To the Editor:

Pickleball is a sport with similarities to badminton, tennis and ping-pong. You use a paddle, hit a wiffle ball across a smaller net than a tennis net.

Pickleball is fun — it started only in 1964 and is the fastest growing sport in the world. Pickleball is here to stay and growing exponentially.

Jan and I are ambassadors and level 1 instructors with the USAPA organization. Many Newtown residents we teach go to surrounding towns because the Town of Newtown is not meeting the demand and needs of pickleball players.

Some quick statistics and facts:

Pickleball is relatively easy to learn.

Over the past three years, pickleball participation increased at 158 percent.

Over the past five years, pickleball participation increased at 467 percent.

At first, pickleball was played by more seniors, where today, all ages are playing.

Pickleball is in many schools and even universities.

Pickleball is becoming an Olympic sport.

There are over 36 million people playing pickleball.

Jan and I went to Huntsman Senior Games in St George, Utah, a few months ago. There were 37 courts and 1,133 players. As soon as registration opens in 2024, it will fill up within minutes!

I was recently surprised that some people were not aware of pickleball — hence this letter. You will be hearing and seeing much more of this existing pickleball revolution. It is now in mainstream advertising, billboards, TV commercials and fliers.

Jan says you can’t stop a herd of buffalos. I say you owe it to yourself to try the pickleball experience. You have everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

In addition, pickleball is a very social venue which appeals to the masses. Some people explain they lived in Newtown 25 years and since their introduction to pickleball, their social life increased ten-fold.

Join the pickleball explosion and call Jan at 203-722-2383 or myself at 203-482-2529.

Bruce Goulart

Newtown