Citrus College should add a pickleball class due to its increase in popularity and ease of participation.
The sport is similar to tennis, as the players hit a ball back and forth over a net trying to make sure opponents do not hit it back.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States as of 2023, said an article by Wilson County Source. Over the last three years the sport has grown over 200 percent.
Participation in the sport has grown in part due to its availability. As of 2023, there are 10,724 locations to find a pickleball court in the United States.
California is the state with the most pickleball locations. It has 794 as of a report by ThePickleballDinks .
Another reason for the increasing popularity of pickleball is social media. TikTok is a huge platform that promoted the game inadvertently in 2024.
Users posted both instructional and comedic videos circling around the topic of pickleball.
Tiktok has 73.1 million posts about pickleball.
ThePickleballDinks said the paddle market is expected to increase by over $100 million by 2028.
Citrus can join this sports trend early, before the value of equipment and courts increase more than it already has.
If the popularity increases and the market goes up there might be a future in California Community College Athletic Association for pickleball. Citrus would have the opportunity to be one of the first to create a team.
But first, Citrus needs a class.
Not only is pickleball growing because of trends, it is also a low impact sport. It is less strenuous than other sports while still increasing cardiovascular endurance, said a Renown Health article. This leads to lower risk of heart disease.
This will be a draw to older students at Citrus. Younger crowds are drawn to it as well.
“We revealed in January just how fast participation numbers have increased in the last two years, and now we now are able to answer the question, ‘who is playing pickleball?’,” Chief Marketing Officer of the APP, Tom Webb on the APP website said. “Those people are younger than anyone thought, and there are many more people playing pickleball than has ever been seen before. ”
Most people who play pickleball are from ages 18-34.
It can be played both outside and inside and provides an opportunity to raise heart rate. Because it can be played in multiple settings, Citrus would have an opportunity to choose where they would add a court.
Some community colleges in California have added a course, but not many. San Diego City college added a pickleball class in 2023. San Diego Mesa also has a similar class.
If Citrus were to add this class, they would be one of a few California Community Colleges to do so. This would be ahead of Los Angeles community colleges, such as MT. SAC, who have yet to add a class like this.
The class can be used as an opportunity to advertise something new that other colleges do not have.
This uniqueness has the potential to increase enrollment.
Pickleball has been growing so rapidly due to social media and health reasons, but also because the sport is easy to enjoy.
It is a low pressure sport that can be played both solo and in pairs.
Students in a pickleball class could have the opportunity to play alone and strengthen their individual skills or play with a partner and develop skills in teamwork.
The sport combines athletic skill with mental aptitude.
Strategy is important in pickleball. Unlike sports such as soccer, basketball and football where strategy is also needed, pickleball strategy can be formulated differently for each person.
With a class, students will see there are many ways to attack the sport. It would remain low-impact while still requiring quick thinking and strategy.
Presumably, the class would cover everything from the rules to different “strokes” off the paddle.
Games take about 15-20 minutes each. This would give Citrus the chance to create short classes.
Since many community college students also have jobs, short classes are beneficial.
There is an appeal in short, low impact, physical education courses.
To have this class, Citrus would have to add courts. This could be done since the athletic facilities already have tennis courts.
Tennis courts have already been converted to hybrid Tennis-Pickleball courts in New York. Citrus could do the same.
Adding this class would be in the college’s best interest. It can attract a new crowd, keep up with trends, and be a step ahead of other colleges.
Not to mention, it would be an extremely fun and beneficial class for students.
Participation and love for the sport has grown and the Citrus administration needs to jump at the chance to make this happen.
