The Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) recently named pickleball “America’s Fastest Growing Sport”… for the third year in a row. But, unlike many sports that grow through youth programs and over time make their way up to adult professional league status, pickleball took off in retirement communities, has become a major professional sport and is slowly making its way down into high schools. Yes, kids have been playing pickleball in middle school PE classes for years, but there have been few pathways for those who want to compete more seriously, and virtually no official high school leagues.
Michael Moon, a Marin County athlete and parent, along with a Bay Area group of student athletes, school administrators and parents, hope to change that. Moon, who is a tennis player turned “pickler” and has two sons at Branson, spearheaded the first ever Norcal High School Pickleball Championships at Craneway Pavilion in Richmond on Sunday, May 11. Thirty-four students from club programs at Branson, Marin Catholic, St. Vincents in Petaluma, Analy in Sebastopol, Drew and Proof Academies in San Francisco, Oak Ridge in El Dorado Hills and Palo Alto High in Palo Alto competed all day in girls and boys doubles, as well as mixed doubles events.
Photos by Curtis Meyers.
Several of the students playing in the championships were tennis players who transitioned naturally to pickleball, while others had no paddle or racquet sport in their background. “On our Branson B team that got bronze, we had a baseball player and golfer among some tennis players,” said Moon. “Kids from all backgrounds can learn and enjoy pickle right away and if they are willing to put in the practice, they will get better very quickly.” Some of the student athletes said they learned pickleball by playing with their parents, and, according to several of the parents watching the competition, their children have now passed them in ability.
Moon secured sponsorship of the event through JOOLA USA, and medal winners received gear. “An event like this is hopefully a catalyst for schools to focus on developing pickleball programs,” Moon said. “There are tournaments that juniors can go to, but a format like this where kids can get excited to play for their high school on a team is what I’m hoping to grow.”
