletic director, said.
Pickleball is essentially a combination of already well-known sports, such as tennis, badminton, and ping pong, making it easy for people to learn its rules.
Nikita Stepanov (12) agrees, pointing at pickleball as an alternative to learning the complexities of tennis.
“It’s a really fun sport. Tennis is really technical and difficult, but pickleball…it’s easier to pick up,” he said.
Kayall Manivasagam (12) agrees that since the sport doesn’t require many prerequisites or training, everyone can play their hand.
“It is such an easy sport to pick up…It’s very basic. You don’t need to be very talented to play it, which is why I think a lot of people like it.” said Manivasagam.
The simplicity of the game means anyone can get competitive in it, making it the perfect candidate for an intramural sport here at VHHS.
“It’s a lot of fun to be competitive but it’s also a lot of laughs. It’s competitive and cooperative at the same time…you can have fun with people,” said Curry.
Every pickleball game is a fair competition, according to Riley Mitchell (11).
“People get pretty evenly matched in games, so there’s someone for everyone to play against,” said Mitchell.
When asked if pickleball should be introduced as an intramural sport at VHHS, students such as Stepanov, Manivasagam, and Riley Mitchell said they would be eager to join.
“Yes, I feel like it should be [an intramural sport], I feel like it would be a lot of people playing. It’s overall very fun, so it would bring people together,” said Stepanov.`
Pickleball is able to appeal to every grade at VHHS, as Manivasagam says.
“I think we need this sport because everyone can play. It’s such a great sport. Young kids can play it, and older kids can play it too,” said Manivasagam.
Due to the student support he has seen, Mitchell agrees.
“I would join, if it was [an intramural sport]. I think it should be because there’s a pretty good amount of people that play. Some people might be more competitive than others, which would need to be addressed, but it is definitely worth a try” said Mitchell.
Thankfully for these students, pickleball has been introduced as an intramural sport starting this September 21st, with advisor Sean Kelly.
With its amassed popularity and appeal to all age groups, it’s no surprise that pickleball has become the newest edition to intramural sports here at VHHS. As Curry explains, various sports in the past have been adopted by VHHS based on support from the student body.
“When we started the school, we didn’t have water polo. When we started school, we didn’t have lacrosse. But we had people who were interested, and they started gradually and they became clubs, and now they are full-fledged sports because we have enough people who want to do them year after year,” Curry said.
The first meeting for intramural pickleball is Thursday, September 21, at Deer Path Park, 299 Onwentsia Road at 3:45-5:00 p.m, open to everyone.
This is a sport truly anyone can pick up and have fun in, so why not give it a try?