When you were a little kid, you'd probably meet another kid at the playground, say your name, and within a minute or two ask, “Want to be friends?” And that was it. You had a new friend.
©Joan Azeka / Unsplash.comAs an adult, making new friends gets a little harder. Careers, families, and the daily grind can make it difficult to connect. But there is an easy way to make friends again. Just step onto a court, paddle in hand, and say, “Want to play pickleball?” You just made at least three new friends!
Pickleball tends to be a more social sport than most, for a variety of reasons. The court is smaller than a tennis court, so talking with the other players is easier. Players often show up individually rather than as a prearranged foursome.
A large portion of the pickleball population picked up the game in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. They show up to get exercise and often to meet new people. If you get nothing else from pickleball, we hope you make many wonderful friends. We did!
Where do people play pickleball?
The pickleball social scene is everywhere, from public courts operated by city recreation departments, community developments, and private clubs to homemade courts on the streets, driveways, and inside garages or basements to fancy custom courts in backyards. There’s little barrier to diving right in and meeting lots of like-minded folks!Joining a pickleball club
As you play more pickleball, you may find yourself wanting more: more time to play, more players to play with, more fun. All these outcomes may await you through a local pickleball club. If you’re thinking about joining a club, here are some factors to consider:- Cost: Are you willing to pay monthly or annual fees, and if so, how much?
- Location: How far are you willing to drive to play, potentially several times a week?
- Size: What size club are you interested in? Are you looking to meet a few hundred players, or are you more comfortable with smaller sized groups? If it’s a large club, how do they manage court usage and crowds?
- Culture: Do you want to join an informal group at the local park or one at an upscale country club? Try to get the feel of the club. Do they offer events for players of your skill level?
- Activities: Are you interested in lots of organized play like ladders, leagues, tournaments, and social gatherings or do you prefer more casual play? Does the club offer the kind of competition you enjoy?
Enjoying the benefits of a club
Whether you join an informal club at the local park or pay for a membership to an athletic or country club, you can experience some definite advantages of being a “joiner.” Benefits vary, but you may get to:- Drop in. Most clubs have several drop-in times a week. No hassle of finding partners and organizing a court. You simply drop in and play with whomever is there, which is a nice way to meet new people. You can also learn more about pickleball and hone your skills by playing with people of different styles and skill levels.
- Reserve a court. You don’t have the hassle in waiting for others to finish. Some (but not all) clubs have reservation systems, so you're guaranteed a court time.
- Learn from a pro. Most larger clubs have teaching pros who offer clinics and private lessons.
- Party on. Clubs are primarily social and make parties a priority because they add to the fun. It can be a perfect way to get to know the people you play with a little better.
- Play tournaments. Club-run tournaments are often low-key compared to large, sanctioned tournaments, so they’re an easy way to get your feet wet before entering any major events.
- Get discounts. Who doesn't love a deal? Often, clubs offer discount pricing for members on court time, lessons, and tournaments. Many clubs also negotiate discounts from equipment retailers.
- Volunteer. If you enjoy sharing your talents and giving back to the community, joining a club provides many opportunities for you to get involved and make a difference.
From your new pickleball club friends, you can learn how to play better, what equipment to buy, where to get lessons, and where to find the best tacos in the neighborhood after you’ve won all your matches. (Tacos are for winners.)
Starting a new pickleball club
Anyone can start a club, including you! Most pickleball clubs begin as grassroot efforts, and their organizers are just regular people who see an opportunity to unite the players in their community.Sometimes the impetus comes from seeing a problem and wanting to collectively improve the local pickleball experience. Players organize into clubs for several reasons:
- Scheduling: Clubs offer a way to organize drop-in play, ladders, and leagues. Organizing not only helps players mix and mingle but can also help ease overcrowding by redirecting court traffic to less busy times.
- Communication: Forming a club is one way to gather contact information and efficiently communicate with players in your area. Some important topics to communicate on include court closures or openings; local tournaments and events; advocacy opportunities; lost-and-found items; and club rules and regulations.
- Advocacy: Organizing local players into a club allows you to advocate collectively for additional courts, more gym time, and facility improvements, among other issues. In some cases, it may be necessary to represent the interest of pickleballers when cities or neighborhood associations want to limit the use of courts.
- Rules: Sometimes forming a club is necessary so that someone has the authority to set rules and regulations. When courts get overcrowded, bad behavior can occur. Rules about court rotation, sharing, and etiquette can go a long way toward keeping the peace and making sure everything runs smoothly during crowded play times.
Although forming a new club entails a lot of work, you can recruit volunteers to bring their unique talents to the table and you may well end up with lifelong friendships in the process. Here are some tips for setting up your own club:
- Decide where to play. Make sure the times you want to play are accessible and enough courts exist. Also confirm that you have the blessing of the venue owner, city, or park district before formally organizing a club at their courts.
- Give your club a name. Go with something that is easily identifiable and indicates the venue, town, or region your club plans to serve. Potential members need to easily be able to find you on Google and social media.
- Recruit members. Go to local events or other clubs and ask around to see who's interested, or just start with a few friends and spread the word. Distribute flyers and post on social media. One of the best ways to attract new members is to offer some sort of free weekly clinics for beginners. See Chapter 19 for tips on holding an introductory clinic.
- Identify the decision-maker(s). The organizer may be just you for a while, but be on the lookout for people to delegate tasks to. Fortunately, many people are passionate about pickleball, so finding others who want to get involved won’t be that hard.
- Determine dues. Determine monthly or annual dues (if any) and what benefits you can offer members in exchange for paying them.
- Have ongoing communications. Keep your peeps connected! Create a Facebook group, email list, website, or a simple newsletter to keep people up to date.
- If you have enough players, form committees to help with the club. You are only one person and can't do everything. Pickleballers love to help! It never hurts to ask.
- Don’t get discouraged. It’s important to realize going in that pleasing everyone all the time is impossible. Focus on the positive outcomes you’re achieving, and be sure to take time to step back and enjoy actually playing, too! After all, the love of the game is what motivated you to step up in the first place.
We see this positive energy for change happening all over the world. Imagine all the picklebilities — er, possibilities!