The fastest-growing sport in America is making its way to campus. There is now officially a pickleball club at Saint Paul’s.

The newly formed pickleball club will practice for two hours on Monday and Wednesday, with Wednesday being open game day. The practices are usually held under the Wolf Dome.

Mr. Hyman, a Saint Paul’s teacher, moderates the club. He also teaches science to pre-freshman and one sophomore class.

During practice, “I let the older students, who know how to play, coach,” Hyman said. Practices are open to all who want to play, but the club is looking for more devoted players. 

Players usually compete in bracket tournaments during practice. “While we’re waiting to play, we’ll play wall ball to stay warm,” Saint Paul’s sophomore Larry Beachler said.

Other students can come to play against the club members on Wednesdays, which is cool for students who have an interest in playing but want to get a feel for the club before committing.

Beachler also noted that some teachers can make appearances and play on Wednesdays.

Moderator Hyman created the pickleball club for two reasons. “Students came to me about a pickleball club, and it would be fun with my kids,” said Hyman, who also helps moderate the robotics club and swim team. 

Due to the increasing popularity of pickleball both around the country and on high school campuses, this year, the Saint Paul’s Pickleball Club is looking forward to competing in games against other schools. For instance, Saint Scholastica Academy (SSA) has created a pickleball club, and some teachers want to get involved. “We are looking forward to playing SSA, and in the future, hopefully, teachers or seniors could come play [against] our team,” said Hyman.

With the club becoming more popular, Hyman has found a way to get more equipment. In addition, he hopes to be able to provide “Golden Torch” points for students who join the club. “Since we started late last year, I couldn’t offer points for the Golden Torch. However, this year, I should be able to give points to the members,” Hyman said.  

Believe it or not, Saint Paul’s students used to play in competitive pickleball during PE classes. Mr. Nicholas Guarisco (’08) recounted intense tournaments held in class every year he was a student at Saint Paul’s.

“Saint Paul’s was ahead of its time on pickleball. My buddies and I used to gear up for these tournaments, which would last several PE classes. They got extremely competitive, so much so that we would argue about seeding in the brackets and talk trash toward one another for weeks. My pickleball partner was named William Schmidt, and our pickleball prowess was a core memory of my Saint Paul’s career. Not only do I distinctly remember winning our first tournament and trying to schedule matches with winners in the other PE classes, but I also vividly recall some points in critical matches against “rival” friends even 16 years later,” said Guarisco.

Pickleball has gained fame for a lot of reasons, mostly due to ease of play. Most believe that the game does not entail quite as much skill or athleticism as tennis, making it more inviting and fun for beginners. Unlike other sports, almost everyone who plays pickleball enjoys it initially.

After a serve, which is an underhand serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning the ball. If it bounces twice on the receiving side, goes out of bounds, or hits the net, it is a point for the serving team. The critical distinction between pickleball and tennis is an area close to the net known as “the kitchen,” where a player cannot strike the ball with his or her foot inside the kitchen. The kitchen changes the strategy of the game and makes it unique.

The ball is different whether it is indoors or outdoors. The main difference is the size of the holes; indoor balls have bigger holes than outdoor ones. Saint Paul’s intends to play all of its games outdoors, requiring a traditional yellow ball with smaller holes.