Announced on July 24, Pickleball had officially expanded to all 25 MCPS high schools this fall following last year’s successful pilot season. The sport will now accompany bocce and allied softball in the MCPS corollary sports program, which strives to increase athletic opportunities for all students, particularly those with disabilities. In the 2023–2024 school year, MCPS made headlines by becoming the first school district in the country to offer pickleball as a varsity sport, opening access to 11 high schools and increasing participation for students with special needs.
The expansion comes with the support and partnership of the Major League D.C. Pickleball team and Joola, the largest pickleball equipment company in the world, with headquarters in Rockville. Pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., extending from just a leisure game. The sport is a cross between table tennis, badminton and tennis, invented by vacationers on Bainbridge Island, WA, in 1965. The three men created rules for their newly invented game, basing them heavily on badminton. They kept in mind the original purpose, which was to provide a game that the whole family could play together.
Due to the sport’s low cost, low intensity and low chance of injury, pickleball initially appealed to older generations. Eventually, the game’s simplicity reached all ages and became a recreational activity that anyone could play. With major league competitions, pickleball has grown tremendously nationwide and even trickled down to the high school level with MCPS leading the way.
In an interview with DC News NOW, MCPS’s athletic director Jeff Sullivan describes how pickleball aims to foster inclusivity in all 25 high schools.
“Pickleball is an inclusive sport that fits perfectly with our corollary sports program, which provides opportunities for students with and without disabilities,” Sullivan said.
According to MCPS Athletics, one key goal of pickleball is to achieve a nearly even ratio of students with and without disabilities, hoping to encourage a supportive environment and a sense of camaraderie within each team. Junior Olivia Gannon who often plays pickleball in her free time, expressed her excitement over the sports arrival at Whitman.
“Over the past few years, I’ve played with my friends just for fun,” Gannon said. “I find it really cool that it’s now an actual team at our school and I’m super excited to be a part of the program.”
Adding pickleball to the MCPS sports program is a huge step forward in opening athletic opportunities across Montgomery County. Whitman began the season this fall, with the opening game away against Walter Johnson High School on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 3:30 pm.
