The Pickleball Phenomenon: What You Need to Know About This Exploding Sport

The booming industry of pickleball beyond your community court.

Before I picked up pickleball in earnest, I had no clue what the industry of pickleball was like. Or that there really was an industry. Boy, is there ever. And while you don’t need to know about it to get into or enjoy the game, you may find it helpful to have context for this sport exploding across the US and gaining traction abroad. 

This post has been inspired by interactions with new players who are feeling silly with a paddle in their hands or those I meet whose only pickleball experience is whatever happens in their town. They’re often shocked by the things happening on a broader scale.

So with no further ado, here are 9 things you may find interesting about the wonderful and exploding world of pickleball.

1. There are legit pros in this sport, just as in other sports. “Pro” can mean a lot of things, including someone who makes any amount of money on it. But there are professional pickleball players who make millions of dollars per year off salary and endorsements. Even if November 2023 brought about changes in salaries at the top levels of the sport, pro players can still make good money off their involvement in the sport—tournament winnings, sponsorships, appearances, and media deals.

2. There are such things as professional pickleball teams. They have owners including the likes of Brenee Brown and celebrities like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Drake, Michael B. Jordan. It’s considered an investment for these celebrities; they’re not just buying in to be nice or (just) because they love pickleball. 

3. There’s not one organization running the show, like there is with professional basketball (NBA) or professional football (NFL). There are two main organizations: UPA (United Pickleball Association) and USAP (USA Pickleball). This sport is so new that UPA is all of a couple months old, and has self-designated as the global governing body of the sport. Within, and in addition to these two main organizations, there is lots of alphabet soup to go around. The other main players are the MLP (Major League Pickleball), now part of UPA, which also folded in the PPA tour (Professional Pickleball Association). There’s the APP tour (Association for Professional Pickleball) and the NPL (National Pickleball League for 50+). If It all gets frankly confusing, but it’s part and parcel of a sport and industry growing into itself.

4. People do play singles pickleball—it looks incredibly hard on the body. More common, especially in a community setting, is doubles pickleball because it means more people can play. Check out this sample to be reminded how glad you are that you play doubles.

5. Just as with other industries, there are pickleball conferences. There is the World Pickleball Convention, RacquetX for all racquet sports and even if pickleball is technically played with a paddle, it’s similar enough to count. TripleCrown sports is holding its inaugural PickleCon in August 2024 for industry professionals, professionals, and amateur enthusiasts alike. 

6. It may seem like everyone you know plays already, but there’s a lot more growth possible in this sport. Per the APP, 50 million adult Americans have played it at least once in the last year. Market.us News reported 13.6 million players played in 2023. My sophisticated interpretation: somewhere between 13 and 50 million people played in 2023. Perhaps more useful is the animated graphic on this site showing the trajectory of growth in comparison to other sports. It’s wild. 

7. Play is happening across all age bands. Very interestingly, 21% of the players are kids and youth between 6 to 17 years, approximately the same as the number of adults 35 to 54 years. That people of all types and ages can play—and enjoy playing with—each other is part of what makes this game so wild. You’d never match up a 9-year-old girl against a 49-year-old man in any other sport, but that’s just what I saw in a pickleball tournament in Pleasant Grove, Utah. The kids won.

8. Court shortage and court access is a definite challenge in the growth of the sport. As of August 2023, Business Insider cited a 25,000 court shortage, and I’ve seen pile-ups of people waiting to play at local parks. Do a Google search for “pickleball court shortage” and you’ll see plenty of articles and news stories. Some existing courts are also affected by noise complaints from local homeowners, with some being shut down over it.  Players, communities and the industry will all have to continue to get creative to manage the demands and ramifications of this growing sport.

9. Pickleball tourism and entertainment is starting to be big business. Consumers pay good money for clinics/camps, travel to watch or play in tournaments, or plan destination pickleball vacations. Chicken N Pickle is an established national pickleball + entertainment concept with 10 existing locations and more planned. Multiple other brands like The Pickle Pad and Camp Pickleball are joining the space with multiple locations planned around the United States. 

It’s not uncommon for me to meet people who have only heard of pickleball, or whose impression is that it’s simply a fad. Yes, it connects people in ways like I’ve not seen before and people can be rabid about their participation. I’ve been in business over the years for myself, and never found a group of people more willing to connect, help, chat and network. There are downsides in the sport, some of which are highlighted in this article and which I’ll be covering in the future.

But what’s happening in this industry, and the speed at which it feels like it’s moving, is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. And in many ways we’re just getting started; time will tell how many of the above are relevant versus thrown to the side in favor of the latest happening in this race-to-space industry. 

Was this helpful? I’m curious to know which one stood out to you the most. And if you have insights to share on any of them, please share in comments.