I previously thought pickleball players were old retirees or people too unathletic to play tennis. To everyone’s surprise, this formerly underlooked sport is now growing the fastest among Gen Z. If you don’t get the hype, you’ve never played.

Growing up with minimal interest in sports, I’ve been intimidated to pick up anything new. However, pickleball has graciously welcomed me with open arms. Compared to most racquet sports, the low barrier of entry, inexpensive equipment and easy learning curve make the sport inviting to beginners. Forget about technique, coordination and physical strength — you can hop on a court and be able to continue a rally almost immediately.

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“I taught one tennis class last semester, and while I love tennis, it took months for a decent rally to be held, and it’s just not the same atmosphere,” said Joshua Maya, the current pickleball instructor at the physical education and mind body health department at USC.

This unique sense of freedom for players is what makes pickleball so contagious. Trojan Pickleball, an unofficial group of USC students who organize pickleball events on campus, was able to expand to 500 GroupMe members within a year.

“People think it’s like a niche thing that they go occasionally and play, but there are so many people that love the sport and play often,” said Alex Han, the sponsorships board secretary of Trojan Pickleball and a junior majoring in economics.

Although pickleball’s future growth seems fruitful, its presence on campus is highly at risk after the recent closing of the tennis and pickleball courts. What students are losing is beyond a space for outdoor physical activities — they’re also losing a low-pressure social environment.

“I wouldn’t know half the people [I know without Trojan Pickleball],” Han said.

Mike Munson, the associate director of USC Recreational Sports, described pickleball’s format as innately social. Unlike tennis, pickleball is on a much smaller court and doubles is more common, allowing for this closeness.

“You see a lot of people communicate after each point when there’s dead time,” Muonson said. “You can congratulate somebody for a good shot. You can have a little fun with people, whether you know them or not.”

Removing outdoor, on-campus courts impacts the special social quality of pickleball. Without a shared space for open play, the social and recreational opportunities pickleball uniquely offers are lost.

Many parties are directly and indirectly affected. Physical education professors have to adjust their course plans, students take on longer wait times for an open court in the desired sport they want to play and on-campus recreational clubs are fighting for limited indoor space.

Joyce Zhou, a sophomore majoring in computer science business administration who plays volleyball and pickleball recreationally, feels that moving pickleball indoors contributes to the existing crowdedness of other sports.

“Lyon [Recreation Center] already has enough sports to manage,” Zhou said. “Sometimes, when I go play volleyball, there’s not even a court that we can play on, because it’s being played by basketball players. To fit another sport entirely, like pickleball, it is definitely a struggle.”

Trojan Pickleball plans on coordinating rideshares to nearby courts and hosting open plays for its community. However, it is an understatement to say that it will take more coordination and time, especially with the nearest advertised courts being primarily on the west side of Los Angeles, which often require a membership or charge a fee.

“It’s very heartbreaking to see that we’re going to have to break apart this very wholesome community that we’ve built, and also that a lot of people are not going to get to experience it,” said Alexa Medellin, an early member of Trojan Pickleball and a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering.

The removal of these courts reflects a broader issue of spatial inequality in L.A., where 82% of park-poor areas impact communities of color such as South Central. Even then, the existing parks in these communities lack the same amenities and maintenance. Recreational outdoor third spaces are treated as a luxury, with wealthier areas having well-maintained amenities, while lower-income communities manage with neglected parks.

Despite the lack of infrastructure from USC to support the demand for pickleball, it’s not going to stop the community. Jack Longley, the founder and vice president of Trojan Pickleball and a senior majoring in non-governmental organizations and social change, is still hopeful about the future of Trojan Pickleball.

“The community here at USC is what makes it special,” Longley said. “It’s not that we have state-of-the-art facilities but an incredible group of people.”

As pickleball continues to grow in popularity, USC finds itself without the infrastructure to support this demand. Students are looking for solutions rather than being stranded and forced to figure it out — something we already do enough in our personal lives. What we’re asking for is a newly allocated open outdoor space for play, relaxation and destressing for health and well-being.

What Gen Z finds appealing about pickleball is beyond athleticism. The sport allows players to gain social and personal fulfillment. Whether or not USC has the room to appreciate the sport, a significant number of students find pickleball as an outlet for their mental health and well-being. USC needs to offer a solution to students, allocating a new space for outdoor courts, because pickleball is not going to die down. Pickleball will continue persevering, with or without the University’s help.