Knoxville becomes pickleball destination amid national craze

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America. Its popularity increased exponentially during the start of COVID-19 and has continued to rise. According to Pickleheads, a court data provider, there were about 36.5 million pickleball players in the United States in 2022 and 10,320 pickleball facilities nationally.

Brandon Mackie, co-founder of Pickleheads, believes pickleball has become popular due to the social aspect of the sport. The sport was created with family-playing in mind, making it popular for all age groups.

“Pickleball is a sport for all ages. Anyone from age 5-95 can play and have fun. This makes pickleball the perfect activity for families, especially around the holidays,” Mackie said.

Pickleball was created in 1965 by three vacationers. The name originated from one of the vacationer’s dogs, who was named Pickleball. It can be described as a cross between ping pong, badminton and tennis. Given its similarity to other sports, it can be easy to pick up, but the unique aspects of the game keep players interested.

“The magic of pickleball is it’s easy to learn but hard to master. Beginners can go out their first time, learn the game, have fun and even win a few games. But advanced players stay challenged and keep coming back for more,” Mackie said.

Knoxville is the most popular city in Tennessee to play pickleball, with 31 pickleball courts in the Knoxville area.

Some of the top places to play pickleball in the Knoxville area are TTCA and Pavilion of Pickleball, both of which require memberships. Sam Duff Memorial Park and West Hills Park have been voted two of the best public courts.

As the popularity of pickleball continues to grow, more courts are being added to Knoxville. On Jan. 7, the Tennova Family YMCA opened to the North Knoxville community. The facility features rock climbing, exercise classes and its very own pickleball courts. The inclusion of pickleball courts in the new YMCA emphasizes the growth of the sport.

Chris Karges is a player in the National Pickleball League as well as an instructor at Pavilion of Pickleball. She first learned about the sport while she was coaching tennis. Compared to tennis, she believes pickleball is more social and even more interactive due to the small court size and ability to switch partners. Since then, she has been heavily involved in the start and growth of Pavilion of Pickleball which is the first indoor pickleball facility in the state of Tennessee.

The Pavilion of Pickleball now has 950 members and will soon reopen memberships for individuals, families and students. Memberships allow players 24 hour access to the facility, lessons and the option to play in leagues. Guests are also welcome and can receive six guest lessons.

One aspect that Karges enjoys about playing pickleball professionally is that tournaments are open to both new and experienced players.

“Pickleball is one of the only sports where you can participate in a tournament as an amateur and the pros are playing right beside you,” Karges said.

Pickleball teams are beginning to appear in Knoxville middle school and are likely to join high school soon. As pickleball continues to grow, Karges believes it is important to encourage kids and students to play.

“Pavilion of Pickleball is really trying to develop youth pickleball to help the growth of the sport,” Karges said.

As a coach, Karges has seen firsthand how pickleball can easily be learned while also challenging experienced players. Karges credits the popularity of the sport with its social aspects and quick pace.

“Very social where you’re switching partners. It’s a very fast sport … and it’s a great workout,” Karges said.