In recent years, pickleball has taken the sports world by storm. In 2023, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) declared pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America for the third consecutive year. From casual neighborhood park players to national champions, pickleball is beloved by players of all skill levels.
Pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. The first game was played in 1965 on a badminton court with ping pong paddles and followed the same rules of tennis. In 1984, pickleball became an officially recognized sport and the first rule book was released. In the following years, pickleball remained relatively unpopular, largely due to the lack of knowledge surrounding the sport’s existence. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that pickleball was thrown into the spotlight of the sporting world. With many team sports on pause due to social distancing requirements, people turned to pickleball to stay active while adhering to social distancing guidelines. Pickleball’s accessibility skyrocketed its popularity as now nearly 36.5 million play pickleball at least once annually according to the SFIA.
The University of Oregon is no exception to the pickleball craze that is sweeping the nation. In the fall of 2023, the official UO Pickleball Club was founded by current senior Jadelyn Yep. After playing tennis for years, last summer Yep decided to trade her racket for a paddle and pick up pickleball.
“I thought it was a unique, fast-paced game,” Yep said. “It keeps me engaged even when I’m watching professionals.”
Upon returning to school in the fall, Yep wanted to continue playing throughout the year but found no team or club already established on campus. She decided to bring her love of pickleball to campus and form the UO Pickleball Club.
Yep prides herself on the inclusive and friendly atmosphere the club provides. She said the UO Pickleball Club has been a great environment to foster community and practice good sportsmanship and teamwork within the University of Oregon campus.
The goal of the club is to bring players of all skill levels together to grow the sport of pickleball at the UO, Yep said. Since the club’s start in the fall, the UO Pickleball Club now has over 50 members and welcomes players of all ages and skill levels to engage in friendly competition and meet people with similar interests.
“Thanks to the club, I have been able to connect with players ranging from first years to graduate students,” Yep said. “It is the highlight of my week.”
Yep’s advice to those wanting to get involved with pickleball is to grab a group of friends and start with the basics. For easy access to equipment, the Student Recreation Center on campus offers free paddles and balls available for students to rent.
“It’s important to stay open-minded and be open to learning from more experienced players,” Yep said. “But it’s most important to have fun on the court.”
For the remainder of the spring term, the UO Pickleball Club meets on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Uptown Courts in the Student Recreation Center on campus.
