By Nick Collett
The plastic ball pops off the paddle.
The ball cuts through the air landing right outside the kitchen.
His sneaker screeches when he runs to the ball. He returns the ball with a powerful backhand.
Adrenaline is high as he reaches to return it.
His paddle cracks on impact. The ball flies just barely over the net, going right past the boy.
It lands on the line.
The boy cheers with joy.
Pickleball is a rising sport at Delta High School with more students playing it than ever. However, it’s not just Delta, it’s the whole nation.
According to an article by Alyssa D’Souza in Canada’s independent newspaper The Brock Press, “Pickleball, once an improvised backyard diversion, has become one of the most rapidly expanding sports in North America, with nearly twenty million participants in the United States as of 2024.”
Many students at Delta have had a paddle in their hand at some point, but for sophomore Breighlyn Ellis, pickleball has taken over much of his free time.
“I like the simplicity,” Ellis said. “Not all my friends are the most athletic people on the planet, so it gives us a chance to all bond together and play together no matter how athletic they are.”
Ellis started to play pickleball more when he was bored and wanted to stay active after his soccer season ended.
He said he enjoys playing pickleball because it lets him have quality time with his friends.
Ellis said he experiences a range of emotions when he plays:
“I’m really passionate about the game, so a lot of pride, a lot of joy, sometimes some anger if I get beat, but that’s about it.”
Ellis said his playing style is the “stand and slam” as he calls it, referring to him standing outside of the kitchen and volleying it down really hard.
Some students play pickleball for different reasons. Junior Jensen Boyd, a top-ranked wrestler in Indiana, has played pickleball as a way to cut weight.
During the summer, Boyd would throw on multiple layers, then go out and play for a couple of hours with his sister. Boyd said he would usually lose around three pounds doing this.
Being a wrestler, Boyd’s competitiveness has carried over to pickleball. When Boyd doesn’t win, he tends to get frustrated with himself, especially if he loses to his dad or sister.
“They’ll rub it in my face because they know I get all mad,” Boyd said.
Even though Boyd gets upset when he loses a point, he keeps the mindset that he just has to go get the next one.
The most important reason why Boyd plays pickleball is because he just wants to have fun with family and friends.
It’s not only students that this pickleball craze has affected; some teachers have started playing it, too.
English teacher Mrs. Elizabeth Gilmore, formerly Miss Marshall, has started to play in her free time.
A Delta High School graduate, she first heard about pickleball in her middle school gym class with Mr. Dave Reade.
Once Mrs. Gilmore got to college at Indiana Wesleyan University a lot of her friends started playing it again.
“I was really excited about that,” she said.
Mrs. Gilmore likes how she can have a chill conversation with friends and still be competitive while she plays.
Anger is a common emotion Mrs. Gilmore feels while playing pickleball because of how competitive she can get. She said she still has fun even when she is angry.
Pickleball is not only played outside of Delta but it’s a whole unit in gym class.
Gym teacher Mr. Jacob VanPelt teaches pickleball in his class.
Mr. VanPelt believes it’s a sport that many people can participate in because it is a lot simpler than most other sports.
It’s not only Mr. VanPelt that includes pickleball in his class, new gym teacher Mr. Tyler Gilland also uses it.
Mr. Gilland believes the rise of pickleball’s popularity is because it’s a sport that any age group can play.
Mr. Gilland incorporates pickleball in his class because he believes it’s an activity that nearly anyone can pick up relatively fast.
Pickleball is a sport with many different reasons why people start to play.
There is one similarity, however.
It’s a good time.
“I feel like if you are capable and want to play pickleball, I think you should,” Gilland said.
