| LIFE IN SOLERA | MARCH 2022 | 29
Here are some fun facts about pickleball. This information was shared by Stu
Upson, CEO of USA Pickleball.
In 2020, 4.2 million people played pickleball in the U.S., up from 3.46 million
in 2019, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Assoc. That's a 21.3 percent
increase from 2019 to 2020, the highest of any U.S. sport.
You can get a workout playing pickleball. While there is definitely less running in
pickleball (especially if you play doubles), it's pretty easy to work up a sweat while
playing. Using fitness trackers, it shows you can burn 500-600 calories playing for
one-and-a-half or two hours, playing doubles matches.
Naples, Florida, is known as The Pickleball Capital of the World. It's home to
the largest dedicated pickleball facility in the world, with an amazing 64 pickleball
courts, and is also where the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship tournament is
held.
Pickleball may eventually become an Olympic sport. The International Federation
of Pickleball (IFP), the world governing body, is working to get more countries
interested in the sport, and ultimately seeks official recognition by the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to establish pickleball as an Olympic sport.
While many new pickleball courts are being built, due to its popularity, some
tennis courts have been repurposed as pickleball courts. You can fit four pickleball
courts in the same area as one tennis court, says Upson.
We play Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays mornings 8:30 to 11 am-ish. Come
out and join us for gobs of fun! We welcome all skill levels, especially beginners
who would like to learn this great game. For more information, feel free to contact
either Sue Miller at (503) 702-4273 or Sandy Stearn at (951) 797-0991.
PICKLEBALL PADDLERS
Mary Lou - Pickleball Fashionista
