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While it’s an accepted fact that pickleball is skewing younger and younger (even Gen Z participation is growing, according to Pickleball Magazine), this summer has brought a wake-up call about just how young the newest players are.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Board of Control has voted to add pickleball as an officially sanctioned fall championship sport beginning with the 2027-28 school year.
The rationale for adding pickleball as a fall sport is simply facility space. Many schools do not have dedicated pickleball courts, so students use the existing tennis courts. Tennis is a spring sport; therefore, to avoid congestion on the facilities, it was decided to play in opposite seasons.
According to one news report, in a survey that weighs the addition of new sports, nearly half of respondents and a third of the KHSAA’s membership expressed interest in the sanctioning of pickleball.
Of the 214 survey-question respondents, 102 (close to 50 percent) voted “yes” for a state pickleball tournament.
Florida has also considered adding pickleball, notes AOL, though it has not done so yet. According to sources, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recently conducted an interest survey of state schools.
Out of 547 schools that responded, 166 (roughly 30 percent) expressed direct interest in the FHSAA officially sanctioning pickleball.
Before pickleball can be sanctioned, multiple hurdles remain. Under FHSAA rules, at least 10 percent of its high school member schools, including members in at least two of the association's four administrative sections, must send letters of petition to the board of directors. From there, the process could go to the board for further consideration.
The sport has been on the radar of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) as well; in 2023, Dr. Karissa Niehoff, then the executive director, in speaking about emerging sports, noted, “Oh, heads up: Here comes pickleball. It is obviously taking the country by storm nationwide. Our office gets more calls every week about how to convert courts for pickleball. I fully expect we will be seeing youth pickleball programs.”
Additionally, Niehoff noted, “The neat thing about [pickleball] is that it is affordable, it’s good for those who want to be competitive, as well as for those who just want to have fun, and it’s fairly healthy on the body. Plus, you have pro athletes like Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James getting involved.”
At this point, pickleball remains a niche sport at the high school level; in the 2024-2025 NFHS High School Participation Survey, only three states fielded pickleball teams.
Expect that to change. USA Pickleball offers co-ed singles and doubles events for youth ages 12 and under, 13-14 and 15-16, stoking the competitive fire early.
Additionally, with the college club scene ramping up, it’s obvious the younger markets will continue to be part of a strong feeder system.
Another growth sector for pickleball is the Special Olympics market, where the sport is played traditional doubles and unified doubles. In fact, the sport is making its debut as an official Special Olympics sport at the 2026 USA Games in Minnesota; additionally, there are state and regional championships in many areas.
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