What's on Your Pickleball Bucket List?

Sep 2, 2016

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Bucket List

Bucket lists are all the rage these days, from the general “100 things to do before I die” to the highly specific “501 books to read before I’m 50,” it seems like there’s a list for everything. So why not one for pickleball?

As a wise person once said, “A goal not written down is only a wish.” There is power in writing down your goals. Bucket lists help provide direction, focus and purpose - and with so many things competing for your time, writing down what is truly important to you and what you want to accomplish and experience can help you block out the noise and keep your eye on the prize. And what’s the prize? More pickleball experiences, of course!

As pickleball explodes in popularity, the number of ways to enjoy pickleball explodes as well. There are pro-run clinics to attend, a ton of tournaments to test your skill at, pickleball tours to take part in - you name it! So why not make a list and start checking off the awesome?! Here, to help you get started, is our pickleball bucket list.

Pickleball Bucket List

1. Ref a tournament - It’s a snap to learn, you get a front row seat to tons of matches and you give back to the sport you love while helping improve your own game.

2. Play in a tournament in all categories - Singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Get out of your comfort zone and diversify your playing style!

3. Perfect the dink, behind the back and around the post shots.

4. Attend as a spectator or play at the US Open Pickleball Championships.

5. Participate in a pickleball tournament that benefits a charity.

6. Go on a pickleball tour (U.S.) – With places to play in every state, you can start in Alaska and end in Florida and never run out of fun

7. Go on a pickleball tour (world) - We’ve seen pickleball tours offered in Spain, Japan, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, and we’re sure more will pop up as the sport continues to grow. If you don’t want to hire a tour director, hit up Facebook or Google to find clubs across the globe and make your own tour.

8. Get a pickleball pen pal from another country or age group. Pickleball is played on 6 of the 7 continents (come on, Antarctica!), so reach out to a pickleball club through Facebook and see who answers. You never know what you’ll learn about how the rest of the world experiences pickleball!

9. Get a one-on-one lesson from a pro. Treat yourself and invest in your game by enlisting someone at the top of the sport to really dial into what you’re doing well and what you could work on.

10. Get an autographed paddle and get all the top players you meet to sign it. Keep it where you can see it and it can serve as inspiration for how good you want your own game to be.

You can start your signature collection with a U.S. Open Bantam EX-L Signature Edition You can start your signature collection with a U.S. Open Bantam EX-L Signature Edition

 11. Introduce the sport to one person from each age category. Part of the magic of pickleball is that it crosses generations. Remind yourself of the game’s unifying power by spreading the sport to people you don’t consider peers.

12. Make a paddle from scratch - It’s easier than you think.

13. Medal in a tournament. (Dream big!)

14. Attend a pickleball-themed wedding. This one might take a little more luck than the rest, but if you can swing it, hats off to you! There’s no way a pickleball-themed wedding won’t be fun.

15. Build a court in your own backyard. How great to be able to play whenever you want.

Catron Pickleball Complex Knoxville Tennessee Catron Pickleball Complex Knoxville Tennessee

16. Compete against a player from each rating level. Test yourself against higher-rated players and help a lower-rated player improve their skills.

17. Help someone go up a rating.

20. Attend a match at the Olympics when pickleball becomes an Olympic sport! :)

So there’s our list. How many of these have you already checked off, and what would you add?