There's no mistaking that Pickleball has skyrocketed in popularity. It is after all America's Fastest Growing Sport the last 3 years running, but the demographics will surprise you, and it's not just the older generations low impact new sport of choice. It's far more than that.
Of course Pickleball and another sport experiencing a tremendous growth spurt DiscGolf, are navigating the same issues that all sports go through. Governing Bodies jockeying for position and control, Rules being revisited and changed, and Facilities and Manufacturers trying to keep up with the demand for Court time and Product while still maintaining a Price that keeps assuring the sport remains inclusive to all.
In January of 2023 of the roughly 37 million people playing Pickleball at the time, 45% said they planned to play more pickleball in the next 6 months than they did in the prior 6-month period and that held true as current 2024 numbers show a whopping 50 million adult American's are now playing.
Amazing numbers, but there is a general misconception that Pickleball is a sport for an older demographic. That it is a sport for Retirees, so it surprised us to learn who exactly is picking up pickleball. According to USA Pickleball numbers the Largest Age Bracket of Pickleball Players is actually ages 18-34. Almost 30% of Pickleballers currently dinking away on courts across the land are below the age of 35.
While the sport is relatively easy to learn and is considered low-impact, making it appealing across age groups, Athletes recovering from Injuries in other sports and those who don't often consider themselves Athletes looking for a Healthy and Fun form of Exercise alike can still participate. Pickleball not only fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie among players, going back to the inclusive nature of the sport, but it is taking a downright hip direction with Tattoo Artist Paddle Designs evening making an appearance as Pickleball smashes it's way into mainstream culture.
There's a wide price range of Paddles to satisfy players at every level and they are becoming more specialized by playing style (there are even paddles better suited to players coming over from Tennis with slightly longer handles) It's still possible for you and a partner to pick up a set of introductory paddles and balls like the Champion Rhino Wood Set for around $45 and start playing the same day. Of course Gearheads will love Innovative new products specific to the sport like a Pickleball Retriever and Storage Tube, Colorful Handle Wraps and Pickleball Footwear.
As the Pickleball Market develops into a close to 300 million dollar industry, not only Pickleball Specific Brands but big names like adidas have aggressively entering the fold.
According to a Business Insider Article in August of 2023 over 25,000 new pickleball courts are needed to keep up with current demand. With more Courts popping up in Towns and Cities Nationwide growth of Pickleball as a sport for all ages shows no sign of slowing down. Just don't pigeon hole it as a sport for your retired Aunt in Arizona. I don't know about you but mine's pretty cool and I'm sure she can probably Rip that Overhead Shot by now.