Pickleball and the Need for Real Community

Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

A few weeks ago I decided to try something new that I had heard lots of people talk about but never had tried myself. I jumped into the world of pickleball and I am already slightly obsessed and playing 3-4 per week. Pickleball connects with so many of the things I love. I am very competitive. I used to be a tennis player. I love ping pong. And it’s a fun way to get some exercise.

Pickleball is currently the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Since starting to play I have really dug into the weeds on this phenomenon. Courts are popping up everywhere. People from all across the generational map are starting to play. Professional leagues have formed. Celebrities are investing in its future. It’s really interesting.

After experiencing pickleball myself this summer, I have a theory as to why it’s so popular. Sure the accessibility for new players to jump in without much instruction is key. And the smaller court size which allows people of all athletic abilities to play is huge. But the thing I have noticed the most, which surprised me, is the sense of

real community that exists in the sport. I think a lot of people are playing pickleball because it’s a place where they are finding real connections.

It reminds me a bit of when CrossFit took off a number of years ago. The intense exercise approach was intriguing but what has kept people coming back was the close-knit community created through shared experience.

I just returned from an annual family vacation in Michigan. Even in another state, as someone who was just learning to play, I found myself, along with my sons, multiple times playing pickleball with complete strangers. People were incredibly kind and always willing to help, inviting us to play, etc. I have found the same to be true at the courts near my home. There is a kind of familial aspect to the pickleball community.

And that’s one of the key reasons I think it has taken the country by storm. People want to be connected. A shared experience that pulls us together and allows us to build friendships is incredibly appealing in a world that can be so isolating and divided. It taps into something in us that goes much deeper than exercise or sports. Pickleball is just the latest example of how much human beings are wired for connection.

As ones created in the image of the trinitarian God, we indeed are created for community. And we crave being with people where we can know others and truly be known…where we can love and be loved.

Here’s what I know about myself: I desperately need people in my life that I can be honest with. People who know the actual me, not the projection I like to offer to most people. I need people who can call me out, ask me hard questions, and pray for me even when I don’t ask.

This morning I was with two good friends that I meet with every week. We ask a basic question, “How is your soul?” And I found myself more grateful than ever that I have men like this in my life. When I shared how I was doing and one particular concern right now. They pulled me aside in the parking lot after breakfast, laid hands on my shoulders and prayed for me. They spoke life into me. They encouraged me. They loved me. That’s real community. And I need that as I follow Jesus in my life and ministry. We all need that.

Sin and discouragement flourish in isolation. We need each other as we pursue Christ and serve him in ministry. It is no coincidence that Jesus called the disciples not just to himself but to each other. And then sent them out in ministry to the world in the context of community. Christianity never has been a solo sport.

Do you have anyone in your life right now, outside of your family, who really knows you? I mean really knows you? If not, how could you intentionally take a step this week to pursue that kind of community? Is there someone you could invite to coffee this week? Or meet at the pickleball court? 🙂