Pickleball: Millennial’s Favorite Game Needs More Courts
You won’t believe what’s caught the attention of millennials recently – it’s pickleball! It’s this awesome mashup of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton, and it’s becoming a big hit. Here’s the kicker: the average player is around 35 years old. Yeah, who would’ve thought, right? And guess what? We’re so into it that we’re causing a demand for more than 25,000 new courts. Crazy, isn’t it?
So, here’s the scoop: pickleball has blown up in popularity lately. By 2022, a jaw-dropping 8.9 million players were totally into it. But here’s the real shocker – it’s growing faster than lightning! The “State of Pickleball: Participation & Infrastructure Report” gives us all the details. Brace yourself for an 85% increase in players compared to just last year. That makes pickleball the fastest-growing sport around.
But hold on, it gets even better. A bunch of experts and organizations, like the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and Pickleheads, joined forces to figure all this out. They did a survey with about 18,000 people all over the US in 2022. Serious stuff, right?
Now, get ready for the big news: to meet the demand, we’re talking about needing a whopping 25,000 new courts all across the country. And guess what? It’s going to cost about $900 million. Yeah, that’s a lot of money! Right now, we’ve got about 52,000 pickleball courts in over 12,000 places. But it looks like that’s just not enough anymore.
The big boss at SFIA, Tom Cove, can’t stop talking about this pickleball explosion. He’s all like, “Whoa, this growth is crazy!” He’s super sure that pickleball is here to stay and won’t be going away anytime soon.
But hold up, it’s not just traditional courts popping up everywhere. Get this: old stores at malls are turning into pickleball hubs. Courts that used to be for basketball or tennis are getting revamped to be pickleball hotspots. It’s like a full-on race, as the CEO of a pickleball court operator mentioned. Everyone wants to get in on the action!
And guess what? It’s not just us millennials who are obsessed. The game brings people together across ages. So, yeah, the average pickleball player is around 35, but don’t be surprised. There’s a whole crew of players aged 25 to 34 who are super into it. And get this – even young folks aged 18 to 24 and seniors aged 65 and up are loving it. It’s like a game for everyone!
But why is pickleball so hot? Well, it’s easy to pick up and doesn’t put too much strain on your body, which is awesome. But it’s not just about the game – it’s also about having a good time with others. In places like Silicon Valley, it’s the cool thing to do. It’s a hobby and a way to meet people, all rolled into one. And you can play while keeping some distance, which made it even more popular during the pandemic.
But here’s the twist – all this love for pickleball might come with some unexpected costs. A report by UBS in June spilled the beans that all this pickleball excitement could lead to medical costs, like $250 million to $500 million this year. Ouch, better watch your step on the court!
So, there you have it – pickleball is the new trend, and we’re totally serious about it. It’s like the party everyone wants to be at, and we’re going to need lots more courts to keep it going. Just remember to stay safe and avoid any crazy injuries, okay?