*FLASHBACK TEN YEARS : “USTA–Buy Pickleball !”

I started writing this blog in 2008. Topics range from the easter bunny to Bob Dylan. “Hits” or visits to the site are recorded. The last pickleball article had a daily total that was three times more hits than any one single day. There was still the fear that pickleball will damage tennis.

I wrote tons of blog articles on pickleball ( https://littlegreenbookoftennis.com/category/r-pickleball/). Below are various clips from those writings. Plus a NEW YORK TIMES article that was featured today–Feb. 14,2026.

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Good News 2—The pressure from Pickleball enthusiam will build more tennis courts the next 10 years than tennis only facilities! NOTE : School facilities were built for 6 singles matches. Boy’s !. There were no girls teams. Admnistrators, school boards, athletic directors—build a minimum battery of eight courts. Line them for pickleball too. Teach pickleball the first half of the semester, tennis the second. 

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Not to belittle our current conflicts,  a surprise portends.  WW III will not be men vs women,  or east vs west, black vs white, or even Israel vs Arabs. With Americans leading the way, it may be tennis vs pickleball!

NEWS FLASH: Tennis and pickleball should not fight each other. They have a mutual enemy, video games!

HINT,HINT–The two games are not mutually exclusive.

My guess is the links between pickleball and tennis and not only many new players, but some very talented players,will emerge.

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Good news 3 –Pickleball , handled properly, can add a new base to the USTA. For years minority kids have been a target for growth. Pickleball is so easy to learn and inexpensive, the opportunity is a DUH? Tennis courts lined for dual use (about 100$ ) At public schools, municipal recreation courts, empty condo developments and other unused courts.

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Pickleball & Co. is not just focused on Black people playing pickleball. It wants pickleball to be a catalyst for friendships, business relationships, and enrichment for participants. “Come in your bright colors, come with everything that you are, and you are welcome in this space,” said Brooks.

The USTA has never sold a leadup game that can match pickleball’s potential.

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My guess is the links between pickleball and tennis and not only many new players, but some very talented players,will emerge.

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Having observed attempts to teach tennis in public school physical education classes, maybe a switch to pickleball might be wiser. It is so much easier to learn (save the scoring system*). And, while the pickleball people will argue that their
game can stand on its own merits, perhaps there would be a “carryover” from mastery of pickleball to the more complex and expensive tennis process. And attract some audiences that shun tennis no matter how hard we try?

Once kids have fun and realize a tennis court”ain’t a bad place” –wouldn’t tennis garner some recruits?

• Unfortunately pickleball also adapted a scoring system much like badminton. And, while this idea can be applied to colleges, I would go ahead and grant
  a degree to any college student who can master the scoring.
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And let’s face it, if new people never play tennis , won’t new pickleballers be better off. Than Video addicts, other pitfalls? ADULTS TOO?

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https://littlegreenbookoftennis.com/category/r-pickleball/

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