How Pickleball is Changing the Landscape of Racquet Sports: A Look at the Game’s Rapid Growth and Community-Building

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America. The game, which intersects elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong can be played indoors and outdoors and is popular among players of all ages and skill levels. As a result, there has been a growing business surrounding the sport of pickleball. One of the primary areas of business within pickleball is the sale of equipment. This includes pickleball paddles, balls, nets, and other accessories. So, how is pickleball changing the landscape of racquet sports, and what is driving its rapid growth in popularity?

On today’s episode of Tuesdays with Morrisey, host Adam Morrisey speaks with Ross Chaifetz, the Principal Chaifetz Group, to talk about the social aspect of pickleball and how it has fostered a sense of community among players.

Chaifetz’s advice: There is a growing business in developing and managing pickleball facilities. As the sport becomes more popular, there is a need for dedicated pickleball courts that are designed specifically for the sport. Many municipalities, parks, and recreation departments are now investing in the construction of dedicated pickleball facilities, and private companies specialize in building and managing pickleball courts and facilities.

“Generally speaking, players don’t live in and compete in their home market. We review teams and markets to excite concentrated communities around the league. So it’s each team’s respective responsibility to brand themselves, market themselves and engage their local communities,” said Chaifetz.

Morrisey and Chaifetz also discussed…

• What the appeal of pickleball is and how the sport has evolved?
• The future of pickleball and where the sport is headed in the next few years?
• How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted pickleball and how players have adapted to changes in the sport and competition

“Our opportunity right now is building the audiences as much as possible in converting people to regular viewers,” said Ross.

Ross Chaifetz serves as Principal at Chaifetz Group, focusing on venture and growth investing. A graduate of Entrepreneurship from Miami University. He has been with the Chaifetz group for six years.