The game of pickleball started to take off in the UK around 2011 and is now the fastest growing sport in the UK.
Pickleball is a fun physical activity that combines elements of racket skills from tennis, squash, badminton and table tennis. Played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton sized court and a slightly modified tennis net. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood to hit a perforated polymer ball over the net.
Drumchapel Pickleball club was formed in June 2020, just shortly after the country came out of the first lockdown. A group of pickleball enthusiasts who had been playing pickleball outdoors were eager to find a venue with badminton courts to set up an indoor club. Drumchapel Sports Centre was an ideal venue due to its location and the fact that it had 3 excellent courts. The Drumchapel Sports Centre is a voluntary run facility and the aims of the pickleball club is to create a community club that the people of Drumchapel and the wider community can be involved in. With over 40 members in the club now actively involved, the club are always organising fun tournaments for all to come and along an join in.
Medal success
Some of the members are former and present international table tennis players, two of which have competed at Commonwealth Games. Corinna, Lucy and Thomas who were encouraged to come along and give it a try. In less than one year of playing our members have enjoyed international success that includes winning Gold at their first international event at the Dutch Open, Gold at the English Open, Gold at the Scottish Open and Bronze at the Spanish Open. At the recent Scottish open championships Team Drumchapel’s trailblazing performance included winning 5 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals. The youngest gold medallist was 14 years old Ruaridh Hansen. It was hailed as a superb album haul of medals for a small club and for Scotland
Chair of Drumchapel Pickleball Club, Anne Smillie said:
"One of the main reasons that the sport is becoming so popular is that it’s easy for beginners to learn. Pickleball is truly fun for the whole family and we encourage everyone to get out there and give it a try!’’
Pickleball is an activity that is accessible for all age groups, from young children to older seniors, with some of the clubs youngest members are 14 years of age and a few more senior players in their 70s. For those looking to find a way to keep active and try something new club, Pickleball is one of the many sports and activities that offers this for so many.
