WESTFIELD — For the past two days, hundreds of collegiate pickleball players have been at Grand Park in Westfield.
They're playing in the inaugural APP U.S. Collegiate Championships. The APP Tour is the official pro tour partner of USA Pickleball.
“There are 26 universities that are here right now battling it out to see who will be our national champions,” Ken Herrmann, the tournament director, said.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country and Hermann says it's gaining momentum at the collegiate level.
"The NCAA doesn’t recognize pickleball yet as a scholarship sport, but all of the colleges have started clubs,” Herrmann said. “Hopefully this shows the NCAA maybe they should consider pickleball as an official sport.”
Members of the IU club pickleball team also competed at the event. The club was started in September and is in the process of becoming an official club sport at the university.
“The day that happens we will be the largest club sport at IU,” Head coach Timber Tucker said.
Tucker says two-years-ago, a student reached out to him saying they needed a team.
"The club team went from zero last year to over 600 people now," Tucker said.
Carter Wittendorf and Mehvish Safdar are two founding members who were competing.
"I think it was during COVID that I first picked up a paddle because there was really not a whole lot else to do," Safdar said.
Wittendorf started playing when he was in high school and says back then, the sport was not this popular. Being at a tournament like the U.S. Collegiate Championships is helping them become a better team.
"Maybe not the results we’ve been looking for but as I said, even if you’re losing, it’s tons of fun seeing what’s out there," Wittendorf said.
The tournament also gives out scholarship money to winning players and teams.
