What is pickleball and why is it so popular?

PALEIF RASPBERRY thedmfeatures@gmail.com

Pickleball is rapidly growing in popularity in Oxford and the rest of the United States.

From the Ole Miss campus to surrounding parks, there are many places and opportunities to play. The university held a doubles intramural pickleball tournament in February and the Oxford Pickleball Association, established in 2021, keeps track of games throughout the calendar year.

But what exactly is pickleball and why is it so popular?

Pickleball was first played in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. It was created by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, who were trying to entertain their kids with a new summer activity.

“The sport combines many elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong,” according to the official USA Pickleball website.

It can be played either indoors or outdoors with a paddle and a plastic ball.

Hunter Thompson, an Ole Miss student, described his experience playing the sport.

“I think I’d known about pickleball for a while as a sport played by older people in country clubs,” the senior film produc- tion major said. “When I played with some friends in my hometown over the Christmas break …

I was surprised by how easy of a game it was to learn and get into.”

Despite being around for almost 60 years, the sport skyrocketed in popularity approximately two years ago, thanks to the likes of many notable celebrities.

Athletic superstars Tom Brady and Lebron James both not only expressed interest in the sport, but went so far as to purchase respective pro pickleball teams in fall 2022.

These types of celebrity endorsements also led to the creation of a proper celebrity pickleball tournament on CBS, aptly titled “Pickled,” which features the likes of Stephen Colbert and Emma Watson.

The sport is typically enjoyed by people within the 55 or older demographic. However, younger generations have started to show interest in it, which could be attributed to its accessibility and low-skill requirement.

On Pickleball’s recent spike in popularity, Thompson said it’s somewhat “of a phenomenon.” He and his friends frequently compete against one another at Oxford’s Avent Park courts.

“It’s not uncommon to see flyers notifying the courts being reserved by church groups or

Greek organizations on campus to spend the day playing,” Thompson said. “You don’t need to invest a lot of time, skill or money to enjoy the game. You can buy a set of rackets and balls at Walmart for around $20 to start playing.”

Junior Cooper Caviness, also a film production major, said that he discovered pickleball through word of mouth. celebrating food, music & the arts on oxford’s historic downtown square! shuttles $5 roundtrip Festival Free

While he has only been playing for the past few weeks, he appreciates the sport’s sudden growth.

“The community is really chill and welcoming but has a nice competitive side that keeps the sport interesting to play,” Caviness said.

Recently, the Oxford Board of Aldermen agreed to consider a plan that would convert some of the tennis courts at Avent Park into Pickleball courts. For more information on where to play and how to get involved, you can visit the Oxford Pickleball Association website.

Scouts from dozens of NFL teams came to Oxford this week to get a look at some of the Rebel prospects in this year’s draft. Mason Brooks (OL), Nick Broeker (OL), Jonathan Mingo (WR), Malik Heath (WR), Zach Evans (RB), Troy Brown (LB), AJ Finley (S), Otis Reese (S), KD Hill (DL) and Tavius Robinson (DL) all worked out in front of a sizable crowd.

Winners

Zach Evans Evans did pretty much the entire workout shirtless … and that was definitely on purpose. His frame looked the part of a modern NFL running back, and he moved like one as well. Official times have not yet been posted, but his 4.5u time on Wednesday would have been very competitive had he been able to perform at the NFL combine like planned. Evans looked great going through position drills and revealed that he has meetings set up with the Cowboys, Panthers and Jets. I personally saw him meet with a Saints scout as well.

KD Hill Hill is one of the more interesting prospects for Ole Miss this year. He is listed on the roster at 6’1, 310 pounds and has a chance to be a third-round pick in the draft. If he were a couple of inches taller, he would be a strong prospect. Hill looked very explosive going through his workout and drills, especially when firing out of his stance. During his threecone drill, Hill got a round of excited shouts and whoops as he went through the drills.

AJ Finley Finley could end up being a sneaky pick late in the draft. He tested well but really caught my eye going through positional drills. His backpedal was smooth, he showed the ability to flip his hip without losing a path and high-pointed the ball well. Lots of positives for him to pick on coming out of the morning.

Notable Staff Members

There was a very impressive spread and it would not be surprising to hear that every team was represented. Most staffs sent scouts, but there were a few coaches. Here are some of the important faces I noticed:

Willie Taggart, RB coach, Baltimore Ravens: One of many teams presumably there with interest in Evans.

Greg Lewis, WR coach, Baltimore Ravens: Baltimore has a need at WR, and it looks like they’re interested in either Mingo, Heath or both.

Robert Prince, WR coach, Dallas Cowboys: Another face looking to evaluate Mingo and Heath.

Rob Moore, WR coach, Tennessee Titans: Another team that desperately needs help at pass catcher. Mingo could turn himself into a second-round pick.

Brad Kragthorpe, assistant WR coach, Cincinnati Bengals: Kragthorpe watched the WR drills but also stood directly behind Jaxson Dart when they ran full field routes. He seemed keen on evaluating the sophomore passer.

Ruston Webster, Falcons scout: Webster is included on this list because he formerly served as the GM of the Titans. He also graduated from Ole Miss.

Other Notes:

-Jaxson Dart was responsible for throwing to the WRs while they ran routes. He looked good

(just like every QB does against air), but he seems to be bigger physically than last season.

-A number of scouts seemed more interested in watching Dart throw than watching Mingo or Heath … though the WRs got a lot of attention themselves.

-A scout from the New York Giants singled out and talked to