PENDLETON — The sport of pickleball has exploded in popularity in recent years all across the country, especially with seniors or those approaching that age category.
That can be seen right here in Madison County, Pendleton, and the Community Sports and Wellness facility in town.
“Towns and communities are starting to invest in it more, so as the availability of courts increases it will allow for more people to enter the sport,” Community Sports and Wellness Director of Marketing Skye Huff said. “I think the parks departments in the county do a great job of providing that and making that happen.”
One group where pickleball has really found success is with seniors and older adults. A less taxing and more accessible sport than others has made it an easy sport for people in that age range to pick up and participate in.
“Many people are playing, and it’s definitely a social sport. For seniors, I think they’re looking to meet people and play. It’s also a fairly successful sport learning-wise,” Community Sports and Wellness Director of Pickleball Justin Overmyer said. “The size of the court is helpful. There’s not as much room to run and cover, and it’s fairly simple in the rules and strategy and things like that.”
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Compared to a similar sport like tennis, Overmyer, who comes from a tennis background, said pickleball is a simpler sport for seniors to pick up right away.
“There’s just less space to cover for seniors,” Overmyer said. “A big difference too is the technique and footwork. There’s different nuances to how you move.”
Even on a small court with less movement, the health and exercise benefits of the sport for seniors are still plentiful. The sport is mentally stimulating, can help improve reflexes and balance, and can help improve cardiovascular health, among other benefits.
“There was a misconception for a long time that it wasn’t a very physically demanding sport,” Overmyer said. “It does give you a good workout.”
“If you play lightly as most beginners do, it’s the equivalent of walking. So they’re burning the same calories as a brisk walk, but it isn’t covering the same distance,” Huff said. “You’re playing in public places, too, which is typically safer than going on a walk by yourself.”
Playing in a public place and the social aspect of the sport is another reason the sport has seen its boom in popularity and success.
“The social aspect provides accountability when it comes to fitness, too,” Huff said. “And then you add in the fun factor, and people are going to be more consistent than if they tried to exercise on their own.”
At Community Sports and Wellness, they’ve seen the benefits of the sport on seniors firsthand, and have seen their own growth over the past several years.
While the facility had pickleball courts, classes, and leagues since its opening in 2021 they just recently hired Overmyer to oversee the sport and help its growth.
“We’ve had it since the beginning, but we just recently decided to step into it more about a year ago when we hired a director to oversee the sport,” Community Sports and Wellness President Jini Morgan said. “We had been running programs, but we really wanted to get aggressive with it.”
The facility offers a variety of leagues and classes, for people of all skill levels and ages, including leagues focused specifically on seniors and people over the age of 50. They currently offer Women’s, Mixed Doubles, 50+, and Learner’s Leagues. They have seen full participation and all 24 spots filled in every league.
“The learner leagues tend to be your recreational leagues, and they’re just here to have fun, but all the other leagues are pretty competitive,” Overmyer said.
For seniors who may not want to participate in the 50+ league, Overmyer says that classes are a good way to get into the sport and still benefit from the exercise and physical activity that pickleball has to offer.
Intro to pickleball classes are a good place to start, according to Overmyer, and something that the facility is really trying to promote.
“We’re really trying to focus on our intro to pickleball classes because that’s how you grow the sport,” Overmyer said. “And then we’re trying to find other ways to integrate those intro players into other programs.”
One of the other programs offered, and another unique way for seniors to get involved is in the cardio pickleball classes. The classes are more loose and fun with all of the drills and activities set to music.
Seniors looking for the next step up can compete competitively. Along with the competitive leagues offered at the facility, Community Sports and Wellness will be hosting the biggest pickleball tournament in the state next month.
“We’re focusing on trying to get new players into tournaments,” Overmyer said. “Next month we’re expecting between 400 and 500 people from Indiana and the surrounding states for the biggest tournament in the state in 2023.”
While the growth has been seen at Community Sports and Wellness across all ages, Overmyer and the rest of the staff know that the boom is just beginning. As more and more older adults learn the benefits and the accessibility of the sport, participation in the community is expected to keep rising.
“It’s still becoming known around the community as something you can do socially or competitively, so people are still being introduced to the game,” Overmyer said. “We’re still doing a lot of intro to pickleball classes. The interest and the rise is still there.”
