Not your grandfather’s pickleball: Basin Rec offers clinics for 7-12 year olds, the fastest growing demographic nationwide

Pickleball people getting younger and younger. Photo: by Alex Saks

PARK CITY, Utah — This isn’t your grandfather’s pickleball program. Pickleball’s popularity has surged in recent years, with relatively inexpensive equipment and simple rules helping make the sport accessible to new players, and Basin Recreation has now opened registration for youth pickleball clinics geared toward ages 7 to 12 this fall.

Youth players are also becoming a larger part of the sport, and Basin Rec is offering an opportunity for kids to get on the court. 

“Learn the basics and improve your game,” they write in the description. “Fun is the focus here for player development.”

Each week will build on the previous week. Players will learn the rules of the game, the court set up, dinking, movement, volleys, and serves through games and skill-building activities.

Players will be split into two age groups, ages 7-9 and ages 10-12.

The program runs after school from 4:00-4:50 p.m. inside the Fieldhouse for one day a week on Thursdays. The first session is October 1-29 (no class on Oct 15), and second is November 5-December 3 (no class on Nov 26).

According to USA Pickleball, low barriers to entry can be attributed to the surging growth of participation in the sport around the country citing relatively inexpensive starter equipment and simple rules. Within Park City, Basin Rec offers a scholarship for families interested in joining.

Players aged 6–17 comprise roughly 20% of the core active base according to demographic breakdowns. Participation among the 13–17 age group more than doubled over a two-year span. Within the youth under-18 segment, children ages 6 to 12 make up more than 10% of players. 

The clinics offer a chance for young players to learn the sport while building skills that can carry into recreational play and future competition.