The constant pops of plastic balls echo through the building at 24 Hour Pickleball in Lexington.
Young amateurs volley inside each day, joined by college students getting together and parents straight out of work. The Friday night energy feels closer to a recreation group than a retirement club, an indication of how rapidly pickleball is changing.
Once a pastime of empty nesters and retirees, pickleball is transitioning to a younger crowd. Nearly 19% of the U.S. population, or 48.3 million adults, have played the sport in the past year, a 35% increase since 2022, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals. The same study showed that the average age of a player has dropped to 35.
Mark Spackman, co-founder of Southern Pickleball, travels across 10 Southern states for conferences and amateur tournaments. The association’s largest tournament, in Macon, Georgia, sees hundreds of winners from each state annually.
“The big thing we’re seeing is the change in the age group,” Spackman said. “Even four years ago when I started, it seemed like it was mostly 50 and up. But now we’re having players from 8 up, and some of our biggest divisions are 21- to 35-year-olds.”
That transformation is seen throughout Columbia and Lexington, where new courts are painted in parks and developing athletic clubs such as 24 Hour Pickleball. Some of the courts are painted over what used to be tennis courts, causing tension nationwide.
Parks and sports complexes are debating whether to convert the existing tennis courts or invest in new space to meet growing demand.
“There’s a lot of debate,” Spackman said. “I think we need more pickleball courts. We don’t have to steal tennis courts. We just need more pickleball courts.”
The metamorphosis has already played out in Lexington, where pickleball facilities and public courts have become places for players of any age or skill level. Courts are in constant use, from small groups in the early mornings to league matches in the evenings.
Facebook groups have formed to organize open play, including Round Robin sessions in which players rotate into games with different partners.
Among the regulars is Louis Sachs, a 46-year-old from Lexington who first picked up a paddle in 2023 after noticing pickleball courts being lined after his flag football games. He described the sport as “ping pong, tennis, badminton, and wiffleball, if they all had a kid.”
His early curiosity turned into a four- to five-times-a-week activity. He joined the Dink Positive group on Facebook. ("Dinking" is volleying with soft, controlled shots.)
Sachs now competes in Southern Pickleball tournaments and has qualified for the December tournament in Macon.
“To me, the pickleball community is like a family," Sachs said. “I’m there to play, have fun, work on my game and be supportive of my partners, because at the end of the day we’re all there to have fun.”
Another familiar face at 24 Hour Pickleball is David Flores, 29, who said he got hooked on pickleball in 2024 after losing11-2 to an older duo.
“The age for pickleball was fresh,” Flores said. “I joined anything I could find on Facebook.”
Flores always looks for players better than him to elevate his game. He’s played more than 10 tournaments and sees the age demographics trending toward players in their late 30s and early 40s.
“I really enjoy the community aspect of it,” Flores said. “I’ve enjoyed being competitive.”
For Spackman, the future of pickleball is bright – and likely youthful.
“It’s just exciting to see," Spackman said. "What I love about it is you can see generations coming together on the court."
This story was filed as part of an editorial partnership between South Carolina Public Radio and the University of South Carolina’s Carolina News and Reporter. You can learn more about the Carolina News and Reporter here.
