From Church Gyms to ESPN: How Pickleball Took Over America

If you want proof that God has a sense of humor, just look at what’s happening in gyms across the country. A few short years ago, church facilities echoed with basketballs, youth lock-ins, and the occasional rogue Upward Sports banner. Today, those same spaces are packed shoulder-to-shoulder with adults debating foot faults and arguing over who served last — all thanks to the fast-moving, community-building sport known as pickleball.

Pickleball didn’t just “arrive.” It sprinted into the American bloodstream, slid into neighborhoods, whispered its rules into Facebook groups, and now — somehow — wound up on ESPN with flashing graphics, commentators, and professional athletes who look like they could be your accountant.

But here’s the real magic: pickleball’s rise didn’t start on center court under studio lights. It started on community courts, city parks, parking lots … and yes — church gyms.

In fact, churches might be one of the unsung catalysts behind this boom. At a time when many congregations were asking post-Covid questions like, “How do we bring people back together?” pickleball quietly showed up with paddles, plastic balls, and a built-in mandate: love your neighbor… especially at the kitchen line.

I watched it firsthand. I discovered this great sport in September 2019 - 6 months before the pandemic shut the world down. In April of 2020 — when all the community courts were shut closed — Huntersville United Methodist Church rolled out its first pickleball net and hung those bright yellow court markers on the gym floor. At the time, it was an experiment. A ministry idea with a paddle and a prayer. Turns out, HUMC Pickleball became one of the first church-based pickleball programs in the nation, and what followed wasn’t just sweat — it was healing.

Friends brought friends.
Members invited neighbors who weren’t churchgoers.
Entire small groups formed over water breaks and rec play.
Competition showed up, but community always won.

Fast-forward six years and the same game that started on makeshift courts is now airing on ESPN with prize money, sponsors, and athletes younger than the game’s rulebook. Pickleball has moved from parking lots to professional stadiums without losing the ingredient that made it irresistible — connection.

It’s the rare sport where 25-year-olds chat with 75-year-olds between points. Strangers high-five like teammates after ten minutes. And the person who just beat you might also hand you a granola bar and invite you to play again.

From church gym floors… to televised championships… to national tournaments… pickleball’s rise feels less like an accident and more like one big, joyful conspiracy to pull people back together.

And if you’ve ever played in one of those chaotic open-play sessions, wondered where that serve came from, or laughed until you couldn’t swing straight, you’ll appreciate why I wrote Who Just Served?. It’s a humorous look at the players, quirks, and court moments that fueled this nationwide explosion — starting from places like HUMC and finishing all the way on ESPN. If you want to celebrate the fun side of the sport we all love, the pages are waiting for you the same way a church gym door opens on Monday night — wide, warm, and ready for play.