Andrea Molberg
With the 2016 Rio Olympics behind us, some are already thinking about 2020 in Tokyo and wondering if pickleball might be included. Although getting a sport into the Olympics isn’t easy, six new sports – baseball, softball, karate, skateboard, sports climbing and surfing – have recently been added to the 2020 Olympic lineup.
Certainly pickleball is close to meeting the minimum Olympic requirements: widely practiced, “increasing the value and appeal” of the Olympic Games and “reflecting its modern traditions. Pickleballcentral.com’s blog “Does Pickleball have a shot at Olympic Gold?” believes “it’s just a matter of when” pickleball players will make it to the Olympic podium and provides reasons why.
First, pickleball would give ratings a needed boost. Viewership for the Rio Olympics dropped from the London games by 17% overall and 25% among millennials. As the fastest growing sport in the United States, with nearly three million players on six of the seven continents, pickleball looks “a natural fit for injecting fresh blood and interest into the games.” Pickleball’s small court size makes slow motion replays of top pros’ finesse and skill perfect for TV.
Since pickleball players range in age from seven to 95, viewers would be multi-generational. The blog suggests that if pickleball keeps growing as it has and is expected to, “every grandparent on the planet could unwittingly be training the first pickleball Olympian.” Plus, imagine how ratings would soar as viewers tune in to watch octogenarians holding their own against 30-somethings.
This past year thousands flocked to the first U.S. Open Pickleball Championship tournament and tens of thousands talked about it all across the internet. Tournaments are popping up all over the U.S. including Arizona. The future of this sport looks great!