Photo courtesy Daniella Eisman
In the past year, pickleball emerged as the latest sports craze and has swept across the country. Today in Long Beach, hundreds of people participate in the popular sport at parks and gyms across the city.
Pickleball, founded in 1965, gained popularity over the recent COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic limited people from participating in traditional sports and gathering in large groups, pickleball participation increased. The sport provided a way for people to get active, while remaining socially distant.
The sport is also popular due to its accessibility; almost anyone can play. Pickleball, a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, consists of quick matches, small courts, and is easy to pick up.
In Long Beach, pickleball has spread to high school students. Long Beach Poly’s Pickleball Club was founded by three Poly students: Noah Coles, Taylor Mercado, and Sydney Mercado. The club hosts pickleball tournaments for the local community, bringing together students from across greater Long Beach. The club collaborates with other newly founded pickleball clubs, such as ones at Millikan and Los Al.
Recently, Poly Pickleball Club hosted one of their largest tournaments to date. The tournament, located at Billie Jean King Tennis Center, brought together students from Millikan, Poly, Los Alamitos, and even from as far as Pasadena.
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Each team in the tournament consisted of four players, two girls and two boys. These athletes played both individual and doubles matches, scoring points for their team’s overall score. Each match was played to 21 points and was in a tournament format.
The tournament was sponsored by Bay Area Breakers, a professional pickleball organization formed in 2022. The Bay Area Breakers was founded by Mimi Mercado, David Mercado, and Ritchie Tuazon. The Mercados are the parents of Poly volleyball star and Georgetown commit, Taylor Mercado.
The team provided free paddles for the athletes participating in the tournament, distributing around 40 free paddles. The athletes were pleasantly surprised by the paddles, as they often carry a hefty price tag.
“It was so amazing to see all of the love there that exists in the pickleball community and we are so excited to see where that will take all of our schools’ clubs,” said Simone Millsap, the secretary of Poly Pickleball Club. `
Poly Pickleball Club and the Bay Area Breakers worked together to smoothly run the tournament. Local adult pickleball connoisseurs acted as referees for the matches. Some of these adults also acted as coaches for the young, high school teams.
The tournament was successful, and connected athletes from ages eight to eighteen together. Long Beach Poly Pickleball Club looks forward to hosting more tournaments, and hopefully hosting larger events around the city.
