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Varsity pickleball? A Maryland school system is taking a swing at it

Updated July 29, 2024 4:44 PM ET 

Heard on Morning Edition- Read on NPR - By Adam Bearne

Love it or loath it… the pop of pickleball paddles is a sound that’s spreading across the country.

Now for the first time in the U.S., a school system in Maryland is offering pickleball as a varsity sport this fall.

“Pickleball for all” is the slogan Jeff Sullivan, the director of systemwide athletics for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), used as he made the announcement at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, MD.

“Across all ages [and] demographics, pickleball is fun and it leads to lifelong health and well-being,” he added.

The sport is experiencing rapid growth, with nearly 50 million American adults playing last year, up by over a third from 2022, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals.

Vinnie LaCosta is one of them. The 18-year-old senior at Albert Einstein High School joined the team there during the last academic year, when MCPS trialed pickleball in eleven schools.

Although wrestling is his favorite sport, “I love playing pickleball with my brothers,” he said.

LaCosta has Down syndrome. His dad, Bill LaCosta, said pickleball gets Vinnie good exercise and fun.

“It gets him moving – a lot,” he said. “It's not one of those sports where you stand around a lot and wait for something to happen.”

That people with different abilities can play is one reason Sullivan wanted to see the varsity pickleball pilot program expanded to all 25 high schools in the county for the upcoming academic year.

“Pickleball is an inclusive sport that fits perfectly with our corollary sports program, which provides additional opportunities for students with and without disabilities,” he said.

At the launch, some of the new pickleball players had the chance to face a professional, Vivian Glozman of the D.C. Pickleball Team. That’s one of the sides that competes in Major League Pickleball.

“It’s super exciting to see where pickleball is going and just having it be a high school sport now is super awesome,” Glozman said.

The former collegiate tennis player enjoyed her time on the court with the students.

“Oh, my gosh, they're awesome. I think it's so fun to have everybody loving the sport,” Glozman added. “Just the support I saw amongst the kids on the team, super cool to see and how close they are with the coach.”

That team spirit is something 15-year-old Tate Fasteau enjoyed during his opening year with the pickleball team at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD.

“It was a very small team, but all the teams were small,” Fasteau said. “It was like a community sort of thing. Everyone on the team was good friends with each other, so it was very fun.”

Fasteau noted that pickleball can offer a break from the pressure of other sports.

“I play football and that's very competitive,” he said. “But pickleball is a very casual game that you can play competitively or you can just play with your dad or your grandma.”

With the sport expanding to more students in Montgomery County, the future on the court is bright – be that as a pickleball pro, or just battling grandma.

Majd Al-Waheidi edited the digital version of this story.