Growing up in Seattle, it made sense that pickleball was a staple gym class. After all, the game was invented just a ferry ride away on Bainbridge Island in 1965. It is surprising, then, that it has only recently exploded in popularity with players of all ages.
Pickleball is played both indoors and outdoors on scaled-down courts that resemble tennis courts. Players strike a Wiffle ball with solid paddles that could be mistaken for oversized table tennis paddles. It can be played as singles, but doubles is the most popular version.
The game has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for the past four years. Top professionals are beginning to secure sponsorship deals, and tournaments offer significant prize money. That exponential growth has resulted in plentiful opportunities for younger players to participate.
In the greater Seattle area, organizations like Let’s Play Pickleball and Westside Pickleball have popped up to serve kids and help them develop skills and a love for the game.
Ta-Ming Shih, Head Coach and Director of Let’s Play Pickleball, began volunteering three years ago, offering an after-school pickleball program at McDonald International Elementary in North Seattle. After meeting and talking with other players and coaches, a non-profit organization was established and expanded to eleven schools throughout the Seattle School District and Shoreline.
“I love the pickleball community and wanted to get my kids involved,” says Shih. “It’s easy to learn but hard to master. We can usually get kids to be able to rally after the first session, then the players get hooked and want to get better.”
While the curve to get better is not as steep as in other paddle and racquet sports, it can be intimidating for young players to turn out and jump into one of the many open-play sites on public courts packed with adults. The accessibility gap is what these youth-centered programs are now trying to bridge.
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, 18 kids warmed up in the gym at John Stanford International Elementary for their weekly pickleball class. Led by three experienced coaches, the group included both beginner and advanced players. After warmups, they moved on to skill introduction and practice, then spread out across three courts to rally with each other. Asta, a fourth-grader and pickleball beginner, found the hand-eye skills helped with other sports, while Maria, also in grade 4, said she really enjoys “the chance to play games with my friends.”
Shih explains, “There are a lot of team sport opportunities for kids, but not a lot of individual sport experiences. Every rally can be challenging but also very fulfilling.”
Over in West Seattle, kids participating in the Westside Youth Program meet every Sunday in the auxiliary gym at Chief Sealth High School. The 8-week program began in the fall of 2025 at the request of parents who play in Westside Pickleball’s adult programs. Volunteer instructors work with kids to master various types of shots, and then kids are paired off to play doubles games.
Kelly Holman and her son were looking for an activity that was social and not too intense. They’d tried a number of other youth sports but found them to be overly competitive.
“There isn’t a lot of pressure in the program here,” Holman said. “They learn court etiquette and get to just play. He is really looking forward to playing pickleball now with our extended family.”
Mateo, 14, is in his second three-month session with Westside. He started playing with his family in 2024 and enjoys the variety of playing with others: “It’s fun to meet new kids and not always play with the same people,” Mateo said.
For parents looking to get their kids interested in pickleball, the Holmans’ and Mateo’s experiences offer a great guide. Pick up paddles and play together. Some manufacturers even offer smaller, lightweight paddles that are easier for small hands to maneuver. The court dimensions and emphasis on shot placement over power make pickleball an ideal multigenerational game. Several local YMCA centers offer weekly timeslots for all ages and family drop-in opportunities.
For kids ready to play with their peers, Westside Pickleball’s current session runs through May 3, with plans for additional dates in the future.
Let’s Play Pickleball has camps this summer in both North and South Seattle for 7 to 13-year-olds, as well as an upcoming youth tournament in the spring.
