The pickleball phenomenon: Rising interest in Pleasant Grove

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — According to pickleheads.com, “Pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in America for the third year running! The sport, a cross between ping pong, badminton, and tennis, was invented by [three] vacationers on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, in 1965.”

I jumped on the pickleball train during Covid when we were all stuck at home. We needed something to do, so we used duct tape to map out a half-size court on a cement pad in our backyard. We bought a net and started playing. I didn’t play on a “real” court until the ribbon cutting of the PG Rec courts on June 12, 2021. I’ve played every day since. Mostly twice a day, if I’m being honest!

In addition to the eight courts at the PG Rec Center location, we now have six courts at Discovery Park. We can’t seem to build them fast enough! The courts are packed with all ages from 8 to 80 years old, and people from early in the morning until the lights go out at night.

I love to see our youth playing pickleball. There are so many other things they could be doing with their time, and it has been rewarding as a council member, who has supported the courts being built, to see our community use them as much as they do. I will always be in favor of creating recreational opportunities for our residents.

If you haven’t tried pickleball yet, I encourage you to get out and try it at one of our local courts! Pick up a paddle and see what it’s all about.

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