Image Credits: Justin McGriff
West Chester University Pickleball Team has just wrapped up their season, with an exciting end of the year party at Picklr in Exton, PA, serving something bigger than a fast paced rally at tournaments or serious practices on South Campus Gyms. It is building a community that continues to grow every week.
At the center of it is Olivia Opie, a junior studying Secondary Education Mathematics with a minor in social work concepts. After serving as the Club’s media manager, gaining some experience in the club, she stepped into the role of president, taking on leadership during a moment where the team was uncertain where the club was going to be, but now as a rapidly growing organization.
When the season started, the club was still fresh, early in its development stage. As Opie described it, there were still “kinks to work out,” with the main priority being consistency, welcoming newcomers and engagement. The goal was not just to improve skill level, quality and skill of teams or to compete more on Wednesday and Friday nights, it was to increase attendance and a more welcoming community presence week after week and that goal quickly turned into what Opie and members were hoping to achieve from the start.
“We were able to constantly have at least 30 members show up at each practice,” Opie said. “That was a huge step for us and a stepping stone for the foundation of our club.”
What was once a small group of friends and players, has grown into a structured, energetic environment where both beginners and experienced or competitive players can share the same space and that is what stands out for the Pickleball Club at West Chester University.
One of the most unique aspects of the club is the dual identity: a social side and a competitive team operating under the same roof, and during the same time. While they practice separately during practice, Opie emphasized that the club operates as one community which is unique.
“Our social team prioritizes meeting new people and having a good time,” she explained, “while our competitive team focuses on improving skills and taking the game to the next level but both are rooted in the same community, all coming together as one to have a great time.”
That balance has become a defining factor of the culture as a club team. The social side is really accessible and welcoming, with no experience required, no equipment needed or to be brought and no pressure to perform well with much watching. On the other side, the competitive team is budding experience, skill and performance through tournaments and structured training.
This year also marked a major turning point for the competitive side of the club, a partnership with a pickleball company The Picklr in Exton, PA, about 30 minutes outside of West Chester. The partnership provided discounted access to high quality facilities inside, allowing the competitive team to train in a more professional environment, meeting new people, while all sharing the same interest: Pickleball. For many members, it was the first time practicing in conditions that closely resembled tournament play for further goals as a club team. “It has helped us improve our game significantly,” Opie said, mentioning that the experience has increased both confidence and performance heading into collegiate competitions down the road.
The club also continued building relationships with supporters like Keystone Pickleball, further connecting West Chester’s club team to the more open and bigger pickleball community growing across the area.
While competitive development has been the biggest focus, the social side of the club and evaluating them has been just as important. Last year social play may only have drawn in only a few students, but this year the number increased, reaching about 20-30 members per practice which Opie did not expect from the start and being improved and it goes beyond the sport which Opie had wished for as the President. “It is not just about playing,” she said. “People are building friendships, meeting future roommates and hanging out outside of pickleball too which is what I love to see and pay off.”
From grabbing coffee together to studying in groups, the club has become an unexpected social hub on campus. For many students who are first year students, it has also been a gateway and stepping stone into finding community and their close friends at West Chester. Pickleball’s rapid rise in popularity is not just happening at West Chester, it is part of a larger national trend from young people, to even retired, older aged people. But Opie believes its success in college spaces comes down to simplicity and accessibility. “It’s easy to learn, but still competitive,” she said. “You can come in with no experience and still feel included right away.”
Behind the scenes, running the club requires far more coordination than most members see. Opie described a constant flow of responsibilities: board meetings, facility scheduling, sponsorship outreach, merchandise planning, tournament logistics and weekly communication. “You’re always sending emails, always planning something,” she said. “But it’s worth it when you see how much the club has grown.” That behind-the-scenes effort has helped transform the club from a small student organization into a structured and sustainable program.
Several milestones have helped shape this year’s identity. The introduction of competitive uniforms gave the team a stronger sense of identity. A successful fundraiser helped support club operations and travel opportunities. Increased tournament participation gave players real competitive experience. But one of the biggest achievements was the partnership with The Picklr Exton, which also helped set the stage for the club’s upcoming end-of-season celebration. The event will bring together around 50 members for an evening of pickleball, food, prizes and awards, marking the first large-scale celebration the club has ever hosted.
“It’s a huge moment for us,” Opie said. “It represents how far we’ve come.”
Looking ahead, despite the progress already made, Opie sees the club’s future as just beginning. On the competitive side, she hopes to build a more structured program capable of consistently competing at regional and national collegiate tournaments. Long-term, she has her sights set on sending a team to Florida for national competition. On the social side, the goal is simpler but equally important: continue growing a welcoming space where anyone can show up and feel included. As the season comes to a close, the Pickleball Club stands out not just for its growth in numbers, but for the community it has built along the way. A sport that many students picked up casually has turned into a consistent source of connection, friendship and campus identity. “If I had to describe it in one sentence,” Opie said, “it’s a friendly and fun environment where people of all skill levels come together to play pickleball.” And for a club still in its early years, that might be the most important win of all.
Caroline Rudderow is a second year Media and Culture major cr1040239@wcupa.edu.