New Pickleball Club Makes a Smash at Niles West

Niles West’s Pickleball Club, founded by science teacher Chris Barnett, has been connecting experienced pickleball players and those seeking to learn to play. Upon learning that Barnett was a pickleball player, his AP Environmental Science students approached him with their idea to start a club, and he willingly took on the role of sponsoring it. The club has begun meeting in the fieldhouse every Monday on April 10.

Despite being in its trial phase, the club is already setting its sights on various aspirations for the future. Next year, Barnett plans to further develop the club, making it more competitive by organizing a student versus staff tournament.  He also plans to collaborate with pickleball coaches from other schools and envisions creating a team that could play matches against schools in the area.

Barnett invites everyone to join, emphasizing that no prior experience is required.

“It’s open to people who want to learn, we’ll take anyone, new or experienced,” Barnett said. 

Barnett is thrilled by the level of interest and the impressive turnout of 25-30 people at the kickoff event. He hopes the club continues to grow as he saw a lot of interest during the first meeting.

“I liked that it was pretty informal so I could play with my friends and we could learn the rules as we went. In terms of what I hoped to gain, I would like to learn how to actually play a game so maybe I can do it with my friends or at school next year. It was a lot of fun,” senior Emily Greiner said.

Many different students are drawn to the club and have enjoyed coming so far.

“I joined the Pickleball Club because I had friends who invited me and I had played it once or twice in the past. My favorite part of the club is getting to spend time with friends I don’t see very often due to my schedule,” senior Matthew Phillip said.

Another reason for interest from students is that other racquet-based sports can enjoy the club.

“I wanted to join the Pickleball Club because I had played a lot over the summer and I missed the game. It is very fun! My favorite part so far has been playing with other people who also love the game, especially those on the tennis team,” junior Max Spector said.

If you would like to join the pickleball club or learn more about the club, you can contact the sponsor, Mr. Barnett, at [email protected]. You can also access the sign-up form through this link.