The sweet-sounding pops of plastic meeting graphite permeated the spring air at Cal State LA, which could only mean one thing: Pickleball has finally come to the campus.

Cal State LA held the grand opening of its highly anticipated pickleball facility on Wednesday, April 16, and students, staff, faculty, and community members broke in the eight new state-of-the-art courts at Greenlee Plaza adjacent to the Student Services Building.

“This is just the beginning of our commitment to community and entrepreneurship at Cal State LA,” President Berenecea Johnson Eanes said during her welcoming remarks. “Our commitment to the community is deep and it will be intentional, authentic, directional, and quantifiable.”

Pickleball is often described as the “fastest-growing sport in America.” As of 2022, more than 4.8 million people nationwide had taken up the sport, and the growth rate is about 10 percent per year, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.

To the uninitiated, pickleball is a little bit like tennis, but played on a more compact court with polymer plastic balls that resemble whiffle balls and graphite paddles whose size falls somewhere between tennis racquets and ping pong paddles.

Cal State LA alumni George Lopez and Larry Corona were among the first players to step onto the courts during the grand opening’s free-play period.

“I’m glad it’s catching on,” said Lopez, who says he’s become obsessed with the sport since taking it up a year ago. “I was excited for the campus to add an additional resource for the student. That’s why we’re here. We wanted to see the layout. It will be a great stress-reliever for students to come and get a little exercise in between classes.”

The pair of friends usually play in Montebello, where they have been able to learn the game from helpful mentors.

“We have a great pickleball community in Montebello,” Corona said. “We have all levels; we have people from 14 to 82 years old playing in our community. It could be competitive, or it could be just for fun, depending on what you make of it. It’s challenging.”

Cal State LA is hoping to build a similar sense of camaraderie through the new courts, which have been in the planning stages since November.

“It’s something quick and easy for the students to get involved in,” said Eugene Hutchinson, director of business services. “If you’re a beginner, it doesn’t take much for you to go onto the courts, pick up a paddle and get involved. That’s what we wanted—get the students back on campus, stay engaged, and fall in love with the sport.”

The pickleball courts are available free of charge to students, faculty, and staff. For community members, rental fees are $10 per person, and the full facility is available for $480 per hour. Paddles and balls are also available to rent.

The pickleball courts were built on the existing futsal court. The two activities will share the now-multi-use space.

Second-year nursing students Harley Reyes, 24, and Mat Han, 28, have been anxiously awaiting the grand opening since campuswide emails were sent touting the new courts.

“We were hyped,” Reyes said. “We texted each other about the email, and we would walk past (the court) every time we went to class and thought it was amazing. We’ve been waiting for the opening.”

The two have invited the group of friends with whom they compete to visit the campus and check out the courts. They are looking forward to scheduling their first match.

“It would definitely be easier to play here,” Reyes said. “I’m an hour’s drive away in the Valley, in Granada Hills. It would be more convenient to set up games here.”

Said Han, “We try to get our classmates to play all the time. It’s great that they made a pickleball court on campus.”

For more information, visit the Pickleball Courts page.

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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.