Yes we played Pickleball at our local Club on October 10th, designated as "World Pickleball Day"! But following the below blog post, I have been asked how many people are playing and where are they playing?



Well there are now 26 countries who have joined the 2 year old World Pickleball Federation. The North American Federation joined the WPF recently with Matthew Kawamoto as the Canadian representative. But the game has been introduced in 55 countries with something close to an estimated 5.5M players worldwide last year. Given the outdoor nature of the sport and a some relaxation of our Covid concerns given vaccinations and mask wearing, 2021 has so far been a major growth year for Pickleball.

Naples is said to be the Pickleball Capital of the world but estimates are that North America alone now has up to 4-5M players experiencing 20%+ year over year growth rates. The first World Pickleball Games will take place at the Austin Pickleball Ranch, Austin, Texas in May 2022, followed by Senior in 2023 and Junior World Games in 2024 - Olympics in 6-8 years? 

​Apparently in 2021 the average age of a "core" Pickleball player (30% of the players) is 47.5 years old, but we recently played in a tournament against a team who were 9 and 13 years old, so watch out for that younger generation!! Average age for all players is 38.1 years old, but 33.7% of the 75+ age group who make up 18.4% of the total number of players are defined as "core" - highest percentage of all age groups. This I believe, highlights Pickleball's popularity with the older generation who probably have more leisure time to invest in this wonderful game and want to stay fit.

So keep an eye out for updates on my blog, because these numbers and Pickleball's popularity are growing exponentially!

Weird name, weird sport - I think not!!! After a lifetime of competitive racquet sports, mostly squash, I have fallen in love all over again. I have found that involvement in Pickleball also satisfies many of the 22 principals outlined in my blog below on how to attain happiness in life between 60 and death!! Not only that, it is a sport that the whole family can participate in, no matter what your level of athleticism is, or your age, or your past experiences (or not) with racquet sports!

​​Ryan Hanes of CBC Sports said it best - "maybe you happened to witness it live, that weird-looking sport taking over your local tennis courts. If you have yet to encounter Pickleball, you are part of a dwindling minority. It is happening right now. This wonderful sport with the odd name is taking over the world.

Pickleball is a paddle sport (we do not say racquet) played on a badminton-sized court, with a hole-dotted plastic ball and a mid line net. It combines elements of badminton [squash], table tennis and tennis, and as a lover of all three of those sports, I can confidently say that Pickleball is greater than the sum of its parts.

This is the only place you will see Plato and Pickleball in the same sentence, but like he said, necessity was the mother of Pickleball’s invention. The problem was: how to engage and entertain bored children on Bainbridge Island, Wash., during the lazy days of Summer 1965. Had they a shuttlecock in their possession at the time I probably wouldn’t be writing this now. But they didn’t, and what they had instead was an assortment of other equipment. So, they lowered the badminton net, used table tennis paddles and a whiffle ball, and a new sport was born."

​Whether the name "Pickleball" came from the game inventors' Golden Retriever named "Pickles" who always stole the "ball" is up for grabs, but since our Golden Gracie who is obsessed with anything resembling a ball would have done this, it's an explanation we will adopt.

"Cut to present day and Pickleball lays claim to being the fastest growing sport in the world. From its grass roots popularity among a mostly older crowd, it is spreading internationally and attracting new players in droves. Pickleballers come in all ages, shapes and sizes now. Municipalities in Canada [and around the world] have caught on, and new designated courts are popping up monthly.

What is driving the popularity? I believe there are many factors. It is a very accessible sport. It is easier to get that buzz of immediate success in pickleball than in most other paddle/racquet sports. There is less wear and tear on the joints than in many other sports."

Hope that helps motivate you and your family to give it a try. Also, if you do need an introduction to this fabulous sport, perhaps this blog helps - see you on court!!