Brandeis University freshmen launch popular pickleball club
WALTHAM — Brandeis University is now part of the pickleball craze thanks to two freshmen who charted a pickleball club at the university, making them the first Boston-based collegiate pickleball team.
Parker Press and Jack Granahan are avid picklers and came up with the idea to create a pickleball club over winter break, wanting to bring the sport they love to their school.
Now, the latest sports craze is taking the university by storm.
"Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, but most people associate it with middle school gym classes or retirement communities, so you don't see a lot of college students super excited to play pickleball, but that's what we got," Granahan said.
What began with just the two of them is now a club with 50 members.
"We've seen so much growth in our own community and I am so proud of everyone on the school and team to really be involved," Press said.
On Sunday, the club hosted their very first pickleball tournament against Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
"Our friends started the club so we were interested in learning the rules and knowing how to play and so we joined," said Rebecca Dranikona.
Other schools are following Press and Granahan's lead, launching their own pickleball clubs and using social media to set up matches.
For Press and Granahan, the initial support for their club pleasantly surprised them and now they are excited to see how far this could go.
"We are hoping to grow with more matches and one day compete at the national level," Parker said.
