Pickleball, a growing sport around the United States, has made its way to Lincoln East High School. Pickleball club meets every Tuesday from 3:15-4:30 at either the tennis courts or the gym, weather depending. With only having two meetings so far, the club is already gaining popularity and growing.
“We started off pretty slow with only three people showing up to the first meeting,” President Macy Fagler said. “When we sent out a paragraph for the morning announcements and the emails that get sent out and that’s when we had a lot of people join the google classroom. For the second meeting we had a turnout of 15 people, which is great!”
The Sport of Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and pingpong. The sport has been rapidly growing in popularity over the past few years due to its accessibility, simplicity, as well as the social nature. The sport has been proven to have multiple health benefits, with having a low chance of injury, as well as not being too physically strenuous on the body. Anyone can pick up a paddle and learn to play within minutes.
The resurgence of the sport started with its increased presence on social media. Through the popular app, “TikTok,” people have been sharing videos about their personal experience, showing the ease of physical activity, while also being able to be competitive with their friends. Others have shared how relaxing the sport is by posting videos with a sunset lighting and moody music, catching the aesthetic of the sport. TikTok has proven that no matter who you are, anyone will enjoy playing the sport. All age ranges, especially millennials, have caught the “pickleball bug,” bringing light to the activity by introducing such clubs in schools, ran by students.
“The club was made to bring the activity and expose it to anyone who has heard of it or wants to enjoy the camaraderie and fun of playing it, as well as open some eyes to this really cool activity,” Sponsor Lance Kingery said.
With the target audience of the sport on social media being teens, the talk of having a Pickleball club at Lincoln East High School has been going around for quite some time. The interest of the sport is sparked among the students during prom season, when a yearly competition of Pickelball is held, with the winners getting free prom tickets. It was only a matter of time before the club was created.
“Our goal of the club is really just to provide a fun space for people to come and play with their friends and other people their age, as well as teach the rules to people who are just picking it up,” Fagler said.
For anyone that is looking for an easy hobby to pick up, pickleball club is the perfect way to start. Students are able to try something new, participate in a heart-healthy activity, as well as socialize with other peers at Lincoln East.
