Standing at the ready on the 20-by-44-foot court with paddle in hand, Joe Wise, senior assistant director of intramural sports, felt nervous to play his first pickleball match. 

“I was worried about if I was going to be able to do it or if I was going to let my partner down,” Wise said. “We both were learning and we both made mistakes. We ended up having a really, really good time and also got to meet someone that I probably would have never met.”

Pickleball, a sport played with a paddle and wiffleball, combines elements of other racket-based sports like tennis and badminton. Its simplicity and quick improvement trajectory makes it a favorite among players of many ages and backgrounds.

UT RecSports began offering pickleball during COVID-19 as a fun activity that accommodated the need for social distancing.  In the fall of 2020, UT pickleball consisted of five singles players and 34 doubles teams. By spring of 2023, the league amassed 32 singles players and 177 doubles teams. RecSports pickleball welcomes anyone with a RecSports membership including students, faculty and staff. However, RecSports will host the first pickleball programing specifically for current staff and faculty across the University this summer. 

“The faculty and staff idea kind of came on a whim,” Wise said. “We hosted a program here called RecSports Recharge this past spring semester. We had pickleball out there as an opportunity for the faculty and staff members to try it out, and they loved it.”

The new league currently consists of 27 doubles teams who play weekly matches. June 5 marked the beginning of pool play where teams competed against each other, the results of which determined the brackets for the following elimination rounds. 

Michael Goodman, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, said he began playing sports at a young age and he values staying active. Goodman said pickleball offers him a way to exercise and enjoy a bit of competition.

“There’s something really important about having some sort of outlet in a work environment that allows people to be active, mind and body,” Goodman said. “It’s been really nice to engage in a little bit of activity but also some competitiveness. Competition is a good thing.”

Allison Morris, academic affairs manager in the Department of Surgery at Dell Medical School, said she participated in pickleball games with other Dell Med faculty staff members. After learning about the UT faculty and staff league, Morris said she loved pickleball and felt excited at the opportunity to meet new people. 

“(There was) instant friendliness (and) community,” Morris said. “It’s competitive, but it’s really, really fun and it brings out the best in people.”

Both Morris and Goodman said that the opportunity to meet other UT faculty and staff and become involved in a broader UT community stands out as a highlight of the league. 

“There’s players of all ages … people who maybe I would have never met in my own little bubble in the (College of Education),” Goodman said. “We all have this shared interest that brings us together, which is really cool.”