Pickleball, a racket sport with similarities to tennis and badminton, has experienced phenomenal growth during its first five years as an organized activity in Columbus.
Membership of the Columbus Pickleball Club has grown tenfold during that span, from 20 in its launch year of 2016 to its current roster of 215 dues-paying members. The club experienced a 41% increase in membership in the past year alone.
That’s just one set of numbers that demonstrate the sport’s popularity. The club’s Discover Columbus Pickleball Tournament attracted 118 entrants its first year in 2018 and then grew 73 percent to 204 players in 2019 and another 15 percent to 234 players this year.
Originally a sport that primarily appealed to people 50 and older, with smaller courts making the sport less stressful on the body’s joints, interest is widening among younger demographics. About one-third of its members are now under the age of 40, said Brad Gonsalves, 70, the club’s founding president.
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The club’s third annual tournament, held Sept. 18 to 20 at Donner Park, drew players ranging in ages from 14 to 82. Among them was Ashley Craig, 33, who first learned about the sport two years ago and in July became the club’s third president.
“My mom duped me” into playing, said Craig, a manager in the product engineering group in the Indianapolis office of Crowe LLP, an accounting, consulting and technology firm.
Judy Cummings of Columbus, a local pickleball club member, had asked daughter Ashley for a donation to a Thrive Alliance pickleball fundraiser in June 2018. Three months later, the mother-daughter team entered the first Columbus pickleball tournament and won their division.
“I didn’t even know the rules,” Craig said. She now plays five or six times a week, two to four hours at a time. She enjoys the social aspect of a cross-generational sport and has made friends with people of various ages whom she would have otherwise never met.
“Younger people have gotten sucked into the game by their parents and grandparents,” said Craig, who travels to participate in pickleball tournaments two or three weekends a month.
Opportunity to compete takes her to places such as Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan; nearby metropolitan markets such as Indianapolis, Louisville and Cincinnati; and smaller Indiana cities such as Fort Wayne, Evansville and Bremen.
Although most tournament play is outdoors, cooler temperatures are moving play indoors, such as a December tournament in Terre Haute where Craig will play.
“She could end up at the national level,” Gonsalves said of Craig, an athlete who played volleyball at Columbus North High School. “She’s our rock star.”
On the national level, Craig will participate in pickleball’s U.S. Open in Naples, Florida, come April.
Gonsalves was on the cusp of retirement in 2016 when he first heard about pickleball.
“I became pretty quickly addicted to it,” said Gonsalves, an agent for 38 years with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. “Pickleball is really about streaks and placement, then using power to put it away.”
He, too, enjoys the social aspect of the sport. He said he has made about 200 new acquaintances through the group. Members use technology, including a GroupMe texting app, to communicate with each other and arrange games at local sites among others at similar skill levels.
With the significant growth pickleball has experienced, the challenge of finding an open court to play has increased.
Starting with two outdoor courts at Donner Park, the number of free outdoor playing surfaces has expanded through the efforts of the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department. The department now also maintains courts at Harrison Ridge Park and at Richards Elementary School.
Indoor play is also available at Tipton Lakes Athletic Club and Mill Race Center, both of which charge membership fees.
With an initial goal of raising $50,000 to build new courts at Donner Park, the pickleball club has exceeded that benchmark by raising $64,000 through its fall tournaments and special events. With funds going to the parks and recreation department, club leaders hope the city will be able to add three or four more outdoor courts next summer at Donner Park.
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Pickleball at a glance
Court size: 20-by-44-feet (880 square feet), same as for badminton, compared to 78-by-36-feet (2,808 square feet) for a tennis court. Up to three pickleball courts can be set up on a standard tennis court.
Participation levels: Singles or doubles.
Scoring: First player or team to score 11 points wins, although they must win by 2. Only the serving team can score. Service alternates between the sides.
Racket size: 7¾ inches wide by about 16 inches tall (including handle); width and height combined cannot exceed 24 inches
Balls: Outdoor balls are heavy plastic with small holes, while indoor balls use lighter plastic with bigger holes; various colors such as yellow, green, orange and red.
Investment: $70 to $170 for a good paddle;$100 to $150 for good-quality court shoes; average $10 cost for 3 balls.
Resources: USApickleball.org; pickleballtournaments.com; pickleball forum on Facebook has 38,000 members.
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History: Not-for-profit organization founded in 2016 with about 20 members; currently 215 members, up from 152 a year ago (41% one-year increase).
Leaders: Brad Gonsalves, president, 2016-2018; Cindy Massey, president, 2018-2020; Ashley Craig, president since July 1.
Membership cost: $16/year for individual or $26/year for families
Programs: Holds clinics for adult beginners and parents/children, high school classes; special events such as mixers and round-robins
Fundraising: Has raised $64,000 from Discover Columbus Pickleball Tournament held each September, with proceeds going to build new pickleball courts at Donner Park.
Information: [email protected]; facebook.com/pg/Columbus-Pickleball-Club
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Donner Park
Address: 739 22nd St., Columbus
Facilities: Two outdoor courts operated by Columbus Parks and Recreation Department
Hours: Daylight hours, year-round
Cost: Free
Information: columbusparksandrec.com
Richards Elementary
Address: 3311 Fairlawn Drive, Columbus
Facilities: Six outdoor courts operated by Columbus Parks and Recreation Department
Hours: After 3 p.m. on school days, daylight hours on weekends
Cost: Free
Information: columbusparksandrec.com
Harrison Ridge Park
Address: Coles Drive and Tipton Lakes Boulevard, Columbus
Facilities: One outdoor court, bring your own net, operated by Columbus Parks and Recreation Department
Hours: Daylight hours, year-round
Cost: Free
Information: columbusparksandrec.com
Tipton Lakes Athletic Club
Address: 4000 W. Goeller Blvd., Columbus
Facilities: Four permanently lined indoor pickleball courts, with up to eight more temporary courts.
Hours: Open Monday to Saturday starting at 6 a.m.; open Sunday starting at 7 a.m. Detailed schedule at tlaclub.com.
Cost: Pickleball membership, $50/year. Two hours of play time, $5; athletic club guest, $10 per person; unlimited play, $45/month.
Information: tlaclub.com
Mill Race Center
Address: 900 Lindsey St., Columbus.
Facilities: One indoor court
Hours: Pickleball court open Wednesdays, 5:30 to 7 p.m.; Fridays, 12:30 to 3 p.m.; Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Cost: Membership, $80/year.
Information: millracecenter.org
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