Two local high schools form pickleball clubs as sport surges in popularity

At the Dixie/Desert Hills Pickleball Club Tournament, St. George, Utah, May, 2022 | Photo by Ella-Sophia Dunford, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Pickleball, called by some the fastest growing sport in America, has gained popularity rapidly in Southwest Utah.

At the Dixie/Desert Hills Pickleball Club Tournament, St. George, Utah, May 2022 | Photo by Ella-Sophia Dunford, St. George News

And now the craze has made its way into high schools.

“Pickleball is such a great way for people to connect with a variety of other people who want to learn and play in a casual environment,” said Ella-Sophia Dunford, a Dixie High School senior who helped form a pickleball club last year. “Everyone is welcome.

“There’s just such a wide variety of ages who can play. Elderly people can play along with their grandchildren if they want to,” 

Dunford gathered signatures at the high school and generated enough interest among her peers to form an informal club. She said students at Desert Hills High School also formed a club and students from Snow Canyon High School like to play as well.

She added that pickleball is a great activity for high school students on summer vacation.

“In the morning, before it gets too hot,” Dunford said.

Due to increased popularity, Dunford and her teammates often have difficulties finding a place to play pickleball.

“We’ll just drive around and look for whatever spot is open,” she said. “We’ll rotate with people, wait for them to finish.”

Desperate measures are sometimes called for and pickleball players will throw tape down on a basketball court or parking lot, set up a net and play wherever they can.

“Just lay down the tape and you’re good to go,” Dunford said. “I know some players that make their own courts, set it up with tape. It works out perfectly.”  

Dunford expects the sport to continue to skyrocket in popularity. Professional leagues are developing and there are options for those who are both competitive and recreational.

“There’s talk that they’re going to make it an Olympic sport,” Dunford said, “which would be awesome.”

After a summer of pickleball, Dunford said she’ll be excited to help the Flyers’ pickleball club continue to gain momentum.

“We’ll get going again this fall,” she said. “Since we had signups last year, people have been showing tons of interest. And after we had our tournament, people came up to me and said they want to get involved. We’re going to have a lot more people.”

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