Low afternoon sun soaks into the wooden basketball courts on the third floor of the Ray as DePaul’s pickleball club peppers the sweat-laden air with echoes of clanking paddles, skidding gym shoes and routine score checks. Occupying two courts, each roughly 31% the size of a tennis court, the players rotate in and out of different pairings and matchups, all while maintaining an exchange of playful chirps and savvy technical tips. 

Nearly one and a half years ago, none of this existed. In fact, pickleball as a sport is relatively new to the masses. Created in 1965 with ping-pong paddles and a wiffle ball on a badminton court, the sport enjoyed a niche following for decades — stereotypically including stuffy country club members, sun-bronzed southern Californians and the most nimble of the elderly ahead of their 4 o’clock dinners. After all, the sport only gained widespread popularity because of the pandemic, when people desperately needed a physical and social activity that complied with distancing guidelines.

In the years following, the sport successfully retained many newfound players nationwide, including in Chicago. The park district currently lists 57 public pickleball courts within Chicago city limits, the vast majority of which are outdoors, including the popular Grant Park courts, located less than a mile southeast of DePaul’s Loop campus. Several private, indoor courts have been constructed in recent years as well, including Social Pickleball Fun, a one-and-a-half-year-old Lincoln Park facility where the club practices on Mondays. 

Despite the game’s rising popularity, the school was without a formal organization until January 2024, when then-junior Farren Lesko established the pickleball club.

“Growing up, I would play a lot with my parents,” said Lesko, a marketing and sports business student. “I thought it was really fun, and DePaul was missing that. They had club tennis, so I thought club pickleball would be a great way to bring people together, have fun, be active and make new friends.”

Starting with roughly six players, the club has grown twofold since its inception, with one of its main draws being friendly competition away from the classroom.

“I love the fact that I’m on campus and interacting with other people in a non-educational setting,” said Om Patel, a sophomore finance major. “I’ve made a couple of friends and I’m doing something I enjoy at the same time, so it all works out perfectly.”

Patel is one of the club’s newest members, having joined shortly after playing for the first time last winter break. Third-year computer science major Ayaan Faruqui has slightly more experience and a similar draw to participation. 

“I (played) for one year before joining,” Faruqui said. “I like getting a workout in, improving my own game and playing with my friends.”

Few players have significant experience in pickleball, or any racket sport, but the club is happy to introduce the game to newcomers. 

“Even if you have never picked up a pickleball paddle in your life, come out,” Lesko said. “It’s all about learning, step by step.”

Freshman anthropology major Echo O’Leary did just that last winter quarter.

“I joined with no pickleball experience, but it was really easy to learn the ropes and how the game works,” O’Leary said. “I’m still learning, but it’s been really fun to play.”

Matthew Chapin, a junior majoring in film and television, is one of the few members who boasts significant, relevant experience, but he still believes that the game is a quick learn, with the club being a great place to start.

“I played tennis my whole life,” Chapin said. “(Pickleball is) super easy to pick up, and everyone is super nice. It’s a great group of people. I hang out with people outside of the club. Anyone looking to join, don’t be intimidated. It’s a lot of fun.”

The club’s growth is certainly related to the culture they have fostered, but the main requirement for entry seems to simply be a love for the game itself, which comes in many forms. 

Quan Tran, a junior chemistry major, loves that it demands less running than tennis, but still “requires a lot of skills and stamina.” 

“I love to play sports, and pickleball has been one of my favorites,” Tran said.

Chapin, who will succeed Lesko as president in the fall, loves the competition and looks forward to heightening the group’s level of play.

“Next year, we want to go to more events,” Chapin said. “Organizing travel can be hard … but I think it will make it a lot more fun.”

Faruqui loves that, despite the unfair stereotypes, “anybody from the age of 10 to the age of 80” can play. 

Patel’s love for the game that separates him from the doldrums of student life is admirably simplistic.

“It’s just fun,” Patel said. “I enjoy hitting a ball with a paddle.”

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