The plastic pop of a pickleball was a familiar sound this summer. Players across the state paddled the hollow, perforated balls in parks, recreation centers and even sports bars fitted with their own set of courts. They laughed, shouted and careened across tennis courts freshly painted with additional pickleball lines, their arms outstretched to make match point across the lowered nets. They joined leagues, took classes and made friends to the satisfying crack of the ball connecting with their paddles, available in countless different colors and designs.
Over the past few years, pickleball has exploded across the country, and it’s maintained its reign as the fastest-growing sport in America . While the game — an addictive and fast-paced cross between tennis, badminton and table tennis — is not new ( it was invented in the ‘60s ), its sudden surge in popularity has led to courts popping up across Iowa to meet the demand of the players, young and old, who have flocked to parks and recreation centers to get their fix.