With sports such as football, basketball and tennis dominating the sports industry for decades, one increasingly popular contender joins the scene: pickleball. Tyler Lassner ’24, Nick Oberbroeckling ’24 and Sebastian Rutkowski ’24 delve into how they were compelled to begin West’s newly established pickleball club.
“We all took AP World History our sophomore year. Our teacher, Mr. Bloom, was always talking about how he plays pickleball in his free time,” Lassner said. “We decided to try it out and we loved it. We played with Bloom a few times and then we started up the club.”
When adopting pickleball as a new sport, Lassner explains that the rules remain straightforward, even for newcomers.
“Pickleball is very similar to sports like tennis and ping pong. With a net dividing the court in half, you try to get the ball to bounce twice on your opponent’s side,” Lassner said. “Unique to pickleball, there is an area of the court a few feet behind the net called the kitchen. You aren’t allowed to step into the kitchen unless the ball bounces within the boundaries of the kitchen first. The kitchen allows for multiple types of play within a single rally.”
Though the sport may be unfamiliar to some, Oberbroeckling encourages anyone interested in pickleball to give it a try, irrespective of skill level.
“One of the qualities of pickleball that makes it so unique is its accessibility. The rules are pretty straightforward and the pace of the game is completely dependent on the players, so anyone of any skill level can play,” Oberbroeckling said. “This is an activity completely suitable for [leisure], but can also become quite intense for higher-skill players. It’s a sport for everyone.”
Lassner explains how players new to pickleball begin developing their pickleball skill set through performing various drills.
“Kitchen play is a fundamental part of pickleball, and it’s usually what we start our new members with. It’s slow paced and allows for players to get accustomed to hitting the ball,” Lassner said.
Although West’s pickleball club places emphasis on members honing their skills on the court, players spend the most time practicing in casual matches, opting to play the sport more recreationally.
“We’ve focused on friendly matches at club meetings. At each practice, we open up a couple of courts and let people mix and match into different games,” Rutkowski said. “It’s all very low-stakes.”
When playing in a match on the court, Rutkowski finds that the collaborative aspects of pickleball are equally important to skill.
“Working with your teammate is very important. Moving in a line together, reaching the kitchen line and covering as much of the court as possible can make the difference for every point,” Rutkowski said. “One of the best things about pickleball club is that you can play with a new teammate in every game which helps you to develop your collaborative skills.”
Currently, pickleball club meets on Wednesdays after school at West’s tennis courts, given that there are appropriate weather conditions. With outdoor temperatures increasing in the near future, pickleball club plans to gain more momentum as they continue to play more outdoor matches.
“When spring rolls around, we’ll be able to more consistently play outdoors. We’re hoping to set up some meetings at public places, such as Mercer Park, so we can get more involved in the local pickleball scene,” Rutkowski said.
Lassner, Oberbroeckling and Rutkowski encourage anyone interested in joining pickleball club to check out the club’s Instagram account, @icwpickleballclub, or contact Lassner ([email protected]), Oberbroeckling ([email protected]) or Rutkowski ([email protected]) directly.
“We want this club to be accessible to everyone. You are welcome to come by yourself and meet some new people, or find a partner to play with during a meeting,” Oberbroeckling said. “It’s completely easygoing.”
