Turning vision into reality is easier said than done. Shelbyville High School junior Sydney Haehl knows this firsthand.
Haehl started playing pickleball with her friends over the summer at the new courts at Blue River Memorial Park. Soon after, an idea popped into her head.
“Every day, I drive by the courts and they are always filled with people waiting to play. So, I thought, why not start a club at SHS?” Haehl said. “Pickleball is not just a sport. It's an activity that includes everyone, no matter what other sports or activities they are involved in. It is fun for all ages and allows for a wide range of skill levels. My hope is that the Golden Bear Pickleball Club can be a foundation for the future of pickleball in our community.”
Kayla Sitton, who is a fourth-year teacher at Shelbyville, was approached by Haehl with a clear vision. Sitton wanted to give her student the opportunity to learn and take leadership.
“(Sydney) put together a presentation and presented it to our principal," Sitton said. "She was the driving factor in getting the club together. I am just someone that helped her get her vision across.”
Sitton and Mark Hensley, who has been teaching 29 years, agreed to be the club sponsors. Sitton said approximately 70 students have joined, something she did not expect.
“I had a feeling we would have a decent turn out due to what I have seen at the courts over summer but never imagined having 70 students,” Sitton said. “I was so excited to see such an interest and students getting out of their comfort zones to learn how to play.
“We currently only meet during our Wednesday Power hour time. We plan to meet outside of school once the sports seasons calm down a bit. This past Wednesday, for example, we took our students out to the tennis courts for the entire hour to play.”
In 2023, pickleball grew to 13.6 million players in the United States, according to the 2024 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Topline Participation Report. The SFIA also announced that pickleball continues to be the fastest-growing sport in America, having grown 51.8% from 2022 to 2023 and 223.5% in four years since 2020.
“The sport is something that has given my family a reason to get together weekly. Every Sunday, we try to go play at the local courts and when we go I normally see so many of my students out playing,” Sitton said. “It’s awesome to see the impact the sport has made on our community, let alone our students. To see students talking and playing with other students who they might not normally hang out with is awesome.”
Sitton said the club is currently in need of paddles and balls. The club would also love to get a few more indoor nets for the colder months.
Those interested in donating can bring gently used paddles or balls to the school. If giving a monetary donation, checks can be made out to Shelbyville High School with the memo as Pickleball Club.
“We plan to put together a tournament of some sort for a fundraiser in the spring,” Sitton said. “This will be a great opportunity for our students to learn to take the lead on helping plan and organize. We want this club to be student-led to attract interest for when we have an official team one day.”
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