Pickleball isn’t just your grandparents’ game anymore. More younger players than ever are picking up a paddle for the first time. The sport is seeing a surge in popularity among Gen Z (ages 13-28), with young adults (18-24) showing the highest participation rates. This young generation is driving a new wave of energy and excitement in the game.

According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) 2025 Single Sport Report, the 25-34 age group had the most pickleball players last year at 3.175 million.

Seniors comprise the second-largest group playing the game we love. According to the SFIA, 3 million players are now 65 and over.

However, young players are a fast-growing demographic, with nearly 2 million teens playing in 2024. “Pickleball participation among the 13-17 age group has more than doubled in the past two years,” says the SFIA’s Alex Kerman.

A typical young pickleball rec player is 14-year-old Alerick Ashby of Weaverville, North Carolina. Alerick played several sports until he tried pickleball at a cousin’s suggestion. Now he plays pickleball three times a week, and the only other sport he’s stayed with is soccer, which he plays once weekly.

“What attracted me to pickleball was the precise power and control [required]. I prefer the more fast-paced reactions that pickleball requires and that soccer didn’t.” Alerick is trying to start a pickleball league in his high school.

Many young players not much older than Alerick are getting national attention on the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tour. Of the top 50 men’s singles players, only two are older than 35. Just three of the top 50 women’s singles players are over 35.

Of course, the best women’s player in the world is 18. Anna Leigh Waters turned pro when she was 12 and has won more than 150 gold medals. She has inspired other young women.

In March, 14-year-old Cailyn Campbell of Palmetto Bay, Florida—then ranked #64—upset 6th ranked Mary Brascia in the Carvana PPA Tournament in St. George, Utah. She is the PPA’s youngest player.

“I love pickleball because it’s so much fun but also really competitive,” Cailyn says. She has played tennis since she was 4 years old but prefers pickleball. “Tennis can be a lonely sport. It focuses more on singles and there are few opportunities to play doubles.”

In mid-May, Cailyn was ranked 43rd in women’s singles in the Carvana PPA Tour’s ranking.

In 2022, a Las Vegas, Nevada, resident named Courtney Loughridge thought young pickleball players needed high-quality tournaments to compete against their peers. So, she helped organize what she says was the first junior pickleball tournament for kids age 8 to 18. Forty players showed up.

Then in 2024, with support from JOOLA Pickleball and DUPR (the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating organization), Loughridge launched National Junior Pickleball (NJP). NJP has hosted regional events nationwide, drawing hundreds of players to each event.

“I started NJP because I believe that kids deserve their own stage and space to participate in the sport, no matter their skill level,” she explains. “NJP is about more than medals. It’s about building a pathway from the littles who are just starting to play to the teens dedicated to training to compete at the highest levels. NJP is a place for kids to grow in the sport, to connect with others, and to discover what they’re capable of, on and off the court.”

Loughridge’s 11-year-old son, Jack, has played in about 60 tournaments and is a national junior ambassador for The Picklr, the indoor pickleball club company.

“I was at a tennis camp, and it rained so we couldn’t play,” Jack recalls of his introduction to the sport. “I saw my friend playing pickleball and I wanted to try it, then I fell in love with it.” He now drills four or five times a week besides playing in junior tournaments.

Pickleball’s popularity in high schools is also booming. Last fall, the Montgomery County, Maryland, public school district became the first one in the country to offer pickleball as a varsity sport.

“Pickleball is an inclusive sport that allows individuals to experience success in a short amount of time,” says Dr. Jeff Sullivan, the director of systemwide athletics for Montgomery County Public Schools.

“What is exciting about pickleball is we are also able to engage students with disabilities in the sport, which provides additional participation opportunities.”

Sullivan even accompanied 30 Montgomery County students in April on a three-city, 10-day pickleball tour to China. “We traveled to foster friendship across borders and build positive relations through sport,” he explains. “In doing so, ‘pickleball diplomacy’ was born.”

Sullivan called the trip “a life-changing experience.” Most of the expenses were funded by sponsoring entities in China.

JOOLA Pickleball is also in Montgomery County, and Sullivan says the company has been extremely supportive in donating equipment to the public schools.

“JOOLA wants to get a paddle in as many hands as possible,” says Corey Bockhaus, JOOLA’s editorial strategy manager.

“We just want to foster a lifetime love of the game. By investing in youth pickleball, we can get kids introduced to the sport at a younger age and as they grow and progress, we’ll be there to assist along the way. Their progress and the progress of the sport will grow so much faster with that investment.”

Most senior pickleball players who are now playing with and against more younger players are welcoming, even when playing against the many young bangers.

Barney Agate, a 70-year-old pickleball ambassador in South Florida, adds, “The influx of younger players is fantastic. They bring youth, athletic ability, vitality, and yet another way to bridge multiple generations.

“I’m so, so glad that the game I love will go on for many years as the younger folk build their personal lives and careers and include pickleball.” •

Matthew Schwartz spent 40 years in television news and won more than 200 awards, including four Emmys and four Edward R. Murrow awards for investigative reporting. His 2020 memoir, “Confessions of an Investigative Reporter,” was an Amazon #1 bestseller. He writes a weekly blog for Hudef Sport and plays pickleball every day.

