Credit: Mark Boss via Unsplash.com
Published by Craig Corti on 5/22/2023
Pickleball is a sport that has seen explosive growth over the past few years. You may have overheard a coworker broach the topic during a meeting last week or perhaps you noticed a Facebook post or Ad while you were "doom scrolling'' through your feed.
Regardless of how the neural circuits of your brain were exposed to pickleball, it should come as no surprise. The sport which was once mostly played among eager retirees, has spread to a younger generation blossoming into a staple social activity. As more generations join the movement, disruption to the very fabric of local recreational infrastructure has followed suite. The constant in all of this change? People of all ages compete and build a deeper connection with like minded neighbors.
Let's explore the impact of this tennis, wiffle ball, ping-pong, and badminton hybrid.
Picture a typical retirement community in the sunny state of Florida where old-timers enjoy golf and tennis. There is a problem though. Tennis is aggressive on the knees and elbows ultimately driving handfuls of older retirees away from the sport overtime.
Pickleball enters stage left.
Because the playing surface is roughly 1/4th that of a standard tennis court and the ball ricochets away from paddle with less velocity, the sport becomes far more appealing to those with bionic knees and tattered elbows.
In an article titled Are You Really Retired If You Don't Play Pickleball on Money.com, one participant shares how pickleball helped her achieve an active lifestyle after suffering a serious injury:
"MacDonald experienced much-needed rehabilitation when she took up pickleball. After breaking both her legs falling off a ladder and undergoing surgery...the sport helped her become mobile again".
Maybe this person has worn out limbs for all the wrong reasons, but one fact remains. The activity fosters socialization and generally equalizes the playing field among a variety of opponents (think ping pong with a less spin moves and tennis with a smaller court). MacDonald was able to rehabilitate herself via this lower intensity activity as a result.
Perhaps these two properties garnered the interest of many young folks during and following the peak months of a global pandemic.
With the equalizing property in mind, I envision an 18 year old grandchild visiting their grandparent for a week. Outside of storytelling and going on walks, how can these people from vastly different generations bond? I would imagine something like pickleball or bocce ball is an answer!
This cross-pollination might partially explain what started the craze among young urban professionals. The downstream effect? Young people have taken the sport by storm and are playing a significant role in altering the infrastructure of many local parks and recreational facilities.
As expressed in an article posted by thedinkpickleball.com, New Study Reveals 36.5 Million People Played Pickleball Last Year:
"The massive jump in participation is evident at parks and venues throughout the country...many players struggle to find court time because of the high demand".
I have first person experience of this demand in Charlotte, NC. Try to play right after work? Courts are full. Show up later in the evening to escape the heat? Multi-use tennis courts are taken by tennis players with the same motive. This sort of demand has caused places like beloved Freedom Park to repurpose a few tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts. Now a pickleball venue/restaurant is opening in Charlotte this summer called Rally Pickleball.
Although waiting in line is not ideal when you want to play, your patience and open mindset can help you connect with fellow members of your community who are in the same queue. The person you meet one day may turn into a long term pickleball partner, so strike up a conversation!
Final thoughts:
People of all ages can participate, socialize, and stay active. If you are an old-timer, don't shy away from whooping up on a youngster. If you are young, put that old geezer in their place by striking the ball down the sideline.
Join the trend. Advocate for more public facilities in your community. Compete. Connect with others. Soak in that Vitamin D. Stay active.
Have an adventure of it!
-Craig Corti, Old-Timer Mindset
References:
1. money.com/pickleball-sport-retirement-growth/
2. thedinkpickleball.com/app-participation-report-2023/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%202023%20APP,the%20estimate%20of%20players%20nationwide.
Pickleball is a sport that has seen explosive growth over the past few years. You may have overheard a coworker broach the topic during a meeting last week or perhaps you noticed a Facebook post or Ad while you were "doom scrolling'' through your feed.
Regardless of how the neural circuits of your brain were exposed to pickleball, it should come as no surprise. The sport which was once mostly played among eager retirees, has spread to a younger generation blossoming into a staple social activity. As more generations join the movement, disruption to the very fabric of local recreational infrastructure has followed suite. The constant in all of this change? People of all ages compete and build a deeper connection with like minded neighbors.
Let's explore the impact of this tennis, wiffle ball, ping-pong, and badminton hybrid.
Picture a typical retirement community in the sunny state of Florida where old-timers enjoy golf and tennis. There is a problem though. Tennis is aggressive on the knees and elbows ultimately driving handfuls of older retirees away from the sport overtime.
Pickleball enters stage left.
Because the playing surface is roughly 1/4th that of a standard tennis court and the ball ricochets away from paddle with less velocity, the sport becomes far more appealing to those with bionic knees and tattered elbows.
In an article titled Are You Really Retired If You Don't Play Pickleball on Money.com, one participant shares how pickleball helped her achieve an active lifestyle after suffering a serious injury:
"MacDonald experienced much-needed rehabilitation when she took up pickleball. After breaking both her legs falling off a ladder and undergoing surgery...the sport helped her become mobile again".
Maybe this person has worn out limbs for all the wrong reasons, but one fact remains. The activity fosters socialization and generally equalizes the playing field among a variety of opponents (think ping pong with a less spin moves and tennis with a smaller court). MacDonald was able to rehabilitate herself via this lower intensity activity as a result.
Perhaps these two properties garnered the interest of many young folks during and following the peak months of a global pandemic.
With the equalizing property in mind, I envision an 18 year old grandchild visiting their grandparent for a week. Outside of storytelling and going on walks, how can these people from vastly different generations bond? I would imagine something like pickleball or bocce ball is an answer!
This cross-pollination might partially explain what started the craze among young urban professionals. The downstream effect? Young people have taken the sport by storm and are playing a significant role in altering the infrastructure of many local parks and recreational facilities.
As expressed in an article posted by thedinkpickleball.com, New Study Reveals 36.5 Million People Played Pickleball Last Year:
"The massive jump in participation is evident at parks and venues throughout the country...many players struggle to find court time because of the high demand".
I have first person experience of this demand in Charlotte, NC. Try to play right after work? Courts are full. Show up later in the evening to escape the heat? Multi-use tennis courts are taken by tennis players with the same motive. This sort of demand has caused places like beloved Freedom Park to repurpose a few tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts. Now a pickleball venue/restaurant is opening in Charlotte this summer called Rally Pickleball.
Although waiting in line is not ideal when you want to play, your patience and open mindset can help you connect with fellow members of your community who are in the same queue. The person you meet one day may turn into a long term pickleball partner, so strike up a conversation!
Final thoughts:
People of all ages can participate, socialize, and stay active. If you are an old-timer, don't shy away from whooping up on a youngster. If you are young, put that old geezer in their place by striking the ball down the sideline.
Join the trend. Advocate for more public facilities in your community. Compete. Connect with others. Soak in that Vitamin D. Stay active.
Have an adventure of it!
-Craig Corti, Old-Timer Mindset
References:
1. money.com/pickleball-sport-retirement-growth/
2. thedinkpickleball.com/app-participation-report-2023/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%202023%20APP,the%20estimate%20of%20players%20nationwide.
