As the new year approaches, many might gravitate towards one of the top new year resolutions – exercising more. For many, that might mean hitting the gym more or taking more jogs around the neighborhood, but what about exploring out a new sport?
In 1965, between three vacationers near Seattle, pickleball was created. As a fresh mixture of ping pong, badminton and tennis, avid players consider pickleball to be an enjoyable social activity that is easy to learn.
According to Pickleheads, the top online destination for pickleball players, pickleball has shown tremendous growth since the pandemic – almost 15% between 2020 to 2021.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America,” said co-founder of Pickleheads and tennis fanatic Brandon Mackie. “In fact, industry experts are predicting we’ll see 40 million players by 2030. If that happens, pickleball will become the largest racquet sport in the country, almost twice the size of tennis.”
MORE: Something you may not have known: Bygone New Years traditions
At just under five million players in the U.S. and over 10,000 facilities, pickleball is quickly popping up as an unexpected national and state favorite hobby.
With over 300 specialized courts in the state, Georgia has the 12th most pickleball courts in the country, and Augusta is the fourth most popular city in the state for it.
Free-to-play courts can be found at Blanchard and Riverview Park, while membership courts are at Montclair Park and West Lake Country Club.
“The magic of pickleball is it’s easy to learn but hard to master. Beginners can go out their first time, learn the game, have fun and even win a few games,” said Mackie. “But advanced players stay challenged, and keep coming back for more. This dynamic is a big reason why pickleball continues to grow like crazy.”
“Pickleball is a sport for all ages. Anyone from age 5 to 95 can play and have fun. This makes pickleball the perfect activity for families, especially around the holidays,” said Mackie.
USA Pickleball Ambassador Anne Rheins said pickleball is growing exponentially in Augusta and many venues are overwhelmed with patrons. However, Columbia County Parks & Rec have plans to add 12 new pickleball courts at Blanchard Park to meet public needs.
“We hope Richmond County will follow suit and invest in public courts soon. Meanwhile, several certified instructors are teaching people to play every day,” said Rheins. “It seems everyone wants to learn to play the friendliest sport on earth.”
MORE: Ring in the New Year with local entertainment, art and nature
For those wanting to join in on the local pickleball fun, Rheins recommends joining the Augusta Pickleball Facebook page or contacting her directly for information on where they can find a list of places to play in the CSRA and connect with other players.
To start off, Mackie said all one needs is a pickleball paddle and ball. As opposed to other sports, Mackie said, pickleball can cater to anyone due to its smart courts; in his opinion, almost anyone can play, athletic or not. From his own experience, he said one could go out to an open play event and meet around 30 to 50 people in a night – making it a very friendly and engaging community.
“People go out and they have a great time their first time out on the courts. They win and they want to come out and play again,” said Mackie. “It’s my social outlet … I just love that it brings people together and it always me when I go out there. You’ll see a 15-year-old kid talking to a 70-year-old. It really spans all generations in a way that I’ve never seen with any other sport.”
For more information, visit: https://www.pickleheads.com
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
