Along with its explosive growth and meteoric rise in popularity, there is no denying that pickleball has become an effective catalyst for community building.
First introduced to the Philippines through a clinic in the Queen City of the South way back in 2016, it enjoys a rapid ascent in participation and a steadily expanding grassroots and competitive base.
That is mainly because pickleball, it can be argued, is a sport for all, fostering meaningful connections and expanding reach across age groups and skill levels. Its inclusive nature creates a welcoming environment, enabling everyone to quickly adopt the sport whatever their stature in life is.
‘The community, accessibility across so many different players, income levels, backgrounds. I can play pickleball with anyone from my mother to the archbishop of Cebu (who has been known to play the sport). There are so many people playing whether they’re students, working professionals, seniors and retirees. That’s one of the strengths of pickleball being adaptive by so many people,’ said Jmi Gullas, who recently opened The Courts of Cebu. Located in Barangay Kasambagan, it is shaping up to be one of the most exciting pickleball venues in the city with a purpose to blend community and sport under one roof.
Gullas pointed out that although Cebu still has a lot to catch up when it comes to the pickleball scene compared to other countries like Vietnam and Malaysia, it is quickly gaining ground.
‘We’re starting to see people from different income levels, demographics and backgrounds start to play the sport. I think that’s one of the strengths Cebu has – the community here is very unified, whether it’s the different venue operators or different club owners, everybody is very friendly and very supportive of each other,’ said Gullas. ‘So far, we have not seen too much negativity in the community. And when there’s a new place that pops up, everybody’s excited about it, and beyond that, everybody’s talking to each other regularly. So, we’re sharing insights, best practices between each other. I hope that is what’s going to keep the sport from becoming a trend and sustain it long-term,’ he continued.
Atty. Philip Uy, a partner at Kitchenline Pickleball, which can be credited for bringing the first tournament-grade courts to the city, said the beauty of pickleball is that you do not need an expensive paddle or play in a fancy court in order to enjoy the sport.
‘On the issue of cost, premium facilities had to pour in millions of pesos in order to provide the best possible courts and the best possible player experience for their patrons. Higher capital expenditure and maintenance costs really behooves court operators to charge certain rates in order to recoup their investments but never to take advantage of the players. Rental rates (a key factor in determining rates) are also very high if you want to operate in a prime area in Metro Cebu,’ Uy explained.
‘Is the slightly higher price for premium facilities worth it? Our short answer is yes. Because we have USAPA (USA Pickleball Association) standard courts now, we are able to attract global brands and better talent to play in Cebu and tournaments organized by Cebu facilities.’
For Uy, exclusivity – as perceived by some quarters – is not an issue at all because accessibility and inclusivity are something that those in the pickleball community strive to achieve altogether.
Katrina Cui Go of ThirdShotCrew Cebu Pickleball Club and PQLab co-founder and coach Rnell Arsenal share the same sentiment.
‘The community grows like that, it encourages people to join. It’s infectious man gud, abi nila ug pangdato lang na. It doesn’t have to be expensive, you can even play at home,’ said Go.
Arsenal said he had the privilege of seeing how pickleball started with people using wooden paddles on lined basketball courts and on empty parking lots.
‘For sure, pickleball has grown so much in Cebu. We now have dedicated facilities that are full on a nightly basis,’ said Arsenal. ‘Pickleball has always been at its core an inclusive sport. Thus, making it accessible should not be an issue.’
Looking forward, Gullas firmly believes that its strong sense of community will make pickleball a sustainable sport that will last for many years to come.
‘I think the community is going to keep people coming back here for more. Pickleball at its core is very fun and very addicting in itself. The reason people are gonna stay is because people will find a community, a sense to be here,’ said Gullas.
‘You don’t have to have the most expensive gear, you don’t have to have the nicest court. You can go anywhere, the sport will stay true to its form. And who knows? With all the talent migrating to the sport, maybe we can find the Alex Eala equivalent of pickleball right here in our own backyard,’ Gullas ended.