Pickleball is catching fire in Madison — and not just among older people

Published in the Wisconsin State Journal here

Pickleball may conjure images of an elderly couple wearing matching visor near a Floridian beach, slowly hitting a neon yellow plastic ball back and forth.

But, on a July morning in Garner Park on the West Side, the picture could not have been more different. People of all ages feverishly hurled a bright, perforated ball around the 20-foot-wide court, returning shots from all angles. This was not the time for amateurs — the competition was fierce at Madison’s only courts dedicated solely to pickleball.

Every Monday morning some of Madison’s best pickleball players journey to Garner Park. But across the city, it’s not just serious pickleball aficionados joining in. Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport, swelling from 5 million people having played at least once in 2021 to 36.5 million in 2022, according to a report from CNBC.

“The sport has just exploded,” said Rico Goedjen between games at Warner Park. He’s the president of the Capital Area Pickleball Association, the leading organization for pickleball enthusiasts in the Madison area, between games at Warner Park. “It’s so much fun. You meet so many people doing it, and it’s so welcoming. It is much better than going to a gym, by far.”

People are also reading…

High school students will have easier path to getting into most UW schools

UW-Madison conference interrupted by profanity, people exposing themselves

Why your phone and TV will screech an alert at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday

Start time, TV set for Wisconsin football kickoff against Iowa

The pickleball association was founded in 2016 as part of a fundraising effort to convert the tennis courts at Garner Park into dedicated pickleball courts, Goedjen said. Membership costs $15 a year.

“Our first organizing meeting overwhelmed our room,” Goedjen said.

Since then, the association has expanded from a few dozen members to mlore than 1,000, with most of the growth occurring in the past two years, Goedjen said. CAPA plans tournaments, including one at McGaw Park in Fitchburg Aug. 18-20, meetups and fundraisers.

The city said it recognizes the sport’s growing popularity and plans to build on the 50 public outdoor courts that have lines painted for both pickleball and tennis in Madison and the surrounding area.

Old Timber Park on the Far West Side is slated to have pickleball-only courts by late summer 2024, said Madison Parks spokesperson Ann Shea.

Rico Goedjen, president of the Capital Area Pickleball Association, returns the ball during a game at Garner Park, the city's only park with courts dedicated solely to pickleball.

Easy to learn

Pickleball is played by first launching an underhand serve over the net, which is about as tall as a baseball bat, with players hitting the ball back and forth until someone misses a shot or hits it out of bounds. The game continues until one team, generally two players, scores 11 points.

The beauty of the sport is also that it can be picked up relatively quickly, regardless of one’s athletic ability, said Jeanne Burgess, a local certified pickleball instructor.

“Everybody gets it the first couple of hours,” Burgess said. “It’s just fun. Everybody gets some great shots on the first class, and it’s easy to do on the body relative to other sports.”

Burgess has taught people of all ages, from as young as 6 to as old as 80.

“I have taught some people who have never even learned to ride a bike that are 50, 60, 70, 80, and this is the first sport they’ve tried,” Burgess said. “They can be successful at it, and they’re so excited.”

And it’s affordable compared with other sports such as tennis or golf, Burgess said. A pickleball set with paddles and balls can cost from $30 to $80.

Joy Lentz, left, and Larry Claggett take on Lisa Esposito and Jill Goedjen during open play pickleball at Garner Park.

Jill Masana, an OB-GYN from Madison, said started playing pickleball with her dad in 2020 and instantly had fun.

“We all became obsessed right away,” Masana said.

Afterward, Masana teamed up with a handful of neighbors to create an unofficial pickleball club. Using duct tape, they created a homemade pickleball court on their street, playing late into the night after their kids went to sleep, illuminated by street lights.

“It’s in the middle of the street,” she said. “It’s created a community for sure.”

Paul Roehr, left, and Chuck Demets team up for a game of pickleball during open play at Garner Park in Madison. The sport is rapidly gaining interest from people of all ages.

A social game

The compact nature of pickleball courts is one of the reasons why the sport is social, Burgess said. Players compete close enough to each other that they can chat, laugh and talk together. Additionally, pickleball is generally played in an “open play” style, where players can rotate after the speedy 11-point game is finished.

