Pickleball is becoming increasingly popular, with 19.8 million adult players in the United States in 2024, according to Pickleheads. This popularity is beginning to catch on with students at Chamblee engaging in the sport and even creating a new club.

The Pickleball Club was founded by sophomores Ethan Brachman (‘28), Griffin Herring (‘28), Graham Davidson (‘28), and Kartik Modak (‘28), which is uncommon, since most clubs are founded by upperclassmen. The founders hope this club will provide an opportunity for a low-commitment physical activity and a new community that students can be a part of at CHS. Davidson remarked on the first moment he discovered his love for pickleball, explaining why he wanted to create the club.

“My grandpa taught me [how to play pickleball] six or seven years ago,” said Davidson. “Over long weekends I hang out with him and we usually play pickleball. It’s a fun way to spend time together.”

Brachman, on the other hand, began playing pickleball during the pandemic with his family.

“I discovered pickleball right around when COVID happened. Because a lot of people couldn’t go out [and play sports] with strangers, me and my family [started] playing,” said Brachman.

Pickleball means something different for each of the student founders, but they have one thing in common: they love to play, and they love to play with others.

“There was a lot of discussion about making a pickleball club last year, but you have to be [at least] a sophomore [to start a club]. We knew that pickleball was really popular, and the [tennis] courts aren’t used a lot of the time, so we thought we’d put [them to use],” said Brachman.

Davidson hoped the creation of a pickleball club would bring a closer sense of connection among Chamblee’s students.

“Pickleball has been a growing sport all [over] the U.S. lately, and we really wanted a way to bring that community to Chamblee High School,” said Davidson.

To create a club at Chamblee, starting in 10th grade, you must follow the proper process with the school, as Herring explained. 

“We had to write an outline for the club, and then we had to find a sponsor. Luckily, Mr. [Richard] Magee was nice enough to be our sponsor. Then, you have to submit [the outline and sponsor] to [Principal Gail] Barnes, and she has to approve the club,” said Herring.

Mr. Magee was chosen as the club’s sponsor because of his involvement with the CHS tennis team. 

“[Pickleball Club will] give students a chance to participate in sports at all levels. Chamblee has some excellent athletics, but I’d like to get everybody included [in sports]. I think if you’re a human, you’re an athlete, and so [athletics] should be open [and available] to everybody,” said Mr. Magee. 

The members of Pickleball Club were able to apply to become officers once the club was established. Each officer position ensures the club runs smoothly. Sam Smith (‘28) is in charge of hospitality and coordination for the club.

“[I am the] event manager. I set up events like tournaments that we’re going to do and bring snacks [to the meetings and tournaments],” said Smith.

Farah Dakhli (‘28) is another officer who handles the communication for Pickleball Club.

“I am the social media manager, so I post when we have meetings and [updates on] things that might change [affecting the club],” said Dakhli. 

Social media has proven to be a very effective method of spreading information about the club, as many members decided to join because of the online posts.

“[I found out about Pickleball Club through] Instagram and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I want to join Pickleball,’” said Blaire Thomson (‘29).

Considering this is a fairly new club, some members believe there are some aspects that could be improved upon.

“I think providing water and [pickleball] rackets [at the meetings] would be nice,” said Harper Critchley (‘29).

Others, like Cooper Zimmerman (‘27), think different tennis courts would be most beneficial to her experience.

“I think we can find some better [pickleball] courts,” said Zimmerman.

Some members of the club think that the officers and founders should create more of a set routine for the club to follow.

“I think that there could be a little bit more structure game-wise,” said Kylie Knight (‘28).

In the future, the club hopes to connect with other schools to play tournaments and matches with.

“We know Lakeside, Marist, and Dunwoody [High School] all have pickleball clubs, and we hope to do something with them in the future,” said Modak.

Chamblee is very community-centered; the school has many different clubs offered to connect groups of students. The Pickleball Club is no different; it was founded in hopes of creating a strong community through an after school activity.

“We wanted [Pickleball Club] to be a fun opportunity for [members] to hang out, get fresh air, play pickleball, help grow and develop the sport, and connect Chamblee [students] as much as possible,” said Davidson.