As pickleball continues to grow as a sport, more and more people are getting involved. Not only is it catching on amongst the older generations but is now starting gain popularity with kids in the high school to college age range. Although pickleball isn’t an official collegiate sport quite yet, many schools are creating pickleball programs to get students playing recreationally. Amongst these schools is the University of Maryland, whose Pickleball Club was created by none other than U of MD alumni, Ben Johns. Ben created the club when he was still a student, and the club has continued to be a success even after his graduation.

Aside from being the home of world #1 pickleball player, Ben Johns, the conversation about pickleball within the DC area has grown rapidly within the last couple of months due to the addition of DC Pickleball Team to the roster of Major League Pickleball. DC Pickleball Team is home of former professional tennis player, Sam Querrey, who joins Stefan Auvergne, Shelby Bates, and Amanda Hendry.

The University of Maryland Pickleball Club reached out to Adam Behnke, COO of DC Pickleball Team, along with the team at JOOLA Pickleball to help grow the sport at their school. Tom Nguyen, Chief Marketing Officer at JOOLA, was very excited to be a part of the process, saying “The Team at JOOLA is always looking for ways to build a community around the sport of pickleball, and it’s that much better when it’s right in our backyard.” DC Pickleball Team and JOOLA teamed up to put on a pickleball clinic at the University of Maryland as well as provide the club with pickleball equipment they made need. The equipment included custom JOOLA paddles displaying the collaboration between the University of Maryland and DC Pickleball Team. Additionally, professional player and DC Pickleball Club member, Shelby Bates, was there to provide some insight on professional pickleball as well as play with the members of the pickleball club.