Pickleball has arrived at UB

Pickleball has come to the Ellicott tennis courts.

The growing popularity of the paddle sport hasn’t gone unnoticed by UB Recreation, which is converting two of the tennis courts at the Ellicott Complex into six outdoor pickleball courts — the first at UB.

“We know that more members of the UB community are interested in learning and playing pickleball, so we are excited to be able to offer them a permanent place of their own on campus,” says Sharon Sanford, senior associate athletic director for recreation.

Work on the new pickleball courts began Sept. 3. The project includes restriping for six pickleball courts, which are smaller than tennis courts; the installation of new pickleball nets, which are slightly lower than tennis nets; and repairing and repainting the court surfaces.

The new courts were opened for play this week, says Jessica Nyrop, associate director of fitness and instruction.

“The decision to add pickleball courts on campus is really a reflection of how quickly the game has grown across the U.S.,” Nyrop says.

Research released in March by the Association of Pickleball Professionals showed that in the past 12 months, more than 48 million adult Americans had played pickleball, which is a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton. That’s a growth of 35% in two years.

The research also showed the average age of pickleball players was just under 35. That’s considerably younger than previously assumed and highlights the growth of the game, particularly among people between 18 and 44.

At UB, Nyrop proposed adding pickleball as a recreational course in 2023. A handful of students enrolled in the course the first year, Nyrop says, but this year the pickleball classes filled up.

“Played pickleball once and asked to change my major from biochem to pickleball,” jokes student Putnam Kerr.

Jess Williams, a law and political science major, took the class last spring and says it was a great introduction to the sport.

“Since taking the class, my friends and I have been itching to keep playing and staying active,” Williams says. “We used to play on the tennis courts just to try to keep up our skills.”

Nyrop — who admits she has yet to play the game — spearheaded efforts to provide students with permanent outdoor pickleball courts on campus, securing approval and recreational funding for the project at the Ellicott tennis courts.

“It will be first come, first served,” Nyrop says of the pickleball courts.

“But if you see other people waiting to get on the court, you play one game and then come off and wait your turn again. That’s pickleball etiquette.”