At this point, the chances of not knowing what pickleball is are pretty low. The sport’s growth in North America has skyrocketed in recent years, opening the doors for record-breaking participation in Canada and the United States and investments from some of the world’s most prominent athletes and entrepreneurs.
In Canada alone, membership for Pickleball Canada, the national governing body of the sport, saw membership increase from 16,000 in 2021 to 46,000 in December of 2022. Surveys ran by Pickleball Canada showed a staggering increase of 350,000 in 2020 to over one million in participation across the country in 2021. South of the border, the 2023 APP Pickleball Participation Report indicated that 36.5 million Americans played pickleball in 2022, an eight-fold increase from 2021’s five million participants.
“I’ve seen sports grow quickly, but pickleball is very unique in its growth,” explained Pickleball Canada Executive Director, Carla Anderson. “To have so many players participating in the sport, there are some challenges with regard to capacity, but the growth of the sport is exciting. . I think you can attribute some of the growth over the past couple of years to COVID-19, because you could go outside and play safely, in a social setting. I’ve been involved in high performance for the majority of my career and pickleball is truly a sport for all life as players of all ages can play recreationally or competitively.
Anderson joined Pickleball Canada after a near three-decade tenure with the Canadian Olympic Committee, where she managed Canada’s Olympic team as Director of Games before changing directions following Rio in 2016. After a stint with Taekwondo Canada, Anderson was introduced to pickleball and accepted the role of Executive Director in 2021.
Fast forward to the present and Anderson and Pickleball Canada are expanding their staffing to meet the demands of the growing sport, which has seen its largest increase in the 18-35 year-old demographic.
“I think the perception is that pickleball is a sport for just the older generation,” added Anderson. “But it is truly a sport for all. Try it and see what you think. There’s a physical aspect to it and there’s also a social aspect. I have heard people say they have never had so much fun playing so hard.”
Pickleball’s recent growth can also be attributed to its accessibility and low-cost introduction to playing. In many cases, a paddle, ball and access to an indoor or outdoor court are all that is needed to get started. The low costs are reflected in Pickleball Canada’s memberships as well. An annual fee of 10 dollars helps support the organization to continue developing the sport, alongside a number of dedicated volunteers.
“There are volunteers who have worked in developing the sport here in Canada since the 1970s,” noted Anderson. “Where Pickleball Canada is now is because of the many volunteers, who are passionate about this sport. The Pickleball Canada board is instrumental in continuing to grow the sport in Canada, and I encourage anyone interested [to get involved] if volunteers are required in their local areas.”
Next up, Anderson and her team are looking to add youth and national team programs to support Canada’s future participation for international events. These developments will require additional funding, support and official recognition from organizations such as Sport Canada.
For more information on getting involved with pickleball in Canada, visit www.pickleballcanada.org. Interested parties in the United States can visit www.usapickleball.org.
