You know what's hilarious? Many people (non-players, for sure) regard pickleball as something akin to "tennis for old people."
Hah. With individuals ages 18-24 among the fastest-growing cohort of players in the world's fastest-growing sport, it is no surprise that pickleball is experiencing a meteoric rise in popularity within the collegiate sports scene.
We connected with Jacob Smith, the Director of Collegiate Pickleball at DUPR, to get the inside scoop. DUPR, which dubs itself "the home of college pickleball," has been running collegiate events for three years at both the regional and national levels. Their annual national tournament has seen exponential growth: the 2022 competition included 151 players, the 2023 competition boasted 365, and more than 600 are expected at Nationals this November.
"Collegiate pickleball is a rocketship," Jacob told PB Sox. The sport is "only getting younger in terms of average age. It's a natural fit for college, as it's a great social sport for new students to make friends and get involved with a club."
Suzanne Chuparkoff, President of the University of Michigan Pickleball Club and PB Sox Ambassador, agrees. Fresh off the DUPR Virginia Super Regional, Suzanne describes collegiate pickleball as "a giant family. Every time we go to an event," she explains, "every team is excited to see one another again. It's competitive on the court and friends off the court."
That sense of friendship, fun, and camaraderie – what we refer to around here as the "spirit of the sport of pickleball" – combined with the sport's inclusive nature and relatively low cost of entry is helping to propel pickleball to the forefront of the college sports scene.
And, if Jacob, Suzanne, and the thousands of collegiate pickleball players are correct (and we are pretty confident that they are), collegiate pickleball is just getting started.
[photo: Suzanne Chuparkoff]