By Pickleball, a combination of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, has been taking the world, and the Carroll College campus, by storm.
Here on campus, the pickleball club is one of the newest clubs and has quickly become very active and popular.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, pickleball is played on a smaller court than tennis, using a plastic ball and hard paddles. It’s easy to learn and fun for all skill types, from beginners to advanced athletes. The accessibility of pickleball makes it appealing to everyone – anyone can pick up a paddle and start playing.
The pickleball club at Carroll was formed in September 2023. They try to meet every weekend on Saturday or Sunday mornings, but the times fluctuate. When the weather is warm, they meet at a local park, and in the winter they play at the Hunthausen Activity Center.
Isaac Schilter
The representative for the pickleball club is Leah Manning, a senior from Orange County, California, studying health sciences on the pre-physical therapy track.
“Especially in the winter in Montana, it is difficult for students to find fun activities to keep them moving and pickleball club is a simple solution to that problem,” said Manning.
The pickleball club provides a fun environment, where people can hang out, be physically active, and meet new people. They welcome students of all activity levels who want to try something new and have fun.
“We have seen so many friendships form through this club and through competition and we are excited to see more and more participation as it grows,” said Manning.
Aidan McGarvin, Brandy Carlson
This club is one of the newest clubs on campus and has big goals for the future for expanding its presence with students.
“We would like to put on a tournament this year that is similar to intramurals but involves a prize for the winner,” said Manning. “We are still throwing around ideas for this event but we want to give our members the opportunity to showcase their skills and compete against their peers.”
