“The club started with 7-12 members showing up once a week,” Club President Hayder Alkhalisy said.
Now the club boasts over 60 members.
While it began as a casual hobby with only 10 active members, Marquette’s Pickleball Club has evolved into the fastest-growing sport on campus.
“Pickleball is the number one growing sport in the world, and you can see the growth here at (Marquette) too,” senior Alkhalisy, College of Health Sciences says.
According to a 2024 Sports & Fitness Industry Association participation report, pickleball gained 13.6 million players this year. This growth is on top of a 51.8% increase in growth from 2022 to 2023. This makes pickleball the number one growing sport in the country.
One reason for pickleballs’ popularity is its accessibility. It requires no training or experience. You can enjoy it if you’re a beginner or a pro because the game can be as casual or competitive as you like.
“All skill sets are welcome; pickleball is a fun opportunity to get outdoors, be active and meet new people,” Alkhalisy said.
The club offers a welcoming and supportive environment to new players who want to be active. Two-year member Maddie Anderegg said the club provides a welcoming and supportive environment to new players who want to be active.
“I joined pickleball club because my friends were doing it and it was a good break from schoolwork,” junior Anderegg, College of Health Sciences, said. “Last year it was just a couple of friends and I in the Recplex having fun and hanging out and now there are at least 50 people and a lot of really good players.”
The club now has access to practice outside on Mondays at the Riverwalk Commons Pickleball courts in the Milwaukee Public Market, a venue that provides two outdoor courts in a scenic area of Milwaukee.
“Being able to practice outside with two courts is nice, especially with the number of people we have,” Alkhalisy said.
Having two courts is crucial because, with the rise in participation, the club has seen a wider range of skill sets. One court is used for more advanced players, while the other is for recreational players. There are no set rules for which court to play on. Instead, this aims to give everyone a preference for how they want to enjoy the sport.
“There is a lot more space to separate by skill level at the outdoor courts,” Anderegg says.
Because more skillful players have joined the club, the competitive aspect of the sport will debut this year. Pickleball Club plans to enter multiple regional tournaments throughout the year.
“We don’t have a tournament schedule, but we periodically get invited to tournaments,” Alkhalisy says.
This story was written by Max Mullin. He can be reached at maxwell.mullin@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @MullinMax