Culture and News - Pickleball Rookie

Will a New Pickleball League Change My Game?

November 20, 2025May 29, 2022 by Drew Pierce

After a couple of months of attending open plays at two local facilities, I wanted to add more regularity to my pickleball play–and get a bit more competitive, so I entered my first mixed doubles pickleball league.

Even though the program is a 30-minute drive from home and runs until 10:30pm (past my usual bedtime!), it was well worth it. I’ve met some good people, had some great matches, and am learning more about America’s fastest-growing sport with each passing day.

The league kicked off with a random pairing of players. Each week, five players are grouped, and the people you play with rotate based on your standings. As the weeks unfold, you get matched with pickleballers who are closest to your skill level, determined by wins, losses, points for and points against.

Here’s a breakdown of my pickleball league experience.

Is Pickleball an Olympic Sport?

November 20, 2025April 8, 2022 by Drew Pierce

I have had many people ask me, “is pickleball an Olympic sport?” Not yet, my friends.

However, with the popularity of pickleball on the rise, many avid players and fans believe the sport will one day make it to the Olympics. While there is no official word from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Pickleball does seem to have what it takes to be an Olympic sport.

Dreaming About Pickleball

November 20, 2025March 12, 2022 by Drew Pierce

There were pickleball balls everywhere.

Different colors.

A random number of holes punched through each ball.

Some had circles and some had squares and some had triangles.

If you’re wondering what the heck is happening here, it was my very first pickleball nightmare.

I showed up to play with a group at my local tennis center. But there were more people than courts. I stood around awkwardly, debating if I should just leave.

Pickleball Graduation: Moving On Up!

November 20, 2025March 11, 2022 by Drew Pierce

I had my first “low intermediate” pickleball open play session. Is it ridiculous that I was a wee bit nervous before I arrived? With one lesson and one beginner open play behind me, it felt a bit early to be stepping up, but it seems like tennis players can make a relatively easy transition.

My biggest fear surrounded scoring. Will I know what to do? Will I disrupt the game’s flow for people who are really into it? Can I hang with this next level of play?