“It’s the fastest growing sport in America. It’s like a weed.” (Washington Post)
In the United States, ‘pickleball’ is rapidly emerging as a new ‘national sport’. If tennis and golf were popular in Korea after the COVID-19 crisis, pickleball has emerged as a trend in the United States. The pickleball population reached 4.8 million in the United States alone (as of last year). Superstars such as LeBron James of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Tom Brady of the National Football League (NFL) have jumped into pickleball owners.
According to foreign media such as the Wall Street Journal and CNBC on the 5th, the pickleball population in the United States is rapidly increasing recently. It is easy to learn and easy to access, so people of all ages can enjoy it. Related industries are also expanding.
Pickleball is a ball game in which a perforated plastic ball is hit with a ‘paddle’ resembling a ping-pong club and passed to the opposing camp across the net. The paddles are smaller than a tennis racquet and larger than a table tennis club. A plastic ball resembles a tennis ball, but is lighter in weight.
The match will be played in singles and doubles on the size of a badminton court. The first team to score 11 points per set wins. If both sides score 10 points, the team with a difference of 2 points first through the deuce rule wins.
Pickleball is a sport with a history of nearly 60 years. Born in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA. At the time, Congressman Joel Pritchard was said to have improvised the idea for his children, who were looking for something to play with while spending time at a villa with two friends. Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been playing pickleball for over 50 years. World-renowned tennis player Serena Williams and Hollywood star Kim Kardashian are also known as picklers, who have a hobby of pickleball.
Pickleball, which was recognized as a sport centered on the elderly, has become a national sport enjoyed by all age groups after the COVID-19 outbreak. Since there is no physical contact and the intensity of exercise is relatively low, it has become a hobby that Americans who are exhausted from Corona 19 can enjoy without burden. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association of America, the population of pickleballs in the United States reached 4.8 million as of last year. It increased by 89.3% compared to the previous year. The average annual growth rate for the past five years has been 11.5%. This is a remarkable growth compared to the decrease in the badminton (-3.7%) and table tennis (-1.2%) populations during the same period.
It is predicted that the global pickleball population will increase to 40 million by 2030. As a result, the paddle market is expected to benefit from a 70% growth from $152.8 million (about 216 billion won) last year to $256.1 million (about 361 billion won) in 2028.
A pickleball professional player is also appearing. Last year, a tournament-style tournament called ‘Major League Pickle Ball (MLP)’ was launched. Famous sports players such as LeBron James and Tom Brady have made investments. “The pickleball team will expand from 12 to 16 next year,” CNBC said.
Reporter Semin Heo [email protected]
