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Davis Journal

Pickleball growing in popularity in Kaysville

Jul 08, 2021 03:03PM ● By Mark Jones

Ray Morgan (yellow hat), Marc Lee (red shirt), Derek Wursten (yellow shirt), and Nate Wursten (white shirt) enjoy pickleball in Kaysville. Photo courtesy of Kaysville Parks and Recreation

KAYSVILLE—As the summer months wear on, one of the more popular recreational activities is a sport called pickleball. To some, the question may be “What is pickleball?”


Pickleball is a paddle ball sport that mixes the elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. It is a sport that can be played by either two or four players. The sport is played by five simple rules: the ball must stay inbounds, there should be one bounce on each side, serving must be done at the baseline, the serve can not land in the no-volley area, and games end at either 11, 15 or 21.

The Kaysville Parks and Recreation Department has seen the sport grow by leaps and bounds since it started the program for adults in 2017. Adult leagues take place in June, July, August and October. 

“It’s very easy to pick up the game,” said Tracy Murray, pickleball program director for the city. “It’s very social.”

But Murray says just because it provides a social aspect, that doesn’t make it any less competitive than any of the other sports.

“It can be very competitive,” she said. “You can show up on your own and work into a rotation with three others.”

The city is also in its first year of holding pickleball leagues for youth. Currently, Kaysville has 150 youth signed up for a variety of leagues that began June 9 and will be played every Wednesday through Aug. 25. Murray said the leagues range from introductory to pickleball academy. 

“The interest has exceeded what we thought it might be,” Murray said. 

She said the sport is open to all interested players, ranging from a 2.5 rating, which is considered to be at the beginner stage, to an expert player with a rating of 4.5. In addition, the city hosts two pickleball tournaments each year. The Spring Fling tournament was held April 29 – May 1, which brought in 300 adults, including many from out of state because their own states were still dealing with COVID-19 restrictions. The city will also host the Paddle Battle tournament Sept. 23-25, which will be held at Barnes Park Courts in Kaysville. Registration for the tournament is now being accepted. 

There are a couple of items interested teams may need to keep in mind for the September tournament. Teams are asked to arrive 30 minutes in advance to check in, and if a team is not present at game time or discontinues play during the tournament it will forfeit all matches. Games will also be played to either 11 or 15 depending on the bracket level and size. 

For more information, visit the Kaysville Parks and Recreation website or call 801-544-1788.