Pickleball’s Identity Crisis

It’s hard being the “new sport.” Now, before we throw pickleball at a pity party, everyone knows it’s the fastest-growing sport in America. Long gone are the days when people had never heard of pickleball. It’s hard to turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or even walk down the street without being greeted by some reminder of the game.  

That said, the one thing that continues to plague pickleball and hinder its already meteoric growth is a case of mistaken identity. For example, the sport was invented way back in the 60s, but until recently, it was considered almost exclusively the domain of retirees. It’s been extremely refreshing seeing younger players flood into the sport in recent years, and it’s exciting to dream of where these future stars will take us. 

And where exactly is that future? It’s pretty standard to hear pickleball compared to probably 10 other sports, almost all of which are played with a racquet: 

“It’s like you’re standing on a ping pong table.” 

“Did you play tennis growing up?” 

“Ever played racquetball or squash?” 

“Did you ever try badminton as a kid?” 

But we’re here to tell you...pickleball, at its finest, is a doubles sport, played and practiced as a team in ideal conditions. With that in mind, the two sports that pickleball most closely resembles are Basketball and Volleyball. 

Basketball and Volleyball, two sports that tens of millions of kids grow up playing, rely heavily on teamwork in order to drive success. Sure, you may have a great shooter on your basketball team, but someone has to get her the rock. You might have a great outside hitter, but he needs a teammate to set him the ball. And the more reps that we get as a team, the better we perform as a team. In a sport where the set-up shot is often more critical than the put-away, it's easy to see why many of those same principles are essential to success in pickleball. 

And the most important parallel between these three sports? They are all fabulous to play outside if the conditions are perfect, but they are best suited to be played year-round indoors.  

Ever stroked a 3-point shot destined to find the bottom of the net and instead clanked off the side of the rim from a gust of wind? Frustrating, right? That's why all organized basketball, from youth to professional, is played indoors. Unlike tennis, which is played almost exclusively outdoors, pickleballs are light enough to be easily redirected by wind, causing frustration and poor competition. 

Look, we love nothing more than playing beach volleyball on a 72-degree day with no wind. Shooting hoops on a well-designed outdoor court can produce some of the best games ever. And, of course, we love playing pickleball outside when the conditions are pristine. 

But for reps, for practice, for tournaments, for leagues, for the cold and wet winter, and for the hot and sweaty summer, basketball and volleyball are mainly indoor sports for a reason, and pickleball will be, too. That’s right: Pickleball, like Basketball and Volleyball, is an Indoor Sport...it just doesn’t know it yet! 

-The APC Team 

Free Pickleball 101 Courses

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America (still!). But despite the astronomical numbers of people who are trying the game for the first time every single day, there are even more people who are intrigued but, for one reason or another, still haven’t picked up a paddle.  
 
“0-0-2!“ 
“Stay out of the kitchen!” 
“You can’t volley that ball!” 
“Whose serve is it?” 
“What planet am I on?” 
 
Trying something new can be intimidating. The learning curve for many sports is incredibly steep. And for most of us, it’s been a long time since elementary school when we were surrounded by our peers learning a game for the first time. After all, who wants to walk out onto a court full of “experts” speaking a language you don’t understand? Why would anyone willingly subject himself to the embarrassment of looking like an unathletic dork who doesn't know even the simplest of rules? 
 
At Ace Pickleball Club, we’re not gonna let that happen to you. We’re committed to ensuring that every single person who walks through our doors, regardless of gender, age, or athletic ability, walks back out of those very same doors as a pickleball player. That’s why we’ve introduced Ace Pickleball Club’s free Pickleball 101 Clinics. That’s right, FREE. Our expert coaches have developed a very deliberate, simple, and effective curriculum for these 1-hour sessions to provide everything the beginner needs to begin her pickleball journey with confidence. PB 101 students will learn: 

• Keeping Score 

• Serving 

• Returning Serve 

• Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone) Rules 

• 3rd Shot Drops and 3rd Shot Drives 

• Dinking 

• Why Pickleball Is The Greatest New Thing In Your Life 

So, enough of the excuses. No more hearing how your coworker is dominating his local courts or why your spouse is having a ball competing. Leave your insecurity at home, throw on your dusty old sneakers, and come on down to Ace Pickleball Club for a Free Pickleball 101 session. You don’t need to bring a paddle...we have everything you need to start an adventure you can enjoy for the rest of your life! 

Ready to get started? Find an Ace Pickleball Club near you!
 
-The APC Team

Welcome to Ace Pickleball Club!

Welcome to the Ace PickleBlog! If you’ve made it here, you likely know a bit about us, but we’d like to take this opportunity to properly introduce ourselves. Ace Pickleball Club is the fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise in the world, and our mission is very simple: Expand the sport of pickleball by inspiring new players and providing enthusiasts of all skill levels access to a welcoming community, optimal playing conditions, and opportunities for growth.  

As part of that mission, this blog will strive to keep the Ace Pickleball Club community in the know for all the latest and greatest happenings at Ace. We’ll discuss things like our on-court technology, emerging stars who are training at Ace, our expansion plans, and much more.  

So, where to start? Pretty easy decision on our end. Our Core Values guide everything we do here at APC. The rapid growth of our sport has created a remarkable opportunity for innovation, and we’re committed to these Core Values in order to guide how we operate and reinforce our dedication to our members: 

 
Force for Good 

• We're welcoming, friendly, and kind to members, teammates, and everyone around us. 

• We act with integrity and do what's right for the community and each other. 

• We are ambassadors for the sport of pickleball.  

Serious about the Sport, not Ourselves 

• We compete to win, but always with great sportsmanship and a spirit of fun.  

• We are relentless in our desire to provide optimal playing conditions so our members can enjoy their games to the fullest. 

• We create an atmosphere where people want to be and where they feel free to be themselves.  

We Grow, Together 

• We create opportunities to become better players and better versions of ourselves. 

• When unexpected problems arise, we step up and solve them. 

• We take calculated risks, support each other's efforts, and celebrate wins together. 

Hopefully, this will give you a sense of who we are and what we’re building. For the most part, we stick to these values, although some team members may have a different definition of “great sportsmanship” (not naming names!).  

We’re excited to welcome you all to Ace Pickleball Club!  Ready to get started? Find an Ace Pickleball Club near you!

-The APC Team