11-01-2021 - Park Commission Packet

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Pickleball Overview Pickleball is an exciting, fun, and easy to learn sport. It is the fastest growing sport in the United States. It is played by all ages, and all genders. The sport is exploding in popularity in the Twin Cities, with dozens of new courts being constructed for outdoor play. What is Pickleball? Pickleball is a paddleball sport played on a 20 x 44-foot court with a plastic “whiffle”-type ball. It has simple rules designed to encourage rallies (multiple shots back and forth). A player can learn to play with sufficient skill to enjoy a game in less than an hour and can then continue to improve their game for years to come. It is a game of quickness, placement, and strategy rather than raw power and speed. The Pickleball Explosion The sport was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington and his friend and neighbor, Bob O’Brien. They combined aspects of tennis, badminton and ping pong into a game that could be played with simple equipment and limited space. In 1984 the United States Pickleball Association (USAPA) was formed to protect and promote the sport. By 1990 the sport was being played in all 50 states and Canada. In 2009 the first National Championship tournament was held. In 2016 the national championship had 800 entrants, in 2017 there were over 2000. Currently, the USAPA lists over 4000 places to play on their website, nearly all either outdoors, or temporary indoor facilities. According to the 2018 Sports and Fitness Industry Association Study, 2.815 million people play pickleball – this is an increase of 12.3% over the number of players in 2017 (tennis grew at 1%, golf overall lost players) In the Twin Cities, the sport has begun to explode. New outdoor courts have been built in Edina, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Richfield, Hopkins, Woodbury, Stillwater… just to name a few. The Southwest Metro Pickleball Club has grown to over 700 members, adding over 150 members tin 2018 year alone. This represents only a portion of the pickleball players in the metro area.