GRACE AMGALAN//THE SCROLL

(From left to right) Allen Guo (12), Kayden Li (12) and Joseph Lei (12) gather together to play pickleball at Cameron Brown park on a Saturday. The three have played together since March, and it has been one of their favorite hobbies.

Everyday, a group of three spartans, Joseph Lei (12), Allen Guo (12) and Kayden Li (12), are seen with their paddles, water bottles and ample enthusiasm to play pickle ball at Cameron Brown Park. 

Lei first became interested in pickleball in March 2024 while playing a round with his younger brother. He then pulled several of his friends into this hobby.

“When I first started playing, I was pretty addicted so I played almost every day,” Lei said.

Eventually, Lei persuaded Guo to play, and the two never stopped from that point onward. 

“I got started when some of my friends invited me for fun, and [I] kind of thought it was an old people’s game,” Guo said.“[I] didn’t want to go, but I did, [and that is how] I got into [pickleball].”

On the other hand, Li’s pickleball hobby emerged primarily because of his older sister. His older sister has been playing for a year and is a Bluff City Pickleball League member.

“She told me to come play,” Li said. “I took interest in playing because there’s not [much] that’s required [when learning].”

Pickle ball is often compared to tennis because they are both paddle sports on courts. However, it can also be compared to ping-pong because of the similar techniques used.

“It’s like tennis and ping-pong mixed together,” Lei said. “I don’t play any tennis at all, but I’ve played some ping-pong at home.”

Pickleball may look easy to beginners, but for some who have been playing for a while, it is a sport with various strategies and techniques that must be mastered to play at a high level. 

“It’s harder than it looks because you have to [think] really precise[ly] on where your ball goes,” Lei said.

Depending on one’s perspective, pickleball can be a casual hobby or a very serious activity, and those who choose to take it to the higher level can join leagues. In Memphis alone, there are about nine pickleball leagues that one could join.

“All you need to do is register for an organization,” Li said. “You pay a fee and you’ll be able to play against other people.”

Ultimately, the difference between beginners and professionals of pickleball is the amount of money they are willing to commit; paddles, shoes and other fees can be quite costly. 

“When you play pickle ball as a way to spend your free time and just for fun, you won’t really have an interest in participating in a league, and therefore you will spend less money to keep up with the hobby,” Li said.

Pickleball serves as a way for some communities to get closer. Some families at parks like Cameron Brown, spend the rest of the evening playing pickleball after supper.

“I feel like it gives a good way for community members to interact with each other because I met a lot of [new] people at the courts,” Guo said. “It’s also a bridge that brings younger and older people [together].”

While playing, the three students encounter people of various age groups. They recall that kids at the age of five and even people in their mid-70s all play it together.

“I have played ith an 80-year-old,” Li said. “He’s been playing pickleball since the 1990s. He’s played [pickleball] since it wasn’t as popular as it is now.”

As demonstrated by the creation of electric cars, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, technology develops faster and faster as time passes.  Paddle technology is also quickly evolving, which is a reason why both Guo and Li are willing to invest over $200 for paddles. 

“Paddle technologies are developing really fast, so when you are getting those more expensive paddles, you are just generally getting better technology than those in the older paddles,” Guo said. “The more expensive paddles with carbon fiber will give you more spin and they will get your shots very precise.”

Rainy days do not stop their passion; in fact, playing on a court on a rainy day was one of Li’s most memorable moments of pickleball. 

“There’s nobody else on the court when it’s raining, so we have it all to ourselves, [and] the rain doesn’t really affect you other than blurring your vision if you’re wearing glasses,” Li said. “[That day] was just a fun way we spent our time and the fact that it was raining made it stick out.”