Opinion: Put Some Respect on Pickleball

The trucks grind away all morning, stripping my local basketball court away until all that’s left is a set of two shiny new pickleball courts, a sight of outrage for many. Across the nation, basketball and tennis courts are being converted to accommodate the fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row, with a predicted annual growth rate of 7.7%. Despite its popularity, pickleball faces criticism from fans of other sports. My friends on the varsity tennis team never fail to criticize it. “Imagine moving less than a foot in either direction and thinking you’re playing a sport,” they sneer. This criticism raises an interesting point: Is pickleball a sport for athletes or merely a game for the elderly?

Pickleball is a popular sport that people of all ages can play. However, many deny its place among modern sports. To differentiate between a “sport” and a “game,” it’s important to consider what constitutes each. A sport involves physical exertion and skill, where individuals or teams compete for entertainment. A game is a form of play, often competitive, played according to rules, and decided by skill, strength, or luck. Pickleball fits the definition of a sport, so unfortunately for those looking for a legal reason to deny pickleball’s place among sports, you all gotta look elsewhere.

Critics argue that sports require intense physical activity, and they claim pickleball lacks this compared to tennis and badminton. However, activities like archery, bowling, table tennis, equestrian sports, surfing, volleyball, and golf are less physically strenuous than pickleball. According to Harvard Health, an hour of golf burns around 445 calories, and indoor volleyball around 350 calories – both less than the 540-620 calories burned playing pickleball. Thus, using physical activity as the sole criterion for defining a sport is flawed. For example, a pushup competition that leaves me and my friend completely drained by the end still wouldn’t classify as a sport even though it has intense activity.

Another distinction is the attribute of specialized skills, which are difficult to learn and master. Golf, for instance, takes years to master. While it might not take as long to become proficient in pickleball, it still requires significant time and effort, especially for those without racket sports experience. Skeptics should try playing at their local courts and see if their opinion changes after losing 0-11 to a seasoned player in their mid-60s.

Organization and standardization set sports apart from games. Sports have fixed rules and procedures and are organized with leagues at different performance levels. Unless my friend and I can organize a professional pushup competition league with fixed rules, our method of settling debates won’t ever become a sport. While competition and physical activity are essential, sports must show elements of all four ingredients: competition, physical activity, organization, and standardization. Games may display combinations of these elements, but few fit all four.

Pickleball meets these criteria with professional leagues such as the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and the Association of Pickleball Players (APP). These organizations host international tournaments where the average PPA pro earned $96,000 in 2022, according to the league.

If I haven’t convinced you that pickleball is an organized, competitive, and strenuous sport, I encourage you to play it. You’ll find it more challenging than you thought and realize it’s not just a game for seniors. In fact, 18- to 34-year-olds are the most common age group to play pickleball, making up around 34% of casual players – likely more in Austin, which has become a pickleball hot spot with a major league team. Whether one thinks pickleball is a game or a sport, no one can deny it’s here to stay.

Kesh Gupta is a rising senior at Anderson High School and the captain of the varsity tennis team. Kesh has been playing pickleball for close to a decade and has also started a service project with a mission to connect pickleball and seniors.