Pickleball Island: The Nation’s Fastest-Growing Sport is Seven Mile Beach’s, Too
Avalon’s Chet Johnson directs a shot back across the net.
Imagine playing a ferocious game of up-close tennis, smacking a Wiffle ball with a solid-faced paddle while standing on a pingpong table.
That’s pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the United States, not to mention in Avalon and Stone Harbor, where the distinct “racket” made by paddles hitting plastic balls echoes in local gymnasiums and on outdoor courts.
You may not play the game, but chances are you know someone who does because the game with the name that has nothing to do with the sport has become what bowling was in America in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The title of “fastest-growing sport in the United States” comes from its 39.9% increase in participation over the last two years, according to The Sports & Fitness Industry Association Sports, Fitness, and Leisure Activities Topline Participation Report, which tracks participation in 120 activities. The report noted that there were 4.8 million players.
Laura Gainor, the director of media relations for USA Pickleball, said the recent growth spurt includes all age groups.
“Adults participate in big numbers, but we’re seeing more young people coming to the sport, which is easy to learn and play,” she says. “As we move out of two years of social distancing, people are hungry for activities with friends, in person. Pickleball offers a healthy atmosphere and a high level of physical and aerobic exercise. A 90-minute session can burn 600 calories.”
Scaled down to half the dimensions of a tennis court, Pickleball mania has made court time as coveted as a prime beachfront rental in the summer. Court lines have been drawn on outdoor tennis and basketball courts and gymnasium floors, and there are active programs in the summer and offseason on Seven Mile Beach as well as Sea Isle City.
To flip the “Field of Dreams” prophesy about creating a baseball field in Iowa, in this case for a flood of Pickleball players looking for courts, “If they come, you must build it.”
Avalon Recreation Director Charles McDonnell, who has been in his post since 2015, has seen interest surge over the last five years and knew there were not enough courts.
“We did not have a single outdoor court when I came in,” he says. “We had the indoor courts at the Community Center and a small group of people played the sport. Adding the [10] courts on 8th Street in 2018 was the best move we could have made. The growth has been amazing.”
Several years ago, McDonnell assisted in lining the school gymnasium floor where students were beginning to play the sport and adults had access on weekends and evenings. Avalon is also planning a youth pickleball league this summer, with details expected soon.
“With more people drawn to the sport, we have had discussions about adding more facilities, but nothing has been set in stone,” he says.
The “social game” also has media platforms where enthusiasts can communicate; among them, South Jersey Pickleball and NJ Pickleball Forum on Facebook, which boasts 4,000 members.
Avalon resident and USA Pickleball Ambassador Tracie Holmes has experienced the game’s rise in participation locally over the last decade.
“Although it is easy to learn the basics, there are intricacies that can be mastered to allow for a higher level of play,” she says. “This makes the game fun and challenging for all levels, from beginners to elite athletes.”
Stone Harbor has dedicated outdoor courts at 82nd and 97th streets.
Stone Harbor Recreation hosts 10 courts accommodating players of all skill levels and are filled for most of the day throughout the summer. The sport has increasingly grown in popularity and participation has extended into the spring and fall months.
The pickleball phenomenon began in 1965 near Seattle when three dads created a “backyard” game with a badminton net, pingpong paddles, and a plastic ball to occupy their bored kids. Joel Pritchard, who was a U.S. Representative from Washington state, and his friend Bill Bell got the pickleball rolling. When they discovered that the ball bounced well on a hard surface, the net was lowered from 60 to 36 inches. Another friend, Barney McCallum, joined the effort and the men created rules, adapting the sport for family play.
According to USA Pickleball Association, the origin of the name remains a quirky question.
Pritchard’s wife, Joan, started to call the game pickleball because “the combination of different sports reminded me of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.” But according to Barney McCallum, they named the game after Pritchard’s dog Pickles, who would run off with the ball while it was in play. The first true admirer of the game.
Pickleball players pride themselves on being a welcoming group. A camaraderie among players builds during play and friendships develop that go beyond the game.
“I moved here year-round in 2010 and have made most of my year-round friends here through pickleball,” Holmes says. “After meeting through [the game], our friendships have developed beyond the court, and it has really made the transition to the area as a full-time resident very easy.”
Holmes adds: “The major differences in the game from indoor to outdoor are the weather factors, sun and wind. These can impact play, and some players adjust to the conditions better than others. The in-season play here is primarily outside as we have far more outdoor courts in Cape May County than indoor courts.”
The standard court measures 20 by 44 feet. The net is set at 36 inches at the ends, dipping to 34 in the middle. A non-volley zone, known as ‘the kitchen,’ extends 7 feet back from the net on each side.
Competitive paddles are a high-tech composite, and the ball is made of plastic, weighing .78 to .935 ounces with a diameter of 2.874 to 2.972 inches. The ball must be a single, consistent color.
“The ‘drop-in’ nature of open play encourages participation,” Holmes says. “Time is scheduled for play at each set of local courts and players just show up and play. There is no need to pre-arrange a group. This makes it very flexible, and you can decide to join in when it is convenient for you.”
The Avalon Open Pickleball Tournament, set for May 20-22, will highlight the pre-summer season with more than 300 players registered to compete in men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles as well as Skills/Age and Social Play divisions. To register, sign up at pickleballtournaments.com/tournamentinfo.pl?tid=5930 by May 10.
Pickleball has planted its flag firmly in the local communities and promises to add fervent followers.