Among the skills that can be learned/interests nourished/passions fueled at 92NY is a relatively new one – the irresistible game with the goofy name, and the fastest growing sport in the country – pickleball! 92NY’s Director of Sports & Leagues Aaron Feuerstein says, “We started offering pickleball five years ago with just one or two weekly classes – we’re now up to 18 classes a week! When our fall sessions went on sale in July, every one of them sold out in under an hour! And people are clamoring for more.”
Pickleball’s terrific appeal can, in large part, be attributed to the nature of the sport itself. “It’s a game everyone can play,” says Feuerstein. “The early perception was that it was for older adults in retirement communities, and sure, it’s a great activity for those who once played tennis or other racquet sports, in being gentler on the body. But everyone has come to recognize that it’s also a highly competitive sport for people of all ages and all levels of athleticism. It’s also just incredibly fun.”
The sport offers something more than a fun, nearly universally playable activity, though. “There is a tremendous sense of community in pickleball,” says Feuerstein. “The game really draws people in, and there is a lot of socialization, even within highly competitive play. We’ve got a group that plays together three times a week – they’re incredibly serious about it, very intense. But after 90 minutes on the court, they go out and get breakfast together. The game is really about having a good time, staying active, and meeting people. And everyone is incredibly supportive – the Tuesday group will come to watch the Thursday group play – I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Over five million Americans have developed a passion for the sport, including celebrities George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and Larry David. The New Yorker even ran a feature story last month, “Can Pickleball Save America?” And 92NY is one of very few places in New York City rising to the demand. “The sport is massively popular across the country, but there just aren’t a lot of places in NYC to play,” says Feuerstein. “Our reputation as a center for pickleball has grown tremendously. We offer instruction at all levels, plus open play sessions, including intergenerational groups with 20- to 60-year-olds teaming up on the court. We’re even starting a league this fall,” says Feuerstein. “People aren’t just looking to play, they’re looking to play here.”
As a result, among the many joyful sounds to be heard behind 92NY’s walls these days – world-class musicians performing in our concert hall, toddlers singing and clapping in their classes, laughter and gasps during our celebrated talks, and so much more – is the pop-pop-pop of dinks and drop shots and volleys in our gym, and the exclamations that come from the sheer delight of grown-ups– many of them former strangers – at play.
Learn more about 92NY’s pickleball classes.