You may have noticed the recent surge in popularity of pickleball: whether it’s the fashion, community, or the game itself, everyone appears to be loving it, even if they do not know much about it.
OH junior athlete Sarah Boness “[heard] there was a new stadium built around the area but… thought it was a tennis court.” While pickleball and tennis look similar, they are different sports that have both been around for a long time.
The shocking rise in pickleball popularity has many curious surrounding the sport and are waiting for more people to participate.
What is more “new” about pickleball is its popularity. Some of this might be due to the newer Oswegoland Park District’s popular pickleball courts at Briarcliff Park and the Civic Center. The courts have some strict but abidable rules and regulations.
Their court rules are racket sports and use of soft-soled shoes only. Regulations include no pets, no glass, and no wheels – vehicles, bikes, skates, or skateboards. The expected court courtesies are a limit of one game to 11 when players are waiting and limited play to one hour when players are waiting. Interested readers can find out more about pickleball’s rules and regulations on the Oswegoland Park District website.
Developed in 1965, pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits an infraction.
People all across the world, old and young, are participating in the sport. Younger audiences are living for a preppy look, consisting of choices like tennis skirts and tight polo tees. There are several options for branded clothes too, like Gucci, Adidas, and Lululemon. People post their daily outfits all across social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Models like Ulrikke Høye can be found on the cover of “Vogue” sporting mini tennis skirts and polo shirts designed by artists like Tory Burch.
Though pickleball and tennis are similar in most ways, they do have some differences. For example, tennis players serve with rackets while pickleball features paddles. Also, tennis balls are dense and lined with fabric, but pickleballs are plastic and hollow. In tennis, players hit overhead serves. In pickleball, players need to serve underhand.
According to the USA Pickleball site, dads Joel Pritchard, Bill Bellm, and Barney McCallum invented Pickleball in 1965 as a fun activity to play with their kids during the summer. They were trying to find something fun to play with their children during the hot summer days to keep them entertained but active.
There is also a National Pickleball League (NPL), more recently established in 2022. NPL is on social media and streaming sites like CBS, CBS Sports Network, and Paramount. It is a nationwide team competition for the champion division and the first-ever pro pickleball league.
NBA stars like Michael B Jordan and Kevin Durant, and even artist Drake, have invested in pickleball teams in 2022. Retired NFL stars like Tom Brady and Drew Brees also announced they’d bought into squads.
The hype surrounding pickleball created by young audiences has influenced pro athletes and big designers such as Vogue and Gucci.
Hello, I´m Aiyana. I´m a senior working my first year along side the 42fifty staff here at Oswego High School.