Collegiate Pickleball is on the Rise

It’s estimated that between 150 and 200 colleges offer pickleball as a club or intramural sport. Pickleball courts are sprouting up seemingly every week on campuses nationwide. At Baylor University in Waco, Texas, a new 12-court pickleball facility replaced four tennis courts. The University of Georgia has 18 pickleball courts on campus, the University of Maryland has 16 courts, and the University of Alabama is investing $1.6 million in a project featuring 10 pickleball courts.

The Collegiate Pickleball Tour Crowns the Best College Pickleball Team in the Country with $100,000 Total Prize Purse

In April, 64 school teams from around the country descended upon Life Time – Peachtree Corners in Atlanta, Georgia, for a three-day event, ending with The University of Texas at Austin Pickleball Club claiming its first Collegiate National Championship with a win over Texas Christian University.

The Collegiate Pickleball Tour, a joint venture of the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) organization and the United Pickleball Association (UPA), is elevating collegiate pickleball by bringing together the best college pickleball clubs for a series of competitive and showcase events, including more than 200 collegiate teams and 4,000 athletes.

Jacob Smith, DUPR’s director of collegiate pickleball, said, “The Collegiate Pickleball Tour represents a historic milestone for the sport at the college level. Over the past few years, we’ve seen an incredible surge in interest, with thousands of athletes and hundreds of schools joining the movement.

“The Collegiate Pickleball Tour is designed to give collegiate athletes more opportunities to compete at the highest level, showcase their talent on a national stage, and provide crucial funding to support and grow their programs. With the backing of DUPR and the UPA, we are committed to making collegiate pickleball a premier pathway for young athletes to pursue their passion and take the sport to new heights.”

The competitive calendar consisted of 30 Campus Regionals and eight Super Regionals, culminating in the spring Collegiate National Championship. In addition, 10 Collegiate Showcases took place at Carvana PPA Tour events, where two top collegiate teams from the region competed in a dual match. This unique opportunity allows young athletes the opportunity to play where the top pros in the world play, and have their teams showcased through coverage on the PPA Tour’s channels.

Colleges across the country offer pickleball as a club sport or as part of a student organization. Students attending a college or university and enrolled in 9 credit hours during the semester of play can represent their school and team up with other members from their club to become part of the collegiate tour.

Collegiate Pickleball is Going Worldwide!

Launching this fall, collegiate players from around the world will have the opportunity to represent their country at the Collegiate World Championships. This two-day team event will be held the weekend before UPA Worlds and will showcase top international talent to ultimately crown the first-ever collegiate world champions.

Here are the registration details to know:

• All collegiate pickleball players from all countries are invited to compete.

• A team must have 2-3 male and 2-3 female players.

• All players from a team must represent the same country.

• Only international players can team up with others from different universities.

• Players representing the USA must partner with players from the same school.

• Players can either represent the country of their university, or the country in which they were born.

To determine the world champion, there will be group play matches on Saturday that feed into playoff brackets on Sunday. There will be group play into a 64-team playoff bracket, with every team making it into the playoffs. More details will be released as the event gets closer. •

Young Phenoms

Here are some of the future faces of pickleball.

They can hit perfect serves, dinks and drops, and they have something else in common: They are all too young to drive.

When not in school or being homeschooled, their parents drive them far and wide to tournaments. They’ve won a carload of medals. Most have sponsors for their paddles, pickleball clothes and accessories.

They are some of the future faces of pickleball. Certainly not all.

“They are advanced for their age because they are coming into the game using pro technique,” says Allyce Jones, a pro player who coaches Junior PPA players, including her daughter, Leah. “They are getting lessons and learning how to spin the ball at an early age. It’s also a sport that they can play against adults at an early age, which gives them more opportunities to develop their game.”

Pickleball Magazine spoke with 10 young phenoms and their parents. The kids were unfailingly polite and articulate. They sound mature beyond their years and play pickleball that way.

Pierce Behr 12, The Woodlands, Texas Pierce has a 4.1 DUPR and is known as “Pickleball Pierce” to his Instagram followers. He plays pickleball left-handed but is a righty in every other sport. When he first plays against older strangers, Pierce says “it usually starts with them taking it easy on me, and then instantly regretting it.” Notable quote from his dad: Pierce’s father, Jonathan (a 4.5 player), says, “My wife and I have both always been super-competitive and love sports. We traveled to 15 PPA events last year throughout the country, and the life experiences and people we have met have been well worth the costs.”

Ryder Brown 13, McKinney, Texas He was the first Junior PPA player to win the triple crown when he took gold in boys singles and doubles and mixed doubles in June 2024 at the CIBC Texas Open. Ryder is ranked No. 1 in boys 14U singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Ryder has two things in common with many top junior players in that he got into pickleball from parents who play and is being homeschooled, which provides a more flexible schedule for tournaments. He says that when he shows up at public courts and plays against adults who don’t know him, they soon say, “This kid is legit.” And, Ryder adds, “They play harder because they don’t like to lose to kids.” Away from the courts: Ryder plays piano, and enjoys hiking and listening to music.

