If you didn’t know what pickleball was a couple of years ago, you’ve likely heard the name thrown around by now. Pickleball has grown exponentially in popularity in the past decade and has become a household name for many people. The sport is now the fastest-growing in the United States for the fifth consecutive year with 48.3 million Americans enjoying pickleball. With locations constantly being constructed around North America, there is now a total of about 50,003 new pickleball courts to play on. 

The game originated 58 years ago in 1965 on an island just outside of Seattle when a couple of fathers combined two sports and created a game for their children to enjoy during summer vacation. The sport is a hybrid between tennis and ping-pong. It uses a court and net that is a fraction of the size of a tennis court. Players then use paddles similar to ping pong paddles, but bigger, and hit a wiffle-style ball from side to side. With the sport being a step up from ping pong and a step down from tennis, there is room for everyone to enjoy, especially around Eugene.

In and around Eugene there is no shortage of courts, with some at the Westmoreland Recreation Center, Echo Hollow Park and Meadow Park. All of these courts are open to the public, and there are always people playing, ranging from younger to older ages. Trenton Minich recently graduated from the University of Oregon, is a regular at the Meadow Park pickleball courts. “Yeah that’s the nice thing we’ve seen kids out here, we’ve seen older people out here, college kids out here so it’s kind of just a wide range of people,” Minich said. “It’s more just for people to get outside, get mild exercise and for everyone to just have a good time.” Pickleball has low barriers to entry because it is a cheap sport to start playing, and a sport that doesn’t require a lot of skill to participate while still having a competitive aspect. 

With most courts being outside, it is a great opportunity to get outdoors, get exercise and bring the community together. “It’s great because it’s so popular and the rules are you have to be polite and everybody gets to play so it’s a very welcoming game that way,” Susan Brooks, a Springfield resident who has been playing pickleball for just over a year said. “When you first start out, it isn’t that hard so it’s a good entryway sport and socialization opportunity.” Pickleball is an amazing way to make new connections through an active hobby. Most people are just there to enjoy some exercise with their friends and family or with newly fostered relationships. 

For those who want to take it to the next level, there are multiple opportunities to get more involved in Eugene. The Eugene Family YMCA has reservations for pickleball courts and lessons for anyone interested in learning from an instructor. For those interested in making connections with other pickleball lovers, there is the Emerald Valley Pickleball Club which strives to build a community of supportive and fun players and promote expansion of the sport. 
At first glance, people can jump to many different conclusions about pickleball and the people who play it. “If you haven’t tried it, then try it, it’s fun. I feel like if you think it’s weird, or if you think it’s maybe different, you will have a lot more fun with it than you think, especially if you’re in college,” Minich said. Pickleball has a lot of misconceptions attached to it due to its rapid growth, but with all activities and hobbies, there is no hurt in trying something new.