Catherine Parenteau was so beautiful she was born with a tennis racket in her hands. Starting at the age of 4, the Canadian was a natural, working his way up the circuit until he achieved the highest ranking in the world. Recruited by the University of Arkansas to play Division I tennis, he finished his collegiate career playing at Michigan State University.
It was during his senior year at Michigan State, however, that Parenteau discovered a new sport, one that captured his heart and passion: pickleball.
Today, the 27-year-old is the No. 2 singles and No.
Although pickleball enjoys a reputation as your grandmother’s favorite sport, watching Parenteau on the court is a recognition that the game has a serious, athletic side to it, too. And as younger, faster, more skilled players enter the game, the level of play is only going up.
There are approximately 4.8 million people playing pickleball in the United States today, according to Sports & The Fitness Industry Association’s annual report on one sport. Among them, the fastest growing category are players under the age of 24, and there are hundreds of competitions throughout the country every year. In 2018, the PPA was formed and became the first organization to offer a professional tour, followed in 2019 by the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP), the first tour sanctioned by USA Pickleball.
Pickleball is changing
Parenteau was initially hesitant to try pickleball in 2016 when her tennis coach at Michigan State, Simone Jardim, herself a pickleball player, encouraged her to do it. “I thought it was crazy, and it took me three weeks before I could pick up a paddle,” Parenteau said.
To Parenteau’s surprise, he loved it. “I joined the team and started playing three or four times a week,” he said. Read also : The Charge Airs Episode 5 in NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. “I entered my first major event — the US Open Pickleball tournament — in 2017.”
Pickleball tournaments are open to both amateurs and pros, unlike their specialized tennis cousin. In 2022, that equates to 32 events for the pros, offering singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
“We’re in a unique phase right now,” Ken Hermann, founder of APP Tours said. “We haven’t gotten to the point where the pro tour is going to collapse on its own, but I don’t think we’re many years away from that.”
The prize money is not enough for the pickleball player to live off their winnings. The PPA tournament, which starts on October 6, has a payout of $3,000 for the uncontested champions and $10,000 for doubles.
But there are many supporters who are jumping into the game now to close the gap. Parenteau, for example, counts among his sponsors Skechers shoes, Jigsaw Health electrolyte solution, Charge Electric Bikes, Takeya pickleball accessories and Paddletek paddles.
“At first, it was difficult financially for me to go to the competition,” he said. “But with my sponsors and the expansion of PPA, I can now travel and buy a team that will help me stay at the top of my game.”
That team includes a trainer and a nutritionist, now. Parenteau is on the court five times a week, and five times a week off the court to stay in top form.
“You need a huge amount of games to compete at this level,” Hermann said. “We have a lot of young women in the top 1,000 of the WTA now coming into the game.”
These up-and-comers are getting more experienced players to take notice.
“The young players hit the ball hard, and it was difficult for me to play with them, even at 27 years old,” said Parenteau. “Every year, there is new talent coming into the game and the more that comes into the game, the better it gets.
As the popularity of pickleball continues to rise – it has been the fastest growing sport in the country for the past two years – it will continue to attract more sponsors, participants and fans to follow the pro circuit. That’s what New Belgium beer is aiming for, as it strives to be the “pickleball beer.”
“We want the game to be inclusive, where you can be as competitive as you want,” said Joanna Laubscher, community marketing manager. “The talent at the Pro level is insane and as more people start to follow it, they will realize that the best players are at the top of the game.”
While pickleball is not yet an official NCAA sport, it is quickly emerging as a competitive club sport at the college level.
“The beauty of pickleball is that it’s easy to learn and pick up,” USA Pickleball Association president Stu Upson said. “But to take it to the pro level, you have to be committed. You can’t just go out on the weekends and play and expect to compete like a pro — that’s good for the sport.”
