Over the course of the past 5 years, Pickleball has spiked in popularity. From mere lines in a tennis court to courts made specifically for the sport, it has become one of the biggest sports for audiences, young and old. It’s become so popular that five students at Oakdale decided that they wanted to create a club for it.

This summer, student Tennis players Lexi Parisi, Reagan Candland, Noelle Olsen, Ellie Coblish, and Anabelle Houston asked the Boys Tennis coach, Cristopher Schlee, if he would be interested in helping to run the club.

He happily agreed as he explained, “It’s a good opportunity, and I don’t think that kids get enough physical activity throughout the day.”

The club started as a group of friends who wanted to get a little more exercise during the day, but has grown so much since then. They had so many people sign up that they actually had to make cuts: “We had over 160 people sign up,” Candland explained, “so we had to make it a senior/upperclassmen priority.” It was difficult to decide how many people would end up in the club, but it was very important to narrow it down because Oakdale doesn’t have the proper facilities for a club of 160 members.

As the club continues to have meetings, students are getting a greater feel for the sport. Since Pickleball has multiple similarities to Tennis, Coach Schlee has been using the club as a way to recruit possible future tennis players: “I thought that it would be a good way for me to see other potential tennis players, because there’s a connection between pickleball and tennis.” This recruitment method has been successful so far, as he has already found at least one possible player to join the Tennis team.

With a look at how long the Pickleball club has been running, it has had an immense amount of success. The schedule change has definitely played a part in the club’s success, considering it gives members more time to participate. Would you join the pickleball club?