Pickleball is ranked as one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States; in Korea, the quirky pastime is also gaining popularity. In light of this, a group of varsity racket sport athletes decided to incorporate this sport into the SIS club roster. By mainly marketing itself as a way for tennis and badminton players to stay sharp throughout the down seasons, the pickleball club has amassed a substantial number of members. Numerous students seek to engage in the sport, whether during office hours, activity periods, or even after school. Now, this interest has culminated in a SIS high school tournament.
“I play on the court regularly with my friends,” Joowon Hong (11), a recreational pickleball and badminton varsity athlete, said. “In fact, most times I play before club meetings, even if it means skipping lunch. At first, I was hesitant to pick up this sport, but after playing with my pals I found it to be extremely enjoyable. Plus, it is also very easy to learn. The low difficulty curve is something that I thought was really helpful in getting newcomers like me interested in playing. This open-student tournament is a great way for me to further hone my skills.”
The growing interest in pickleball is evidently growing from just its club sessions. Students and teachers have organized their own formal matches after school hours, borrowing both the equipment and the court from the club. The organized tournament has created a formal platform for these matches to take place.
“Our ultimate plan for the future is to have the pickleball club be more than just a weekly meeting of sorts,” Brian Ji (11), pickleball club president, said. “We have arranged matches with other schools like Chadwick already; by hosting these conferences and friendly matches, we are hoping to legitimize this sport so that we can potentially play it at a varsity level.”
With the substantial fan base that it has accumulated over the short time it has been present at our school, the future of the pickleball club looks promising. The open-student pickleball tournament has allowed more students and faculty to discover the sport, even going so far as to encourage them to play competitively.
The success of the tournament marks just the beginning for pickleball at SIS, as the sport continues to rally students together through friendly competition and a growing sense of community both on and off the court.
