From a scrapbook backyard pastime to the fastest-growing sport in America, pickleball has taken the world by storm, and it has most recently invaded LHHS, prompting the birth of our very own Lake Highlands Pickleball Club.

Similarly to most players, the Pickleball Club founder and LHHS junior, Katie Threadgill, “discovered [pickleball] with my family when we were trying to find something new.”

But people try new things all the time. So, what makes pickleball so special, and why is it so popular?

The 58-year-old pastime’s popularity is due in large part to its appeal to all skill levels, its opportunity for social interaction, and its massive benefits to “picklers’” mental and physical health.

The Lake Highlands Pickleball Club began last year when Threadgill and a friend wanted to share the fun of the sport with other students by starting a club sponsored by Sunny Carroum, a math teacher at LHHS.

“I wanted to be the sponsor because I enjoy the sport and think the students of LHHS would also enjoy playing,” Carroum said.

And many students do enjoy playing.

The Pickleball Club hosted an open-tournament on Wednesday, October 18, with 24 teams of two competing to win on a fun, pickleball-filled day.

If you are interested in joining the LH Pickleball Club, they meet after school at the pickleball courts across from the stadium parking lot (northwest corner of Rec Center) on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, and there will be tournaments in the future that you can play in!

“Students should join the pickleball club because it is a way to socialize with lots of different people at Lake Highlands. It’s a great way to get outside and enjoy what’s around us, and it’s really easy to pick up on and have fun,” Threadgill stated.

You can also keep up with the pickleball club by joining the Google Classroom (eolmlpp) or following the Instagram (@lhpickleballclub)!