PickleballENGLAND
ATTRACTING YOUNG PLAYERS TO THE GAME
Pickleball England ’ s members have an average age of 59 . This is because :
1 . People over 50 were holidaying in Florida , experienced the game and brought it back to England .
2 . The demand for sports halls is high on evenings and weekends , which means it ’ s easier to get courts during work hours . This has resulted in clubs offering sessions for the 50 + age group .
3 . If your early adopters are over 50 , they are most likely to invite others of similar age to play .
We talk about the sport being inclusive for all ages and abilities , but if the sessions are not convenient for young people , or if there are no younger people participating in the sessions , we won ’ t succeed in attracting younger players .
Earlier this year , Pickleball England conducted two focus groups with younger players to understand what they love about pickleball and how they think we could attract younger players to the game .
The response was interesting . Young players like the game because it ’ s fun , but also because there are multiple layers — meaning they can see themselves progressing in the
By Karen Mitchell
DIRECTOR , PICKLEBALL ENGLAND
game and there are levels to which they can aspire . They also found the players to be very welcoming and enjoyed meeting players from other countries .
When asked how they recommend marketing the game to younger people , many felt that showcasing the game outdoors in a social setting with music and food would encourage young people to try the sport .
I think they are on to something . On a recent weekend , we hosted a multicultural group of friends in their 20s and 30s in our garden . It was actually a farewell party for two of the group members who are moving to Slovakia . Their friends are from Spain , Hong Kong , Czech Republic , Ireland , Gran Canaria and England . We had music , food and games . Guests could play table tennis , pool , darts , table football , beach-ball volleyball and pickleball .
Local children posing in front of their likeness on the graffiti wall .