A sport that was once strictly played in retirement communities around the country is now officially a competitive high school sport.
Pickleball has been added to student athletic programs at several high schools in Maryland, according to USA Today.
Michael Stromberg, who coaches the team at Mount Saint Joseph High School, said pickleball is just as competitive and physically demanding as other sports.
"We want to work towards that multi-athlete. Kids that are playing baseball, lacrosse and tennis, to give them something to do in the winter," Stromberg told WBAL. "This is the sport."
Pickleball has been described as a cross between tennis, badminton, racquetball, table tennis and dodgeball. It was invented in 1965 by a Washington family looking to cure their summer boredom, according to USA Pickleball.
To play, individuals or teams volley the ball back and forth over a net on a slimmed-down version of a tennis court until one side scores 11 points (and is up by at least two points).
With an average growth rate of 158.6% over the last three years, Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.
Another study from the Association of Pickleball Professionals in March 2023 showed 48.3 million adults, or nearly 19% of the total adult population played pickleball at least once in the past 12 months.