Mylyn Vedel, a taekwondo instructor from Naples, shares how she got her start to playing pickleball on a weekly basis and found her group of people to play with. From starting out just practicing with her husband to gaining quick reflexes against tough opponents, the growing pickleball community has taught her so much and allows her to stay active.
Vedel started playing pickleball a few years ago and has been hooked ever since. She also got her husband, Peter Vedel, involved as well. When they were first starting out they played almost everyday just the two of them, to improve their skills.
After about 6 months of playing, the Vedel’s joined a local pickleball league where they would participate in games with tough competitors. Mylyn vividly remembers a specific game where her and her husband came close to losing, but “because of our Taekwondo experience and our endurance we actually beat our opponents,” said Vedel.
The Vedel’s love for pickleball stems from what a great workout it is and the ability to build such a strong community. Mylyn mentioned her favorite things about the sport being that it “works with your coordination and you get to socialize with other people,” said Vedel.
Pickleball in Tampa Bay and beyond is fastest-growing sport
The pickleball community is not only growing in Naples but it is growing all over the world. Just in the United States, pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport with about 19.8 million players in 2024 according to Pickleball Athletic Club. There are 68,000 courts nationwide and on average 130 new locations are added monthly.
Tampa is home to 64 of those courts across the country and has more on the way to accommodate the explosively popular sport according to Tampa.Gov. “Tampa’s Parks and Recreation Department estimates that 750 to 1,000 pickleball players use city courts every day, with the courts at Julian B Lane Riverfront Park and Macfarlane Park being the most popular,” as stated in the article.
There are lots of ways to get involved in the sport being in the Tampa Bay. For example, the University of South Florida has their own pickleball club for students to join and maintain an active lifestyle while being on campus and make new friends with a similar interest.
According to BullsConnect the USF pickleball club, founded by Diane Fakhre, has over 1,000 members and has hosted almost 200 events. They meet every Tuesday and Thursday at the Tennis courts located next to C.W. Bill Young Hall. Although there are no actual pickleball courts on the USF Tampa campus, the group still enjoys their time playing and interacting with one another.
There is lots of reasons why it is the fastest growing sport in America and hundreds of people are being hooked onto the game by the day. It is accessible to people of any fitness level, requires few pieces of equipment, a family-friendly activity and is perfect for social interaction.
Whether you are a working adult in your fifties or a young college student, pickleball is an easy and fun way to stay active and get to know other people in your community.
“Try it for yourself and see how much fun you will have at the court,” said Vedel.