Fancy trying one of the fastest growing sports in the world for free this February? Want to put the leap year to good use by getting active and meeting new people?
As part of a partnership with Better, the charitable social enterprise that operates leisure centres across the UK, Pickleball England has announced that they will be offering free pickleball taster sessions this February 29th, as part of a nationwide campaign to encourage the public to get active on the extra day of the year.
A hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is a fun, exciting game for people of all ages and abilities. It is played on the same size as a badminton court, using a shorter tennis-style net. Games are in singles or doubles and players use paddles to hit a plastic ball between one another, usually playing up to 11 points.
Loved by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Kim Kardashian, pickleball is America’s fastest growing sport, with 36.5 million Americans playing during the past year. The sport is growing rapidly this side of the Atlantic too, with Pickleball England reporting a 65% increase in membership in 2023.
With over 50 Better Leisure centres currently offering pickleball at their venues, including Belfast, Cardiff and London, Pickleball England and Better are encouraging the public to sign up to a free taster session near them. Equipment is all provided, so all you need is a bottle of water and you’re ready to go.
Pickleball England has also opened up the initiative to their clubs and venues across the country too, making it easy for everyone to find a free local session near them.
Commenting on the campaign, Andrew Clark, Head of Sport at Better said: ‘We are seeing significant interest in Pickleball amongst our members and as a result are offering Pickleball sessions at an increasing number of the leisure centres we operate. Its popularity stems from the fact it is easy to master, fun and sociable to play. We hope this Leap Year initiative will see even more Pickleball converts take to the court.’
Karen Mitchell, Chair & Co-founding Director of Pickleball England added: ‘We’re thrilled to be working with Better Leisure centres for our Leap Year initiative. Pickleball is a fun, accessible sport for any age and ability and the rapid growth we’ve seen in our sport to date is testament to that. We want to encourage as many people as possible to get involved with the sport by coming along to one of the free taster sessions at their local Better leisure centre or nearest club!’
For further information and to book a free Pickleball taster session on 29th February visit https://www.better.org.uk/what-we-offer/activities/pickleball. For more information about pickleball
or to book a session at a local venue, head to the ‘Club Locator’ section on the Pickleball England website www.pickleballengland.org.