Fun, Friends and Fellowship: Why These Pickleball Players Chose Their Sport

Many of us know that sports can be a great way to bring people together. Whether it is between women, men, and children, everyone seems to find a way to enjoy. The happiness that people receive by interacting with sports and their loved ones can be such a wholesome feeling.  

Now, what if somebody told you that a sport most people have probably never heard of was easy enough for your entire family to play and still provides everyone with the chance to have an effortless experience? 

Pickleball gives families and friends the ability to come together and draw out their competitive spirits. Until recently, the sport was played primarily by those over the age of 55. Now, pickleball has grown into a game commonly played by people of all ages! From vacation play to recreation games to official tournaments, pickleball has exploded into a lifestyle adopted by more and more people every day. 

 With or without professional training (or even by accident!), pickleball has led many players of various ages and backgrounds to the 2022 World Pickleball Tournament. The tournament held all over the United States, giving picklers the opportunity to play singles and pairs to win prizes. 

In Louisville, Kentucky, pickleball is taking over local parks and creating a larger community of pickleball enthusiasts. At E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park last summer, six of the park’s tennis courts were converted into 16 pickleball courts to be used for public play, tournaments, lessons, leagues, and camps.  

The World Pickleball Tour (WPT) was held this past June at the E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park. While attending the tournament we were able to talk with some locals about their experience with the sport.  

One, Harrison Zimmer, is a 19-year-old Grand Canyon University student. He picked up the sport while in college and enjoys pickleball for its versatility. “I think because it’s big ping-pong it’s very easy to play, especially people coming from tennis. Tennis is a really hard sport, but pickleball you play for two days, and you can compete on a good level,” states Zimmer.  

Another tournament player is business owner Jeffrey Young. He was exposed to the sport through his time playing tennis at Blairwood Tennis Club and has played pickleball for about four-and-a-half years.  

Young loves to compete but does not always have time to play in tournaments, a perfect example of the flexibility and simple enjoyment the sport of pickleball brings people. “Mentally I'm in a really good place so it allows me to just sit back and have fun and remember the fact that it's just a blessing to be out here to play,” Young says.  

Another great example of pickleball bringing people together is the winner of the women’s 4.0 doubles bracket, Celeste Parkerson. Parkerson only began playing pickleball at age 56, and her winning tournament at the WPT was her first time ever competing! 

Parkerson elaborates on the happy accident that made her a contestant at the WPT. She initially thought she was signing up to receive a newsletter but ended up entering the tournament instead. "I messed up the registration; I thought I was just being a member and I ended up registering [for the tournament] so I had to get a partner that I didn't know so we had to play together," she explains. Parkerson’s success at pickleball came from simply being outgoing enough to try out the sport, even if she started off out of her comfort zone.  

The beauty of pickleball, Parkerson believes, is that it equalizes all its players. “You could be on the court with someone older, someone younger, someone with a bad knee or anything. There are so many equalizing factors in the game that everybody can play on the same court. I could play with my grandad or my grandson, it is great!” she says.  

Ron West, a certified referee, thinks “the social aspect” of pickleball is the best part of the sport. “It doesn’t matter your skill level, how often you play, or where you come from; you meet so many amazing people who genuinely have a passion for the sport but will go out and play for the sake of having fun,” West says.  

Mark Owens, a local Louisville coach, learned about the sport in 2020 through his connections as a tennis coach. He says, “Pickleball is a tidal wave of interest. So, you either step out of the way or ride the wave to expand your horizons. I chose to ride the wave!” Owens coaches pickleball players of a wide range of ages—from teenagers to 90-year-old players.  

Regardless of your stage of life, pickleball has something new to offer you. From a casual escape from the pressures of everyday life to a community of others looking for some friendly competition, there is no one right reason to start playing pickleball. The ever-expanding pickleball community is what its players make it—an inclusive, friendly group excited to share their enjoyment with others.