Pickleball, The Fastest Growing Sport | Selkirk Sport | Selkirk Sport - We Are Pickleball

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What is pickleball?

Pickleball, at its core, is a fun and exciting sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. The game is played on a court the same size as a badminton court, with a low net similar to those used for tennis, and with what looks like an oversized ping pong paddle and a wiffle ball.

Pickleball’s recent growth

Here’s a look at some of the most exciting growth facts:

• There are 48.3 million people in the U.S. — nearly 19% of the country’s adult population — that played pickleball at least once in the last year, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals.
• Out of 124 sports tracked, pickleball continued to be America’s fastest-growing sport for the third consecutive year, according to the SFIA report.
• According to USA Pickleball, there are more than 10,700 places to play across the U.S.
• The average age of avid pickleball players (those who play at least once a month) is 34.8, according to the APP study. Since August 2022, there has been an 86% growth in players between the ages of 35 and 44.
• The top five cities for pickleball participation are New York, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, and San Francisco, according to the APP Study.
• The Professional Pickleball Association became the first to host 25 professional events in a single season and boasted the highest prize purse in a single year, paying out $5.5 million. MLP is paying out an unprecedented $5 million.

What’s caused the growth in pickleball participation?

Tennis players are entering pickleball in record numbers

While certainly not a requirement to be successful in pickleball, there is no denying how tennis experience can pay immediate dividends when starting pickleball. In fact, 18 of the top 20 men’s and women’s doubles players (90%) come from a high-level tennis background. And more and more top tennis players — such as Jack Sock and Genie Bouchard — are announcing a transition into the sport.

• Catherine Parenteau- The current #2 ranked singles player in pickleball on the PPA Tour first played tennis in the Big 10 conference for Michigan State.
• Jack Sock - A four-time Grand Slam champion and a two-time tennis Olympic medalist, Jack Sock is set to take the pickleball world by storm in 2024. In his debut in 2023, Jack took gold in mixed doubles with his partner Anna Leigh Waters.
• JoAnne Russell - Won Wimbledon doubles in 1977 and was ranked as high as #22 in the world prior to turning pro in pickleball. Joanne currently plays on the pro tour and teaches pickleball in her hometown of Naples, Florida.
• Cammy Macgregor - Former #75 ranked women’s tennis player in the world, Macgregor played professionally from the mid-80s to 1995 in a number of Grand Slams, including reaching the 4th round of the Australian Open in 1986.

Record number of pickleball prize money

The two primary professional tours, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP), have both increased the amount of prize purse payouts handed out to players throughout the year.

In 2023, the PPA committed to paying a total of $5.5 million in prize money across its 25 events. The MLP announced it would pay out $5 million across its 6 events in the 2023 season.

For the 2024 season, the APP announced its major tournaments will offer triple the prize money, and primary tour events will offer double the prize money of the 2023 tour events, paying out a minimum of $150,000 per major and $100,000 per primary event.

Corporate interest in pickleball

Big-name players such as Adidas, Michelob Ultra, Fila, Hertz, Carvana, and Hyundai are just a few of the companies investing in pickleball through sponsorship of tournaments and players.

Television broadcasting has also taken notice of the sport, with more broadcasters vying to air the professional tours.

Celebrities playing pickleball

It’s now commonplace to hear of a big-time celebrity discovering the sport and falling in love! Here are just a few of the celebrities who play the game.

• Leonardo Dicaprio plays “every day,” according to Vanity Fair.
• George Clooney admitted his wife, Amal, smokes him in pickleball regularly.
• Ellen Degeneres started her own line of pickleball gear.
• Drew Brees is an owner of a Major League Pickleball Team, the Los Angeles Mad Drops

How to get involved in pickleball

1. Get involved in your pickleball community! There are more than 570 pickleball clubs nationwide registered through pickleball’s governing body, USA Pickleball.
2. Find a paddle! Selkirk has developed more than 50 paddle designs for players of all skill levels.
3. Learn more about the game! Selkirk TV was launched to provide pickleball content to all! Find lessons, highlights, drills, and more for free. Catch up with the lessons on Youtube or the Selkirk TV app.