What do Drake, Michael B. Jordan, Tom Brady and LeBron James all have in common? They each have become investors in Major League Pickleball teams.

Pickleball is America’s fastest growing sport, with a 159% increase in participation over the last three years. According to a recent study conducted by YouGov, 14% of Americans—or 36.5 million people—played pickleball between August 2021 and August 2022.^{1, 2}

The Chronology of Pickleball

The game was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington State. Two years later, Pritchard built the first permanent pickleball court in his friend’s backyard.

Its growth was a slow grind from there, with its corporate organization in 1972, the first tournament in 1976 and the creation of the U.S. Amateur Pickleball Association (USAPA) in 1984. By 1990, pickleball was being played in all 50 states, drawing nearly 400 players from 26 states for its first national tournament in 2009.

The USAPA surpassed 10,000 members for the first time in 2015, reaching the mark of 70,000 members in early 2023.

Celebrities are enamored with the sport. Leonardo DiCaprio plays it; so does Larry David. Matthew Perry plays several times a week, and Amanda Peet got tennis elbow from playing.

Cities from around the country are building courts at a breakneck pace to satisfy the demand of their pickleball-playing constituents. Locations such as Portland, Oregon, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Long Beach, California, and Asheville, North Carolina, are including pickleball in their long-term community development plans, even as they build new courts and convert existing tennis courts.

Cities are not alone—private clubs, gyms and even individuals are building courts.

Why the Craze?

Considered a combination of tennis, ping-pong and badminton, its meteoric rise in popularity lies in a number of reasons. It’s a wonderful workout that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s easy to learn, affordable and easier on the body than tennis. Finally, it’s a sport that doesn’t require much space and can be played indoors or outdoors, making it an ideal year-round sport.

Is Racquetball a Cautionary Analog?

Racquetball trended in the late 1970s the same way pickleball has today, exploding in the number of players and courts before fading into obscurity.

Of course, there are differences. Racquetball required an expensive gym membership (plus an hourly rate charge) and was very hard on the body, whereas pickleball is less taxing on the body and whose courts are far more accessible. Plus, pickleball may be in a better position to sustain its popularity thanks to social media, which didn’t exist during the time of racquetball’s rise.

Regardless what the future may hold for pickleball, the sport’s popularity encourages exercise, the health benefits of which can be both physical and mental.

Sources:

1. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/11/business/pickleball-sports-noise-complaints-tennis-ctpr/index.html
2. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/pickleball-popularity-explodes-with-more-than-36-million-playing.html

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