Serving Up National Pickleball Month

SURPRISE, Az. (April 1, 2022) – To further elevate the stature of one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, USA Pickleball identifies and designates that the month of April will once again be “National Pickleball Month.”

Designed for all ages and skill levels, Pickleball is a lively, active paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It’s played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Pickleball, which was developed as a recreational game in 1965, uses a paddle and a plastic ball with holes and can be played as both singles and doubles competition. Games are generally played to 11 points, win by two, and points may only be scored by the serving team.

Another unique selling point for the sport is that pickleball courts are easy to build as sports facilities, for schools, and/or local communities. A pickleball court is 44 feet long by 20 feet wide, and many courts are lined on existing sports surfaces, such as tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts, in addition to being built as “standalone” courts. USA Pickleball estimates that each month an average of 95.6 new pickleball locations are being added to places2play.org, with nearly 40,000 courts in the United States to date.

The 2022 Topline Pickleball Participant Report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), a premier trade association for the nation’s top sports and fitness brands, reported that the sport currently has more than 4.8 million players in the US – an increase of 39.3% over the last two years. With the popularity of Pickleball climbing rapidly, National Pickleball Month is dedicated to increasing growth and awareness of the sport for both the recreational and competitive player. The 5thannual National Pickleball Month promotion will support leisure and competitive Pickleball programs and leagues, encourage public parks and other facilities to offer opportunities for players of all ages and abilities to play the game, and help bring about a higher level of interest in communities throughout the country.

“I recently had the honor of visiting the original pickleball court on Bainbridge Island where pickleball was invented in 1965 by Bill Bell, Barney McCallum, and Joel Pritchard, and on March 28th, 2022, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill proposed by Sen. John Lovick to make pickleball the official state sport of Washington,” said Stu Upson, USA Pickleball CEO. “57 years later, this was a tremendous tribute to our founders, and as we kick off National Pickleball Month, we are excited for the entire nation to join in on the celebration of our favorite game.”

Pickleball ambassadors and retailers can promote the sport on National Pickleball Month by scheduling events and social play, promoting tournaments throughout the month, or offering special discounts for first-time players. National Pickleball Month will also generate renewed interest in the many health, fitness, and social benefits of the sport.

Anyone that is interested in learning how to play pickleball, visit USAPickleball.org for an exclusive series of training videos created by Pickler and USA Pickleball to help you master the basics of the game.

“We see this as a continuing initiative to help promote the sport at the local level throughout the U.S.,” added Upson. “USA Pickleball has established a nationwide network of more than 1,800 dedicated pickleball ambassadors and 57,000 members who will help more and more people of all ages get engaged with the sport.”

For more information about pickleball, visit USAPickleball.org. Follow @USAPickleball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitterand #thankyouPICKLEBALL to engage in the National Pickleball Month celebration.

About USA Pickleball

The USA Pickleball Association, a non-profit 501(c)(3) was established in 2005 to further the advancement of the sport on a national level. As the official governing body of pickleball in the United States, USA Pickleball promotes the growth of pickleball by maintaining the rules, setting player ratings, advancing the sport through its national network of 1,800 ambassadors, and sanctioning tournaments. Since 2013, USA Pickleball membership has grown 1,250% in its membership to nearly 57,000. More information can be found at usapickleball.org.