Pickleball has been exploding in the United States. While pickleball’s unprecedented growth continues in the U.S., on an island on the other side of the world it is gaining a foothold.
Most Americans know Taiwan from the news. Almost every day Western media outlets run stories on Taiwan’s impending doom in the face of a Chinese threat. With the constant doomsday rhetoric, it's not unreasonable for a lot of Americans to view the island nation as a land of peril. However, taking a detour from the alarming airwaves, I found a different story on the ground.
It’s 6 p.m. on a warm, humid Tuesday night. As the bustle of the after-work migration begins to die down, a group of pickleball players set up a net at a quiet park in Zhishan. Their ages vary greatly. Some are just arriving at the park after a day of high school classes while others are attending as part of their daily retirement activities.
After my Mandarin language class ends, I hop on the MRT (Taipei’s metro) for a short ride to Zhishan Station. I stroll by some restaurants and other parks and join the group and take my paddle out of my backpack. The pickleball players are converting badminton courts to pickleball play. Pickleball and badminton courts are nearly identical, so Taiwan’s love for the latter sport benefits pickleball players greatly.
There are more than eight players (four per court) so everyone in the group takes turns playing. On the sidelines, people chat and laugh while watching the ongoing games. There are both foreigners and locals taking part. Some speak both Mandarin and English, and some only speak one, but here it is evident that having a good time transcends any language barriers.
As the sun finally retreats behind the lush green mountains surrounding Taipei, the court lights come on. It is easier to see the neon green ball now as it flies back and forth between duos in fierce competition.
It was this night that I truly understood why pickleball became what it is today in the United States.
Back home I had joined the sport too late to witness much of the extraordinary growth that propelled it to so many national news headlines. The gold rush stateside was already in full effect but here in Taiwan, it's just getting started, though that is not to say there are not any tournaments in Taiwan. For those who seek competitive play, there are plenty of opportunities on the island.
The wonderful thing about pickleball too is there is no “American pickleball,” “European pickleball,” etc. No need to argue over whether the correct name for a sport is American football, football, fútbol or soccer — it's just pickleball. Oh, and good luck finding another sport that is so accessible that a player can fly across the world and drop in with locals. In an age where technology pushes us simultaneously closer together and farther apart every day, pickleball is a purely human bridge between worlds.
What am I doing in Taiwan?
I am currently a student at National Taiwan Normal University’s Mandarin Training Center. Every day I attend an intensive Chinese language class for three hours. In my free time, I work on The Digital Patriot (www.thedigitalpatriot.com) which is a weekly conservative political newsletter, and Pickle Madness (www.picklemadness.com), a blog covering all things pickleball. When I am not working I enjoy exploring the streets of Taipei and learning about Taiwan’s unique history.
