Pickleball is a fun and simple game that has taken the world – and LFHS –  by storm. 

The sport has sparked the interest of  a wide-range of players. The simplicity offers opportunity to everyone, no matter their age and skill. 

“Anybody can play, it’s not an exclusive sport in any way,” said English Department Instructional Director Mrs. Kristen Carlson, who started played weekly games with coworkers this school year. 

With the court being in close proximity, conversations are easy to hold, whether it’s about the game or everyday-life.

While playing pickleball, “you’re always laughing and having fun,” Mrs. Carlson said, which makes it a great activity to expand friendships or build new ones.

While pickleball is a great game for socialization, it also allows players to be physically active.

“It’s a good workout, and I don’t take it too seriously,” English teacher Mr. Peter Lubliner said. 

With a mixture of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, pickleball has its own unique blend to it.  Pickleball is a 2v2 game that is played on a 44 x 20 ft. court, identical to the size of a badminton court. Using a small plastic paddle, the game is played with a plastic ball that is similar to a wiffleball, only slightly larger.

As for the court’s oddities, there is an area in front of the net where a player can not step to hit nor volley the ball. This area of the court is called “The Kitchen.” But if the ball bounces in The Kitchen, you are then allowed to step in after the ball bounces to hit the ball. This space mainly separates pickleball from any other sport. In addition to The Kitchen, the ball must bounce twice on the court after the serve before either team can play for the point. 

The game is easy to learn but hard to master. Based on the pace of the point, there can be an intense battle at the net, or a slow, back-and-forth rally waiting for the opponent to make a mistake.

The combination of social interaction while still exercising brings people to pickleball, but the flexibility of competitiveness is just another factor that makes it a must-try sport. It isn’t required to be played at the highest pace all the time. If you play the game casually or for the competition, either way pickleball is a blast.  

But if players do have a desire to win, the use of creativity to outsmart your opponent enhances the competition of pickleball. 

“There is definitely some skill to it. One of the things that is really interesting is it’s really hard to out hit somebody. You have to think your way through the game,” Lubliner said.                                  

The different styles of play that are used is exciting to most players. Similar to tennis, different approaches to the game allows players to separate themselves from others, as well as find what works best for them. There is no “right” way to play pickleball which is why so many players find enjoyment in the sport. 

“Pickleball is the perfect game whether you are trying to be more competitive or just trying to have fun with friends. The fast paced gameplay is definitely why I like it. No matter the score, tables can turn very quickly,” said junior Michael Byun.

At pickleball’s current rate of growth, it has the potential to become a commonly-played game all over the world. With professional tournaments already being played, it wouldn’t be surprising if pickleball found its way into the Olympics or other world-wide competitions.