The fastest growing sport is back for another year as the pickleball club has started meeting once again. Although it used to be a small sport that was not available on campus, junior Paige Beggs, now-president of the club, decided to create the club with the help of her friends.
“I was interested in playing here, but I wasn’t sure if there was anything going on with pickleball. So, when I noticed that we had the pickleball nets and courts, I realized it’s totally doable. We had the materials but didn’t have the club, so I gathered a bunch of my friends, and I was like, ‘Let’s do this,’” Beggs said.
Over the few years the club has existed, the number of members has increased each year. Sophomore Logan Schulz joined last year and has seen the club evolve.
“I was a part of the club last year, and I would say the biggest difference is the mood of the courts,” Schulz said. “We have so many more people this year that the courts are completely full every time we meet.”
The pickleball club isn’t just about competition, but it’s about creating an open environment where everyone can have fun and enjoy the sport. Sophomore Michael Njus is one member of the pickleball club and appreciates the friendly atmosphere and community that has been built.
“We have a really good sense of community,” Njus said. “Everyone comes and they’re willing to play. They’re willing to step out and have other people play. They just want to get in the courts and have a good time.”
As the club continues to play, the members are eager to have competitive matches against other schools and teams. Beggs has hinted at a possible invitational meet with schools such as the University of Iowa.
“I’ve talked about an invitational kind of thing where the University of Iowa comes over,” Beggs said. “We’ll have pizza, and we can all play together because I know that they have a pickleball team. Even St. Ambrose, if they have anyone, would be good too. For now, it’s just us playing. I’ve had people in the club asking for that too.”
Over the next few years the club will look to continue to grow and improve, and one thing they want to change is the equipment they have so far.
“I do hope for increased funding and recognition for the club,” Schulz said. “Right now, we are relegated to using the previous events’ pickleball equipment, which is slowly breaking. Having some more funding would help buy some new equipment. With that in mind, having some more courts would be nice, so that we have courts for overflow as we are limited to 3 courts.”
The team is also looking to expand their playing range, and hope to be able to use the courts outside.
“I’d like to see us start using some of the outside courts as well,” Njus said. “I think it’s possible by the Westerlin courts, there’s a few pickleball ones over there. [It] might be a little difficult logistically, but I think it’d be nice to be outside sometimes because we’re always in the PepsiCo.”
For those who are considering joining, the club offers the chance to play and an opportunity to be a part of a welcoming, fun community.
“You can make new friends,” Beggs said. “You can learn how to play if you don’t know already. Everyone mixes very well, especially if you’re interested in sports, so that’s your common factor. You have something you can all like and start a friendship with.”