Could pickleball become a major school sport one day? In Escambia, all signs point to yes

“You want some pickles!?”

The phrase has become a battle cry at Ferry Pass Elementary School whenever pickleball is played, signaling a ball is about to come flying over the net at the dangerously high speeds. Not too dangerous, of course. It is a whiffle ball, after all.

While pickleball is known for its popularity with the adult crowd − the latest survey conducted by the USA Pickleball Association found that the majority of pickleball players fell between the ages of 55 and 74 – the sport is quickly picking up speed with younger generations.

Charmain Sutherland, physical education subject area specialist for Escambia County Public Schools, said the district has been making intentional efforts toward expanding the district’s pickleball footprint.

Even for younger children, the game is simple to learn, and children tend to take to it quickly. The “pop, pop, pop” of the paddle making it extra enticing for children, she said.

In 2021 and 2022, Sutherland said the district was able to secure game-changing funding through ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) to secure the needed nets and paddles to get age-appropriate equipment into every K-12 school.

In 2022, all ECPS physical education teachers were given a training to play amongst themselves and learn how to teach their students.

“I believe it’s growing to grow and the students are going to want more,” Sutherland said. “Everyone enjoys the thought of pickleball. The possibilities are endless.”

The silly name of the sport itself, allegedly named after the game founder’s family dog Pickles, hasn’t hurt with getting buy-in from younger students, Ferry Pass Elementary P.E. teacher Ian Waldron said.

When teaching students the foundations of the game, they start out slow, first focusing on using their hands as paddles, and within a matter of days they’re rallying back and forth against their classmates.

When physical education teachers spanning the county began thinking of ways to bring more “lifetime” sports to students they could enjoy outside of school, pickleball was a natural fit.

Even if students don’t have a court to play on near their neighborhood, teachers like Waldron equip students to draw their own zones out of chalk and volley the ball back and forth.

It’s something that people of all ages can play regardless of their athletic ability.

This versatility is why avid Pensacola pickleball players like Steve Skaggs would like to see students have more playtime, both in school and in after-school programs. Last week, he brought his ideas for expanding pickleball opportunities before the school board.

“My vision is for pickleball to be an elective P.E. course for elementary, middle and high schools in the Escambia County area. Not just a two-week session on how to play pickleball as some schools are doing now, but a four-to-six-week session on playing the game of pickleball,” Skaggs told the school board. “Also on my dream list is to install pickleball as a major sport in Escambia schools, like football, basketball and track.”

Pickleball has gained a reputation as America’s fastest growing sport for a reason. In 2023, pickleball had 8.9 million players in the United States, an increase from the 4.8 million players listed in the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Topline Participation Report.

Skaggs, who has been playing the sport for about two years, guesses it is the all-inclusivity of the sport that has made it so popular. He sees this becoming a niche for the “forgotten student athletes” who never qualified for their school’s major sports team but enjoy playing a team sport.

He has already seen school districts around the country add the game as a sanctioned sport.

“It’s already happening in Alabama,” Skaggs said. “I just want it to happen in Pensacola, Florida.”

District 5 Board Member Bill Slayton said there’s no denying that pickleball is picking up momentum, but it will take time to implement.

“We’re all enjoying it, it’s a great sport,” Slayton said. “Just take a deep breath and give us the time to do it.”

“They have my support for the pickleball,” District 1 Board Member Kevin Adams added. “… It would be another sport that hopefully would involve a lot of children where they have the same chance as these kids that want to play football, baseball, whatever.”

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pickleball picks up speed in Escambia County Public Schools