In recent months, pickleball has become one of the more popular sports, and there’s no doubt about that. This combination of ping-pong and tennis has over 36.5 million players in the United States alone, and the sport has also grown 223.5% in the last 3 years. So why is Pickleball all of a sudden gaining popularity? Is it the cute outfits? The health benefits? Or just for fun?
Pickleball can be played by everyone, but the largest percentage of people that play are between the ages 18 and 34. Young people love pickleball because they can play in large groups with family or friends, and it’s a great way to connect with people in your community. Junior Lily Hass loves to play with friends a majority of the time.
“I usually play with friends at parks that are free,” Hass said. “I love the environment and just being with them.”
The social aspect is not the only component pickleball has to offer. With its rise in popularity, many brands and companies have introduced pickleball related products, such as outfits, fun paddle designs, bags, and accessories. Before its surge, paddles cost anywhere from $100 to $150, now they can be anywhere from $200 and up. In this sport, however, price correlates with quality, but is there really a difference?
Junior Brennon Dreher believes that there is.
“There is a big difference because the nicer paddles can have more power and different textures,” Dreher said. “It allows you to put more spin on your shots.”
Equipment is not the only reason pickleball has become popular. In Spring of 2024, Target launched a collaboration with Prince, a popular racquet sports brand, and in this collection, new
skirt colors, athletic dresses, shorts, and various tops were available. Lots of people bought the clothes solely because of the trendy athletic and athleisure wear, even if they don’t play pickleball themselves. Influencers all over the world buy these products and share pictures and videos of them playing pickleball in their new gear.
Another pickleball trend on social media are point celebration videos. Thousands of people have created ideas on how to celebrate their winning points in pickleball. Some “stir the witches brew”, or “sign an autograph” using their paddle and their partner. The videos are meant to be creative and bring extra fun into the time spent on the court. Seeing these short videos often, makes people want to try it out for themselves, then leading them to pick up the sport.
So is pickleball just another trend? Or is it something that people are going to play for a long time? Pickleball is a great way to connect with friends, have some fun, get some exercise, and is another excuse to buy cute clothes.