Ford and Boone Casady 14, Pacific Palisades, California These fraternal twins are filling up their family’s home with trophies. Ford Casady took gold in Boy's Singles 16U at the Junior PPA Finals Championship in San Clemente beating his brother Boone, who took silver. Ford and Boone also won the National PPA Finals Doubles Championship. In addition, Ford claimed gold in the World Championship in Dallas, beating Boone, and the brothers also took silver together. They are also excellent baseball players and played varsity as freshmen last season at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica. They were temporarily displaced from their home during the wildfires that destroyed large areas of Southern California. Ford and Boone are straight-A students and want to attend Stanford, their mother Robyn’s alma mater. Interesting family facts: The boys’ father, Guymon, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning producer. He was one of the originating producers of the HBO hit “Game of Thrones,” and is the executive producer of the current Apple TV+ series “Stick.” Guymon is a descendant of Daniel Boone, and Boone is named after the pioneer.

Scout Johnson 12, Naples, Florida Scout is ranked No. 1 in 12U girls singles and doubles, and No. 2 in mixed doubles. She’s been playing pickleball since she was 9. When she first played, she thought, “Wow, this sport is more fun than any sport I’ve played.” She knew immediately that it was her sport. Besides having several sponsors, Scout already has an agent. Favorite off-court hobby: Scout plays a collectible trading card game called Disney Lorcana. “It’s super-fun and addicting,” she says. Her novel name: Scout’s parents were having difficulty deciding what to name her, and while driving to get her crib, they heard a reference on the radio to the classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Scout is the story’s young protagonist and narrator. Also of note: Scout’s father, Brandon, 41, was a professional pickleball player and took gold in this year’s US Open in 5.0, 40+ mixed doubles.

Leah Jones 13, Lindon, Utah Leah started playing at 9 and drills with her mom, Allyce, at the indoor pickleball court in her house (an outdoor court will be ready soon). She is ranked No. 2 in 14U girls singles and No. 3 in doubles. Her favorite shot? “I like my backhand roll dink,” the rising 7th grader says. Good genes: Leah’s mom was a star volleyball player in high school and college.

Karina Lam 12, Litchfield Park, Arizona Karina isn’t ranked this year because she chose to play in adult tournaments in the 34U bracket. She and her partner, 15-year-old Molly Ticknor, took home silver in 4.5 women’s doubles in Mesa, Arizona, in February. Karina and 14-year-old Lex Mercado won bronze in 4.5 mixed doubles in March in St. George, Utah. “I like the competitiveness of the sport and that I am able to compete in tournaments at a higher level against adults,” she says. Off-court hobby: Karina is an excellent violinist and one of a select few from her school chosen to perform at a regional honors music festival this past April. All in the family: Karina’s brothers also play. Jayden, 17, is a 5.3 player and Kody, 14, is a 4.7. Expect to hear more from these players in the near future. And maybe someday the world will hear about them. They all say that if pickleball becomes an Olympic sport, they would love to play in the Games.

Jayda Maldonado 15, Crown Point, Indiana Jayda is ranked No. 1 in Junior PPA 16U girls singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Her DUPR is 4.450 in singles, and 5.035 in doubles. Jayda was a good goalkeeper on a travel soccer team, but had bruised her left knee and quit soccer, then discovered pickleball and instantly fell in love with it. Favorite activity besides pickleball: Jayda loves to dance. “I study different types of dancing. Hip-hop is my favorite.” Interesting family note: Jayda’s dad, Alex, sold his barbershop recently so he could drive Jayda to tournaments. “Life is short, and I realized that Jayda was missing out on playing opportunities and I didn’t want that for her.”

Adym Pham 11, Costa Mesa, California This rising 7th grader turns 12 in August and is ranked No. 1 in boys singles and mixed doubles, and No. 2 in boys doubles. As of mid-June, Adym had medaled in 13 consecutive events. “I want to eventually turn pro and become the No. 1 player in the world,” he says. Musically inclined: Adym loves to sing and performed a solo at his school’s graduation ceremony recently. He also plays the piano. What’s in a name? Adym’s father, Dang, says Adym is spelled with a “y” because Adym spelled backward is “Myda,” and that’s his 13-year-old sister’s name. Myda is also a highly ranked player. Their dad is a 4.5. “He’s all right,” Adym says, jokingly.

Rex Thais 15, Jacksonville, Florida Rex is ranked No. 1 in Junior PPA 16U boys singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. His DUPR is 5.0. Rex is known for his colorful on-court outfits and shouts of joy after he makes a winning shot. He is a straight-A student, member of the National Junior Honor Society, and takes college courses at the University of North Florida. Commendable quote: “Part of my mission is to spread the love of youth pickleball all over the world and get kids off their devices and outside exercising.” •

Matthew Schwartz spent 40 years in television news and won more than 200 awards, including four Emmys and four Edward R. Murrow awards for investigative reporting. His 2020 memoir, “Confessions of an Investigative Reporter,” was an Amazon #1 bestseller. He writes a weekly blog for Hudef Sport and plays pickleball every day.