Making Pickleball Accessible: How Female Players Are Creating Inclusive Communities

Making Pickleball Accessible: How Female Players Are Creating Inclusive Communities

Regardless of your age, abilities, or gender identity - if you have a competitive spirit and want to get involved in a sport, pickleball is the activity for you! Pickleball is becoming a sport revolving around creating inclusive communities, making it enjoyable for all to play. Let's dive into the reasoning behind pickleball being able to cater to everyone and highlighting female individuals who make this sport easily accessible for their communities.


Is Pickleball Beginner Friendly?


Typically, sports involve knowing and practicing a specific skill to play the game properly. Trust us when we say - you don't need any experience to play pickleball; pick up a paddle,  a pickleball, gather a small group, and start!


The Ball

A pickleball is very similar to a wiffle ball. The ball is made of lightweight plastic, and holes around the entire surface allow the ball to have a slower bounce than a tennis ball. The structure of the ball also limits the speed to create a slower-paced game if needed. 


The Paddle 

The structure of the pickleball paddle allows the player, whether you are a first-time player or experienced, to feel comfortable in one's hand. The paddle is lighter than a tennis racket and has a shorter handle to be able to be accessible for the youth or one with a light grip. 


Limited Movement Involved 

Pickleball can be a slow-paced game if needed; this is possible due to how the court is set up and the structure of the ball, as we mentioned above. Six sections comprise the court, which confines you to one little square-shaped area (if you have a partner). This is a huge sigh of relief to individuals with a limitation that keeps them primarily immobile, meaning they are competent to be involved in the sport!


Female Players Making An Impact 


Pickleball is becoming so popular for the reason of being able to be labeled as an adaptive sport. An adaptive sport allows those with mental or physical disabilities to participate in the activity. Below we wanted to highlight some incredible female players that expressed their and shared their love for the sport. 


Twila Adams 

Twila Adams was highlighted as a "player of the month" by Inpickleball. In the article, she shared that she suffered a spinal cord injury later in life, which created her disability. Her disability didn't stop her from becoming a remarkable athlete. Not only is she inspiring to readers, but she is inspiring her community to get involved. Organizing a pickleball clinic for disabled vets, Twila shares her love for the sport with her community and is a motivational speaker to all about the power of adaptable sports. 


Sandy Halkett

Sandy Halkett started the organization Adaptable Pickleball, where she teaches mentally or physically disabled individuals how to play pickleball. By providing her community with space, lessons, and a wonderful group to guide and play against, she has played an enormous role in the growth of pickleball. 


Final Thoughts


Still, is pickleball the right fit for you? We might be biased, but we are sure you will love it! Pickleball isn't only a sport; it is a community builder and confidence booster. Need more motivation to start? Visit our website, singledouble.net, to grab gear and keep up with all the pickleball fun on our Instagram and our Tiktok

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