Pickleball – One of the fastest growing sports
Pickleball has grown rapidly in Australia, with the Pickleball Australia Association (PAA) seeing a 99.7% increase in members from the start of 2023 to the end of the year. The PAA estimates that 25,000 people play casually nationwide.
A pickleball court is a similar size to a double’s badminton court, with a length of 13.41 metres and a width of 6.09 metres. The height of the net is 36 inches.
The courts are much smaller than a tennis court, making pickleball a social sport with players in close proximity to each other. Aside from the social aspect, pickleball is also easy to learn, so it’s an excellent choice for beginners. Most importantly, it’s a fast-paced sport that is a lot of fun to play.
The history of pickleball in Australia
Pickleball has been played in Australia for around eight years, but its popularity has soared in recent years. Pickleball Australia launched in 2020 to create playing opportunities across seven state and territory associations. The organisation’s work includes,
- Introducing pickleball into communities
- Developing pickleball as a sport in the country
- Enabling recreational play
- Creating a competitive pickleball landscape
The number of members in Pickleball Australia is increasing at a dramatic rate. At the start of 2023, there were just over 4,000 members. This number grew by 99.7% to reach just over 8,000 members by the end of 2023. By 12 March 2024, there were 10,447 members of the organisation. Comparing this figure with other countries, there are 78,766 official pickleball association members in the US, 50,000 in Canada, and 8,000 in England.
These figures suggest that Australia has some way to go to become one of the world’s top pickleball-playing countries, but the growing number of enthusiasts suggests a bright future for the sport, although there are some potential hurdles to overcome.
The future of pickleball in Australia
The National Pickleball League (NPL) is a leading force in the future of the sport in the country. The organisation runs the professional pickleball league in Australia. Its headquarters are in Melbourne, and it arranged the first Australian Pickleball Championships in Marrickville in 2018.
Future NPL events include the NPL Championships Melbourne, from 19 July 2024, 7:30 a.m. to 21 July 2024, 8:00 p.m., and the NPL Championships Sydney, from 13 Dec 2024, 8:00 a.m. to 15 Dec 2024, 8:00 p.m.
While the NPL is taking professional pickleball forward in Australia, it’s also helping enthusiasts develop the sport at the grassroots level.
