Nationally ranked at No. 4, the Kennesaw State University Pickleball Club grinds behind the leadership of its founder and president, Carson Poff.
“Since we’re still new, we’ve been established for just over a year, we still have a lot of time to grow,” said Poff. “As for talent right now, KSU has all the talent that we need.”
According to a Sports & Fitness Industry Association report, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country for the third consecutive year, growing a record-breaking 223.5% in the last three years.
Bored and seeking entertainment one Saturday afternoon in the summer of 1965, Rep. Joel Pritchard of Washington and businessman Bill Bell improvised a badminton game using ping-pong paddles as a substitute for rackets and a “perforated plastic ball.” As the weekend progressed, Barney McCallum, “the man behind the business,” joined the duo, creating rules based on badminton.
The game became an official sport in 1972 with the formation of Pickle-Ball, Inc.
Similar to a doubles badminton court, a pickleball court measures 20 feet by 44 feet. Pickleball uses the same court for singles and doubles play. According to USA Pickleball, “Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball, or they can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts.”
Like a fast-paced chess game on a court, players rhythmically dash to the net, spin shots, and swiftly exchange the ball back and forth as the pop of the paddle echoes through the court. Dance-like reflexes and physical agility, combined with quick footwork, are key to winning a game.
To win the game, a team must be the first to score 11 points, with victory secured within a 2 point-margin over their opponents.
“Mentally, it’s just trying to keep a sound mind, just kind of taking your mind off of it being a competition and more like you’re just playing, but you’re playing to win,” said KSU Pickleball Club’s Vice President Nathan Ford. “In my opinion, it’s about slowing down the game and trying to control it rather than letting the other team and it take control.”
Officially starting in August 2023, the team’s experience has grown, with their men’s singles and doubles placing third in the San Diego Nationals in March 2024.
Restriction by the current lack of available pickleball courts at Kennesaw State has proven difficult.
“So KSU doesn’t have their own hard courts yet,” Poff said. “As for right now, they have indoor courts on wood in the rec center, but most of the time we don’t like to play on that. We want to play on concrete, which is how it’s meant to be played.”
The club regularly meets on Wednesdays for two hours on the courts of Big Shanty Park near Kennesaw Mountain High School.
“Most of the time we don’t focus on drills and stuff during practice; it’s normally just match play,” Poff said. “We found that the best way for players to improve for tournaments is actually just playing matches with the people you would play with for tournaments. It’s the best thing we do to prepare.”
Blended patience and precision aids team members as they face their opponents. With constant movement and intense interaction, the competitive energy is unsurprising.
“A lot of teams start to get really feisty with each other. Despite it being pickleball, it starts to become not just opponent versus opponent, but it’s becoming school versus school, and next for us is nationals,” said Poff.
Gaining the fourth nationals bid, Poff anticipates winning expectations. Hosted by Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR), Nationals 2024 will take the team to Dallas, Texas on Nov. 1, 2024.
A sport for all ages, pickleball signifies a melting pot of competitive fun, uniting the young and the old on common ground. Community on and off the court is pivotal to pickleball’s growing popularity. This social aspect of the sport creates camaraderie among those who enjoy it.
“You just need a pair of shoes, a paddle, a ball, and other people who are interested in playing with you,” said Poff. “It’s something fresh that the community can get into, and everyone seems to share that mindset.”
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