Cendy Jaggi, another local player, said pickleball has “been a life changer” for her.

After retiring, Jaggi said she was seeking community and hobbies. Enter a group called “who’s new,” a women’s social organization that connects Madisonians through shared interests and group activities. One of the organization’s offerings was a pickleball club.

“Fabulous women. It keeps us all vibrant and active,” said Jaggi, wearing a bright yellow, green and blue athletic skirt with images of pickleball on it. “You’re constantly mixing up and meeting new people, and then pretty soon, by the end of the season, you’ve got all these new friends.”

Jaggi said she was inspired to continue playing pickleball when one of her closest friends, Jeaneen Butler, raved about the sport.

“It’s just the community of pickleball people,” Butler said. “I haven’t met anybody that wasn’t willing to welcome you to pickleball.”

Nancy Gunder, center, with Who’s New in Madison, calls out court assignments to the group that gathered to play pickleball at Garner Park. Who's New connects Madisonians by their interests, including pickleball.

Gen Z, too

Despite its appeal to players of all ages, Generation Z — those between the ages of around 11 to 26 — are leading the pickleball trend nationally. Nearly 35% of Gen Zers said they have played pickleball, followed by 20% of Millennials, 14% of Generation X and 7% of Boomers, according to research firm Morning Consult.

Ben Rasey is the co-founder and president of the UW-Whitewater pickleball club, which he co-founded in the spring of 2021. During the past two years, the club expanded from seven members to over 100, Rasey said.

“People are building relationships and bonds out of this sport,” Rasey said.

The club hosts competitions as well as lessons and social events, like pizza parties. Some of its members even meet daily to play pickleball.

“The thing pickleball has, especially on campus, that’s so powerful is that we’re the only sport where we can have college students play with community members,” Rasey said. “Age is not really existent in the sport.”

Celebrities and star athletes are also jumping in on the pickleball craze. LeBron James, Tom Brady, Drake and Michael B. Jordan have all recently invested in pickleball leagues. Meanwhile, numerous international teams, tours, pickleball-themed entertainment venues and paddle manufacturing companies are vying for a slice of the market.

Some of the world’s best pickleball players are barely old enough to drive.

Anna Leigh Waters, 16, is the world’s best doubles, mixed doubles and singles pickleball player in the Professional Pickleball Association, one of the sport’s leading tours. Four years ago, she became the world’s youngest professional pickleball player ever. Now, Waters has numerous sponsorships, including by brands like FILA, a sportswear manufacturer, and could make seven figures this year, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Nobody has beaten them,” Burgess said.

‘60s origin

The history of pickleball dates to the 1960s when former U.S. Rep. Joel Pritchard, seeking a fun game to entertain his family on a leisurely vacation in Washington state, scrapped together ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball to toss around a badminton net.

The sport grew from there. Soon after, the first permanent pickleball court was established in the backyard of one of Pritchard’s friends, and an official corporation protecting the game followed. Its goofy name is said to be a reference to the Pritchards’ family dog “Pickles.”

Economic potential

Madison has noticed pickleball’s rising popularity and is beginning to recognize the sport’s potential to spark economic growth and bring in revenue.

Brandon Holstein is a senior sports account manager for the Madison Area Sports Commission, where he helps promote Madison as a destination for athletic events that drive economic growth in the area.

“We’ve been watching pickleball,” Holstein said. “We see the trend increasing for the long haul.”

The Commission helped launch the Madtown Pickleball Open, which was held July 13-16 to raise money for the Youth Grand Program, which helps cover costs for young people looking to play sports. Holstein said nearly 400 people participated, raising over $10,000.

“The tournaments bring such a positive economic impact,” Holstein said. “It brings additional visitors into the economy that wouldn’t otherwise be spending money.”

Holstein said he anticipates people will seek pickleball court access when deciding where to move, calling it “quality-of-life feature.”

But building pickleball courts is not an easy feat and can often upset neighbors. Many say the sport is loud, complaining about the nonstop clacking from pickleball rackets making contact with the ball. In addition, courts can be expensive, costing $25,000 to $50,000 for a single court, according to the Sports Venue Calculator.

The city said it acknowledges these constraints and is focused on expanding the number of pickleball courts in the city while making sure other sports get attention, too, Shea said.