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This article was previously published in Folio in February 2021 and has been updated to include additional resources.
To the uninitiated, “pickleball” might sound like some weird appetizer your grandmother brings to family picnics. Or a gala for gherkin lovers.
What it actually is, however, is a sport. And not just any sport but one of the fastest growing recreational sports in the U.S. with almost 4.8 million regular players, a 40% increase since 2019.
So how is it that a game made up in the ‘60s by a couple of dads to entertain their bored kids become the biggest thing in sports in years, yet so many people have never heard of it?
Often described as a combination of tennis, ping-pong and badminton, pickleball is played on a hard, flat surface that resembles a mini-tennis court using solid paddles, typically made of wood, composite or graphite, to hit plastic perforated balls (think Wiffle balls) across a net. Sure, it might not sound like the most exciting sport in the world, but what makes pickleball so popular is its accessibility—and inclusivity.
With only 1,500 square feet of total playing space—compared to a 2,808-square-foot tennis court—the game is inherently more appealing to individuals who aren’t exactly in their athletic prime and/or those with physical limitations (having at least one bum knee is practically a requirement for taking up the sport).
It’s easy to learn for beginners but can also be fast-paced and highly-competitive for more experienced players. The financial investment is minimal with paddles starting around $30 (be advised: you get what you pay for), a couple of bucks for balls and some court shoes. And no fancy club membership required.
Verna Griffin became acquainted with the sport more than a decade ago in South Florida, and it was, ahem, lob at first sight (heads up: picklers love wordplay). Unfortunately, pickleball hadn’t yet caught on in Northeast Florida, so she had to buy the equipment, as well as learn the rules, lingo and netiquette all online. She also had to find a place to play.
The Neptune Beach resident was undeterred, however, and made a pact with three friends to meet at a nearby city park and bring a friend. Within a month, 45 people were playing pickleball every Saturday at the Isle of Palms Park in San Pablo, even more impressive considering there were no actual pickleball courts there. Since then, she has become a certified pickleball instructor, a USA Pickleball ambassador and the de facto Godmother of Pickleball in Jacksonville.
“There are so many benefits to [playing] pickleball. It’s a multi-generational game. We have players from 8 to 96,” Griffin said. “It has health benefits because any kind of movement is so important.” One player, she said, has lost 60 pounds playing. And then there’s the social aspect.
Perhaps the best example of pickleball’s growing popularity in Jacksonville, not to mention the obsessiveness of its players, is Andy Zarka.
After giving up running (because bad knees) and cycling (because boring), he discovered pickleball in 2019 and found it the perfect way to stay active, feed his competitive spirit and rekindle the sense of camaraderie he found playing pick-up basketball in high school and college. But playing locally four times a week wasn’t enough to satisfy his craving.
“On a caffeine-filled, sleepless night, I decided I was going to open a pickleball store,” he recalled. “So I texted a friend [in the business] and asked him if it was the worst idea he ever heard. He agreed but said I should do it anyway.” A self-admitted pickleball addict, he said he just wants to see the game grow. “I see its benefit socially and healthwise,” he said.
Zarka, who also owns European Street Cafe, opened Jax Pickleball in San Marco in 2020. The sports boutique is the only store in North Florida dedicated specifically to pickleball carrying everything from equipment and apparel to bumper stickers and nutritional supplements (Pickleball Cocktail, anyone?). Go Pro Tennis in Mandarin and St. Johns Bluff have gotten into the game, too, adding pickleball gear to their inventory, as have national retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports.
As further evidence that pickleball is here to stay on the First Coast is the creation of The First Dink Foundation (FYI, a dink is a shot in pickleball). Similar in philosophy to First Tee, First Dink is a non-profit, youth development organization that aims to teach kids and teens about leadership, character, dedication, self-confidence and resilience—both on the court and off. In fact, First Dink held its inaugural event, a Pickleball 101 youth clinic, last month on National Pickleball Day. (Yes, it even has its own holiday.)
Suffice it to say, pickleball is a pretty big dill.
Places to play pickleball in and around Jacksonville
Atlantic Recreation Center, Fernandina Beach
https://www.fbfl.us/972/Pickleball
Blue Cypress Center and Park
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/community-centers-(1)/blue-cypress-community-center-and-park
Boone Park
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/boone-park
Brooks Family YMCA
Donner Park
http://fl-atlanticbeach.civicplus.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/Donner-Park-Gail-Baker-Community-Center-7
Flynn Park / Walter Anderson Memorial Park
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/flynn-park
Fort Family Regional Park
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/9a-baymeadows-regional-park.aspx
Isle of Palms Park
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/isle-of-palms-park.aspx
Jarboe Park
https://www.ci.neptune-beach.fl.us/public-works/pages/jarboe-park
Klutho Park
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/henry-j-klutho-park
Mandarin Park
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/mandarin-park-647
Ortega Life Center at Ortega UMC
https://www.ortegasports.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1004023
Ponte Vedra YMCA
Ronnie Van Zant Park, Green Cove Springs
https://www.claycountygov.com/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/1576/1024
Southside Tennis Complex
https://www.coj.net/departments/parks,-recreation-and-community-services/recreation-and-community-programming/athletics/tennis/southside-tennis-complex
Williams Family YMCA
Winston Family YMCA
The Yards, Ponte Vedra
https://www.playtheyards.com/
