Are you interested in a club sport that is easy to pick up, low impact and can help you practice good health with the ability to be active? The Pickleball club is a great club sport to start, and you can join whether you are a seasoned player or are completely new to the sport.
“Pickleball is a lot of fun; it helps a person become active, relaxing, and intense while having a sense of excitement,” president Sophia Busse said.
Being active in high school, Busse wanted to continue doing something through college. She found out about the club while they were tabling at the club sports fair, where she received information and was able to join despite having no experience in the sport.
Practices for the club are split into two sections: social players and competitive players.
The social players do practices called “open play” for those who are in the club just to play for fun. These practices happen twice a week, where members participate in fun activities and giveaways. They practice on the tennis courts depending on the weather.
The other section of practice is for competitive players where they travel to Fort Atkinson to practice for two hours doing drills, gameplay, and preparing for the competitions. No matter which practice you do, you will still enjoy the fun energy that is spread throughout the players.
The other section is for competitive players, who travel to Fort Atkinson to practice. They do drills, gameplay and prepare for pickleball matches.
“I enjoy being competitive and being able to form good team work where we can be able to joke around while still being able to make connections with the board and members of the club,” Busse said.
Busse explained that her favorite memory was traveling to Cincinnati for a tournament. While there, her team won first place. She was thankful to have a partner who was fun to play with. She also gained a sense of accomplishment.
“Pickleball is a hybrid of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton. It is a unique game that is easy for a beginner to pick up,” Sara Sowinski said.
Sowinski joined the club during her freshman year. At the time, the club was fairly new, just starting in 2021 by two members who shared a passion for the sport. She was one of the first original members of the club and explained how they had to use Kachel Fieldhouse’s basketball courts and used badminton lines to practice.
“I used to play tennis in high school and was unsure if I wanted to pursue it further at a collegiate level, but it was very easy for me to translate my skills in tennis to the act of playing pickleball,” Sowinski said.
Sowinski had the opportunity to play at the first Collegiate National Tournament Texas, where she qualified for nationals.
She enjoyed watching the club grow more throughout the years. She enjoys how the club can bring people together from different ages and backgrounds to build a connection with each other.
“It is a fast-paced paddle sport that is very similar to certain aspects of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It’s played on a small court with a net and a plastic ball with paddles,” Lauren Kremer said.
Kremer joined the club because she was looking for a fun and active sport she could play leisurely while still being competitive. Busse, her roommate, helped her join.
“This season has been exciting. We’ve seen a lot of improvement and the matches have been competitive. Whether it’s casual games or tournament games. We’ve also had a lot of growth and participation from new members, so it’s been fun to watch the club grow,” Kremer said.
Kremer’s favorite memory was a costume night to celebrate Halloween. It was a fun time for her and the club members, where everyone played pickleball with their costumes on and were able to win fun prizes.
“Anyone can play, [it’s] for all ages and physical abilities, it is fun while being addictive,” Sowinski said.
Many of the members started attending the club by going to open play and were taught the sport through the players on the team.
“Everyone should consider going to an open court night at least once, I promise it’s not awkward and everyone there is so kind and willing to show you the ropes,” Kremer said. The club has been successful in their tournaments and has been able to beat Division I schools, helping Whitewater get more recognition. The club competed in a National Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida over spring break. They also plan to travel to Atlanta, Georgia in April. In addition to the tournaments, the club hosts fundraiser tournaments in the summer to help raise money for traveling and upgrading equipment as well as adding more to their inventory.
“Pickleball helps promote a healthy lifestyle and it helps support students,” said Busse.
