In Wheat Ridge, Colorado, 3rd Shot Pickleball has just opened for business – the state’s largest indoor pickleball court. With a devoted fan base of about 36.5 million pickleball players in the United States, pickleball continues to be a favorite for athletes nationwide. Head below for more details.
A short history
While pickleball has picked up serious steam and popularity amongst Americans in the last several years, it’s actually been around since 1965, according to USA Pickleball. Apparently, Washington congressman Joel Pitchard is the founder of the pickleball’s origin story. Using ping pong paddles as rackets and a plastic ball on an old badminton court on a lazy Saturday, Pitchard and his family found that the ball actually hit well with the asphalt. Then, in 1967, the first permanent pickleball court was constructed in the backyard of Joel Pritchard’s friend, Bob O’Brian.
In 2022, for the second consecutive year in a row, The Sports and Fitness Industry (SFIA) named pickleball as the fastest-growing sport in America.
Nationwide popularity
If you’ve never played pickleball, I definitely recommend giving it a shot. I am someone who loves to play volleyball and ping pong, and there is a similar skill set on display in pickleball. In the town where I used to live they had several pickleball courts at a local park, and I found myself up there one summer with a friend of mine playing pickup games with players of an older generation who were much, much better than we were. You don’t think you’ll work up a sweat until you do.
Some studies suggest that interest in pickleball has grown over 150% in recent years, and where there used to be little to no recreational and competitive pickleball leagues nationwide, you will now find several to choose from, including more and more indoor pickleball courts popping up across the country.
3rd Shot Pickleball
Featuring premium Laykold outdoor-type surfaces, 3rd Shot Pickleball in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, boasts the largest indoor pickleball facility in the state with 13 courts. The facility has 25-foot ceilings, 10-foot court-to-court netting, C&D championship nets, certified teaching professionals, a full bar with food, and they are open seven days a week.
Connect the Watts’ Take
We’re never mad at a sports facility opening, and we are keeping an eye on pickleball’s continued rise in popularity. It’s been my personal experience that people don’t take pickleball as seriously as they do tennis, volleyball, or even ping pong, but that tide is beginning to turn.
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