Frannies pick up the pickleball craze 

Peyton Voorheis 
Staff Writer 

This past year, the intramural office added pickleball to the growing sports roster causing more and more Frannies to take on the sport, either through intramurals or on their own.  

Pickleball is a paddle based sport, similar to tennis, but with a notably smaller court and paddles. Hence, many students got involved through their prior experience with tennis. 

“I play some tennis when I’m at home. So it’s just another sport with a paddle, so I started playing,” said Anna Myron, a junior in history and political science. “It’s pretty much the same pace, just a different paddle and smaller court.” 

Jonathan Romero, a junior nursing major, said, “It’s like an easier tennis, everyone can play it.” The approachability of the sport seems to be another major factor in it’s rise to popularity, both on campus and globally.  

Junior philosophy and history major Henry Jefferson said, “It’s easy to play for everybody. It’s a sport that crosses all generations,” adding that, “you can play competitively or just for fun.” 

There are also practical reasons why it’s a good sport for a college community. Romero, when comparing pickleball to tennis, added that “it’s also cheaper,” and said of the time commitment “it’s as much as you want it to be.” 

Some students had been playing even before the sport found its way on campus. “I just played at home and then I heard it was happening here,” said Myron. 

Sam Sabol, a junior nursing major and former member of the university tennis team, got into pickleball with his twin brother Ben before they came to Franciscan. “A lot of friends from our senior year of high school wanted to play sports our senior summer; it’s a good sport to play with friends.” 

Sabol encouraged members of his tennis team to join him for pickleball on occasion, as a means of having fun and bonding, while also using skills they were working on at tennis practices. The Sabol brothers have also competed in pickleball outside of the university.  

“Ben (my brother) and I played in a tournament last semester in Weirton, and we won.” They were both eager to sign up when pickleball became a part of intramural sports, Sabol said, “when they started playing it, I just jumped onto it.” 

Sophomore math major John Tiplick has played intramural pickleball for two semesters now, having played on a co-ed team last fall, and on a men’s team this year. Like many other players, Tiplick claimed he got into the sport “through playing tennis, cause I’d played (it) for a while.” 

Tiplick enjoyed the attitude and the atmosphere of playing at the intramural level. “It’s fun to do with friends, and especially with IM’s, it’s low stakes,” he said, adding, “I was surprised by how competitive everyone was. It was a good competition, it wasn’t stressful, it didn’t matter if you won or lost.” 

Tiplick also enjoyed the community that was fostered among the other intramural players, and everyone else involved with the office. “Especially this year, I got to know some of the scorekeepers and the refs. It was like a hangout area at the Tommy basketball courts. Especially with volleyball being there as well.” 

The popularity of pickleball was on the rise even last year, as evidenced by the university’s decision to include pickleball courts at Bl. Solanus Casey Hall. Between the approachability of the sport itself, and the relaxed nature of intramurals, it’s clear to see why many students are enjoying intramural pickleball.