MINNEAPOLIS — With the sport of pickleball growing in popularity by 21% in the last year, Life Time is becoming the largest community for the sport and will soon expand its number of pickleball courts in the Twin Cities.
During KARE11 Saturday, James Janssen, the pickleball coordinator at Life Time Eden Prairie, explained the benefits of the growing sport, how it's played and how Life Time is becoming the top indoor provider of pickleball.
Janssen said the game is very social between players, with more younger players joining, and takes place on a badminton-sized court that is 20 feet by 44 feet. The game begins with the ball served diagonally, starting off with the right-hand service square, and only the serving side can score points. Players then must let the ball bounce once before they are allowed to volley back.
On the court, there is a seven-foot no-volley zone, known as the kitchen, on each side of the net, to prevent the ball from being spiked, Janssen explained. Players continue to serve while alternating service courts until they fault.
To win, one side has to score 11 points and lead by at least two points.
According to Life Time, pickleball has boomed in popularity in the last five years but it really picked up during the pandemic. While it may be thought of as a game for older people, Life Time says the average player has dropped to 43.5 years old.
Life Time has built permanent pickleball courts to its locations across the Twin Cities metro, including Eden Prairie, Lakeville, White Bear Lake and St. Louis Park.
Across its more than 105 locations, Life Time will soon have more than 400 pickleball courts available. At its Bloomington North location, Life Time will have its first pickleball-focused location by 2023 with five courts.
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