Although pickleball has existed for over 60 years, it has recently experienced a massive surge in popularity, writes Neil Geoghegan for Daily Local News.
Pickleball is a cross between tennis and badminton and is the fast-growing sport in the United States for the third year in a row.
“Some people call it a fad, but I think it’s just going to continue to grow,” said Brandon Mackie, founder of Pickleheads.com. “It’s a sport of all ages, it’s easy to learn – it has a lot of interesting dynamics that bode well for future growth.”
According to Pickleheads, the largest directory of pickleball facilities, there are 168 pickleball facilities in Chester County, not including private country clubs.
The Downington YMCA Pickleball Center is a 25,000-square-foot building with nine indoor courts. The top three places in Chesco for pickleball are Downingtown (with seven locations), West Chester (with six locations), and Parkesburg (with three locations).
“Our facility is dedicated exclusively to pickleball,” said Dave Mullin, director of the facility. “To build a center like ours is a pretty steep investment, with the understanding that it is very popular and it’s not going away.”
The West Chester Parks and Recreation Department plans to add two full-time courts by spring 2025, and we can expect the rest of Chester County to follow suit.
Read more about the growing popularity of pickleball in Chester County at Daily Local News.
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Why is pickleball America’s fastest growing sport?
