10 December 2024

Pickleball is taking off in Canberra, laying claim to being the fastest growing sport in the ACT

| Tim Gavel
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Pickleball players at the Pickledome in Fadden. Photo: Andrew Taylor.

Pickleball players at the Pickledome in Fadden. Photo: Andrew Taylor.

If you ever need evidence of the sudden emergence of pickleball in Canberra, head down to the Pickledome in Fadden.

The facility, formerly known as the Empowerdome, has been transformed into 11 permanent pickleball courts operating alongside fellow venue hirers, futsal.

The 11 courts operate nearly non-stop to cater for the growth of the sport.

In Canberra alone, the growth rate has been 55 per cent in the past year. There are 730 players registered with Pickleball ACT, the official association for the sport in the Territory.

The numbers playing pickleball in Canberra are far greater than the official registration statistics, with many playing the sport at a social level across the city.

Pickleball is played on small hard courts with a paddle, combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis.

The Pickledome at Fadden. Photo: Andrew Taylor.

Cleaning up the Pickledome. Photo: Andrew Taylor.

From 2021 to 2023, in Canberra, school gyms were used for the sport before a lease was taken on at the Fadden facility.

But it is not the only venue in which the sport is played in the ACT, with a number of school gym hard courts being utilised.

A number of tennis clubs have also introduced pickleball to their activities.

Inga Davis is the president of Pickleball ACT. She believes the attraction of the sport lies in the speed at which you can learn to play.

“Many first-timers can pick up pickleball within an hour, and you can become quite good very quickly. People from all walks of life are taking it up, tennis players, badminton players, volleyballers, basketballers, squash and table tennis players and footballers, it really is the sport for everybody. It’s inclusive, it’s great for fitness, and social and mental health,” she said.

It pretty much ticks all the boxes for anyone wanting to play a sport.

Inga herself is a relative newcomer,, having taken it up after it appeared in her tennis feeds on social media.

She is now passionate about the sport and points out that the association is run entirely by volunteers in Canberra.

Canberra, it would appear, is not only emerging as an important pickleball growth area, but the region is also developing some of the most competitive players in the country.

At the Pickleball Nationals in October, Canberra players won 31 medals, including 12 gold.

Pickleball is still very much in its infancy in Australia, but a professional league has emerged from its amateur status.

Rusty Shaw from Wagga Wagga, a weapon on the pickleball court. Rusty plays in the hybrid and the men’s doubles. Remarkable as doctors didn’t think he would walk or talk again after a motocross accident. Photo: Andrew Taylor.

Rusty Shaw from Wagga Wagga is a weapon on the pickleball court. Rusty plays in the hybrid and the men’s doubles. Doctors didn’t think he would walk or talk again after a motocross accident. Photo: Andrew Taylor.

In 2025, a $1 million prize pool is on offer in the Australian Pro League.

As the growth of the sport continues at this rapid rate, so does the demand for facilities.

Pickleball coach Robbie Manzano says existing tennis courts aren’t necessarily the solution.

“Ninety per cent of tennis courts in Canberra are synthetic. Pickleball is growing faster where there are hard courts so we play at a lot of gyms that have hard courts.”

Robbie, a tennis coach with Tennis Canberra, is one of a growing number globally who are now also coaching pickleball.

From an ACT Pickleball Association point of view, the sport will only get bigger in 2025 with three major tournaments, the Australian Masters Games, the Big Chill and the ACT Championships all taking place in the ACT.

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You know what they say……..
‘It’s for people too uncoordinated to play tennis, and too poor for golf.’

Pickleball is a lot slower and easier to play than table tennis, badminton and tennis…

Will be the next demanding a government grant.

Courts need to be established in Weston Creek.

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