Why I Joined a Pickleball League and Why You Should, Too

Joining a pickleball league has been one of the most fulfilling and beneficial experiences thus far in my pickleball career. I’ve met so many amazing friends and have really been able to elevate my game with consistent high-level play.

A few weeks ago, I was able to secure a gold medal in what is known as the ‘Tucker Advanced Pickleball League’. The video below contains all the highlights from that final’s series.

Here are 4 reasons why I joined a pickleball league and why you should, too.

1: Consistent ‘Your’ Level of Pickleball Play

Pickleball leagues are the best option for consistently playing games against similarly skilled competition. Every league that I have participated in had weekly matches and a minimum skill requirement. This most recent league had a beginner grouping, two intermediate groupings, and an advanced group. This format is great because it guarantees you weekly matches against players that are at least at a comparable skill level to yourself.

Furthermore, league games are much more competitive than open play days as there is something to play for. People tend to play at a higher level when there is something on the line. Since league winners will typically receive a medal or other prizes, the level of play is typically a bit higher.

 2: Build Chemistry With Your Pickleball Partner

Pickleball leagues allow you to get a large amount of points in with the same partner against increasingly stronger competition. It’s extremely difficult to show up to an open play day with your partner and not get split up. Everyone wants to ‘mix-in’ or ‘mix it up’ especially when you and your partner keep winning. Leagues are a great way to guarantee a large amount of time with your partner against other players who are also getting comfortable and better with their respective partners.

3: Cost Effective

A league format offers the best bang for your buck while still maintaining quality high level play. As demand for pickleball increases so does the price to play. In my experience you can expect to pay the following:

-        Open play days are $7.50 for ~2 hours ($3.75/hr)

-        Organized play for one day is $15 for ~3 hours ($5.00/hr)

-        Tournaments are $50 for ~4 hours ($12.50/hr)

-        Leagues are around $50 per season. Each season is ~8 weeks, each week is ~2 hours.  ($3.13/hr)

Although the calculations are rough estimates, it’s evident that leagues and open play are among the cheaper options for playing pickleball. When you factor in that the play is also more competitive than other formats, I think league play really make a lot of sense.

 4: It’s All About Who You Know

Leagues offer the opportunity to see the same people weekly and get to know them more than you would in passing. Participating in leagues has introduced me to so many new friends that have opened doors for me completely unrelated to pickleball. This past week I had the opportunity to go fly a plane with a friend who I met through a league. A few weeks before that I went to a friend’s house to play the popular board game ‘Settlers of Catan’ with another friend who I met through league play. Pickleball itself is a very inclusive sport and league play is a great way to capitalize on that inclusiveness.