Pickleball Goes Gen-Z!

Picture this: The bell finally rings, releasing you from a mind-numbing math class. It’s recess time, and you know exactly where you’re headed.

You race out of the classroom, and make a beeline for the playground where a different kind of lesson is about to unfold. Yep, you grab your paddle because it’s time to unleash some dinks on the schoolyard.

Okay, CUUT. Back to reality folks.

Oh, wait. This IS reality. It’s actually happening (for the next generation, that is).

The surge of pickleball’s popularity has turned recess and physical education (PE) into a pickleball paradise. To think what was once considered a recreational sport for seniors has now become Gen-Z’s new obsession.

Like a contagious joy, the pickleball fever is spreading. From just 2019 to 2021, the number of players among kids ages 6-17 grew by 50%.

Schools have recognized the growing fever and have started treating it. We’re seeing schools across the country- like Jefferson Middle School - adding pickleball into their PE programs. They also organize intra-school tournaments for students to compete.

In fact, high school students in Utah, “are picking up paddles and forming clubs at some Region 10 high schools in St. George.”

Wait, should we be afraid?

It’s all fun and games until our kids start unleashing some gnarly dinks and smashes, leaving us scrambling to keep up.

Well, game on Gen-Z, game on! We’ll be ready.

Maybe we should call them ‘Gen-P’ instead 🤠. Get it? P for pic— ok, we’ll stop.

Think before you dink:

When it comes to dinking, it's all about finesse and placement. Instead of swinging for the fences, focus on delicate hand placement and feather-like touch.

Pro tip: hinge your wrist and focus on engaging your shoulder. You’ve probably seen JW Johnson hitting some dinks before. If you haven’t, then you should because this is his strategy. This allows for better control and enhances your precision to execute those dinks.

Remember the key is to keep it controlled. Here’s a video of Travis Rettenmaier showing us how it’s done.

As we bid farewell to National Pickleball Month, we have some pickleball round ups from the past week for y’all:

1- USA Pickleball Donates Sport Court Surface to Special Olympics Michigan for National Pickleball Month

2- Catch up on results from the APP Sacramento Open last week.

3- How Southern Colorado is keeping up with the pickleball growth spurt!

— If you have a meme that has made you laugh or you liked, feel free to share it with us via our social platforms or reply here for a chance to get it featured on our next issue!

If you enjoyed today’s newsletter please do us a favor, subscribe and share with a fellow pickleballer to help them aboard our growing ship!