Pickleball Is Great For Any Sports Complex
Pickleball is one the fastest growing sporting activities in the US, even though many of us have probably never heard of it. Despite the funny name, pickleball could be the perfect new activity to add to your sports complex. Learn more about this activity and how offering it can be a real benefit to your guests.
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements from tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. The court and equipment are as follows:
- It can be played indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court (20×44 feet) and a modified tennis net, 36 inches high at the sideline. The court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service courts. Existing tennis and badminton courts at your sports complex can easily be modified with a little floor tape.
- There is a 7-foot non-volley zone called the “kitchen” at the front of the net.
- It is played with a plastic ball similar to a smaller wiffle ball.
- The paddle is wood, composites, or graphite and roughly 8 inches wide and 15 inches long.
The rules are fairly simple and similar in many ways to ping-pong. The ball is served underhanded to the diagonal service court. Points are scored by the serving side only and occur when the opponent faults. The first side to 11 with a 2-point margin wins.
Why Pickleball is Perfect for Your Sports Complex
The most important and successful aspect of pickleball is its accessibility. Anyone from teen to senior is capable of playing, in large part because of the non-volley zone and small size of the court. Mobility is not as important as in a sport like tennis. In addition, the rules are simple and straightforward so it is a very easy sport to get into. It’s easy to find examples of seniors beating teenagers, you can definitely be successful regardless of your athletic ability. If you are interested in expanding the possible clientele of your sports complex then pickleball could be the answer.
This accessibility has caused an explosion in popularity for the sport. The USA Pickleball Association has grown 64 percent since 2010, and there has been a 385 percent increase in available places to play pickleball. This increased popularity is thought to be driven by the aging Baby Boomer population interested in an activity that allows them to remain active while being easier on the body than tennis.
Contact Us About Your Sports Complex
Sports Facilities Management specializes in sports complex development planning, management, and design. If you think pickleball could attract the type of potential clients that would benefit your facility you should contact us today. We can help get your sports complex on the right track to success. Contact us today for information on our available services.
