You may have seen it on the news, across the country, or even here at the university – pickleball is America’s fastest growing sport. His popularity was undeniable even in Charlottesville. The Pickleball Club at U.Va. officially launched in 2021 and has since grown tremendously with 650 members and a 24-strong tournament team.
First of all, what is Pickleball anyway? It’s essentially a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Courts are smaller than tennis courts, and Pickleball uses shorter nets with two people on each side. Players have paddles and aim to hit a wiffle ball back and forth to score points.
The massive rise in pickleball’s popularity comes from multiple sources – it’s a sport that doesn’t really feel like a sport. It’s described as an activity where you have so much fun you forget you’re sweating.
“I joined Pickleball because it’s fun, easy to learn and [gives me] Time to be outside with friends,” said Josephine Genereux, club member and freshman. “The sport is competitive, fun and social. I played tennis for a while and Pickleball is similar. It’s my favorite time of the week!”
When asked why she keeps coming back to practice, Genereux referred to the community.
“Arriving and hearing the music and the shouts from the seats always makes me happy,” said Genereux. “It’s become part of my friends and I’s weekly routine and something I look forward to every week.”
Pickleball experienced a boom in popularity, particularly in college, following the COVID-19 shutdown. Just as classes and other activities were being canceled, pickleball became a fun and engaging way to stay active and get outside while catching up with friends in a safe and socially distanced environment.
In Charlottesville, Pickleball brings together some of college student favorites—hanging out with friends and competing. The club brings people together and creates a fun community spirit with exercises four times a week. Getting outside with a large group and playing a fun sport while listening to music helps students find a break from libraries and stress. The club itself is stress-free too – there’s no attendance sheet, there are no cuts and players can decide what intensity they want to play at.
“We differentiated ourselves from other club sports by making it possible for anyone to join the general club, regardless of ability,” said Conor Burns, vice president and first-year commerce student.
Although there is no formal coaching, there is a strong element of self-motivation throughout the club. Practices are often just club members playing informally for fun and to get better, while there are also try-outs each semester to compete in the more intense traveling team.
However, the team does more than hang out in Snyder’s courts. In December 2022, just two years after the club’s formation, the team finished fifth in the Collegiate National Championships. They were also voted the “spiritual team”. That year, the team hosted the first-ever University and Charlottesville Pickleball Tournament. The tournament took place on February 25th and 26th and included students, faculty and even residents of Charlottesville, bringing together a whole community of pickers.
Burns and many others see a bright future for the Pickleball Club.
“There is a lot of growth for the club going forward,” Burns said. “Ultimately, the biggest thing is to play in more tournaments. We plan to proactively host tournaments for the community and different schools every semester.”
The club has already begun to achieve that goal with February’s tournament and the upcoming East Coast Invitational, which will feature James Madison University, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
For the tournament team, club leadership plans to hire a permanent coach to help with training, player development and tournament coordination. Burns also mentioned working with pickleball companies to source sponsorships for equipment and merchandise. Eventually, he hopes to establish permanent pickleball courts “since most people play pickleball, not tennis, on the Snyder courts.”
Burns sees potential for the club to grow even further through special events like learn-how-to-play days or practices where members are encouraged to bring a friend who isn’t at the club.
“We know there are more pickleball players within U.Va. and believe that with the right approach, the club will grow tremendously,” said Burns.
Pickleball has brought a sense of fun and excitement to Grounds. On a typical Monday night, with bright lights on Snyder Courts and pop music and laughter permeating the air, pickleball practice takes place.
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