Pickleball has rapidly risen in popularity recently. The sport is easy to learn and enjoyable for individuals of any skill level. Pickleball combines elements from tennis, ping pong, and badminton into one paddle sport. Rules from each of these sports are integrated into pickleball. One advantage of the sport is that a person can use a small area to practice. A player could practice against a wall and still apply any learned skills. Pickleball can be played in singles or doubles, much like tennis.

Managing and organizing a club is a challenging task. During freshman year, sophomore Andrew Thallemer met with Director of Student Life Michelle Simonds several times and ultimately submitted an application for the club. Upper School Math Teacher Laurent Cash agreed to serve as the faculty advisor. The club was approved this year, and sophomore Umang Sharma joined as a co-head.

As pickleball has gained popularity worldwide, it has also made its mark at PDS. This year, the Pickleball club made its debut at the Club Fair, resulting in an amazing turnout. After the club fair, the Pickleball Club gained 128 new members. They have had four pickleball gatherings so far, with approximately 50 attendees per meeting. At each gathering, nets are set up where players can practice and play matches with each other. The co-heads are highly inclusive of students, whether they have no experience or are seasoned players. Sharma says, “The community is only made through its people, so I am excited to see students trying this sport, both new and experienced. In the future, we plan to have tournaments with trophies for our winners and streamline the setup process, allowing more people to play pickleball.” With this year’s PDS theme being “community,” the Pickleball Club is an example of how students can be brought together for a common interest. The upcoming tournaments will foster a sense of community among students across all grades. The trophies serve as a great incentive for participants to sign up for the tournament and engage in healthy competition!

So far, the Pickleball Club has been very successful in its first year and is on track to continue its prosperity and growth! The PDS community is eagerly anticipating news about the future pickleball tournaments!