The Pickleball Club hosted tryouts for the club’s first competitive team on Feb. 24.
The tryouts were for students interested in playing pickleball as a competitive sport. They were divided into two parts with a skills test in the morning and a competitive play in the afternoon. Students who were eager to show off their talent were required to sign up for a time in the morning to display their credibility as a player. They were then invited back to engage in a match with other students who were also trying out.
The club was originally established five years ago as a fun space for pickleball fans to gather and compete with one another. It has inspired community amongst the student body and brought people from different areas on campus together.
“It’s one of the clubs where a lot of different people join. I think it’s fun and anyone from ACU can join,” said Aspen Malone, the club’s president and senior chemistry and biochemistry major from Amarillo.
More than twenty students appeared at the event. Faculty sponsors Deonna Shake and Robert Green were present for the event to evaluate and interact with student players. Members of the Abilene community were also invited to help run the event. Their assistance included ball management and overseeing the skills set test. Singles and doubles matches were at play throughout the process.
The goal of the Pickleball tryouts aimed for more than the discovery of a good player. Members of the club were looking for students who expressed traits of good sportsmanship. Whether recreational or competitive, being a team player is just as important as having the talent to play.
“Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America right now, and Texas is growing exponentially as well. It’s about time that ACU joins that and establishes a club sport that we can go and travel in tournaments,” said Zeke Whisenhunt, the club’s chaplain and sophomore engineering major from Conway, Arkansas.
Pickleball Club hosts practices every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and invites students to come and play for fun and fellowship. For students interested in club sport, they can contact Aspen Malone for more information regarding official membership.
