A
s students began the trek back for their fall
semester classes at Brigham Young University,
they were equipped with the necessary “tools of the
trade”: backpack, textbooks, laptops and iPads. But
for some Cougar faithful, they’ve added another article to
their educational arsenal—a pickleball paddle.
Pickleball 101, a 0.5 credit class, is offered on the Provo,
UT, campus and has been met with overwhelming
enthusiasm among students. “This fall, we have 32
students enrolled in the class, with more than 100 students
on the waiting list with hopes of adding a second class this
winter,” says Scott Rozier, Pickleball 101 instructor along
with his wife, Kim. “We have students who are experienced
in the sport, to first-time players having no previous
racquet/paddle sport experience at all. Our goal is to get
each student to a level of play that they feel confident
enough to mix in at open play or on one of the many local
pickleball courts.”
Michael Sheffield got the proverbial ball rolling when
the pickleball enthusiast began graduate school at BYU.
Driven by his love of the game and desire to see the sport
grow, he founded the BYU Pickleball Club in 2017. The club
had weekly practices and several tournaments for club
members. The faculty and administration that oversees
exercise classes and intramurals at BYU noticed the large
number of students turning out when the club got together.
Eventually, Jon Kau, Director of Student Wellness; Glenna
Padfield, Student Activity Program Coordinator; and
Conrad (Connie) Todd, Facilities Operations Manager, were
instrumental in adopting pickleball at the university. Eight
pickleball court lines were painted on four university tennis
courts and 60 paddles and 20 nets were purchased to
accommodate the growing sport. Sheffield taught one class
in the fall semester and two classes in the winter semester.
After seeing the success of both the club and the class,
it became a full-fledged part of BYU’s curriculum. After
Sheffield graduated, the Roziers were hired this summer
as long-term instructors and to ensure the program's
continued success. “My first goal is to get additional
classes for the students. Hopefully we’ll be able to add a
class this winter semester. It would also be nice to offer
different skill level classes in the future,” says Scott Rozier,
who first started playing pickleball four years ago.
Utah is fast becoming a hotbed for pickleball. The state has
added nearly 150 dedicated pickleball courts in just the
past three years alone.
Last summer, the city of Spanish Fork built 16 dedicated
outdoor courts, and in a few weeks the courts were
constantly filled with families playing pickleball for the first
time with kids of all ages.
Whether pickleball will become a part of other college
and university curriculums remains to be seen. But if
BYU is any indication, the sport is beginning to mirror its
explosive growth in our country’s educational landscape.
Rozier agrees: “It’s a very addictive sport. I have no doubt
pickleball will be played in most schools and universities
much sooner than most people think. I believe within 10 to
15 years it will be more popular than tennis. Not only will
it be offered as a class, but most universities will have a
competitive pickleball team.” •
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 |
MAGAZINE
37