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INDIANAPOLIS — The secret is out on pickleball, a sport that has continued to gain popularity every year for the past decade.

“It's been the number one sport for growth in America for the last five years," said Rick Witsken, professional pickleball player and coach. "That's quite impressive.” 

It’s played with a wooden paddle and a plastic ball. The game is a cross between ping-pong and tennis.

“If you haven't started playing pickleball, you haven't heard of it, you haven't tried it, you're definitely behind the eight ball, because everybody I know is playing it and I don't see this being a fad," said Witsken.

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He's currently the No. 1 ranked senior pickleball player in the United States. Witsken was also a professional tennis player who got in on the ground floor with the sport.

“We kind of are the pioneers of pickleball here in Indianapolis," he said. "I look back on some of the resistance that I was getting from some tennis-only players and I think they probably look back thinking what a mistake that was to look down on this sport, because the sport is ridiculously legitimate. It's here to stay.” 

Within the past year, Witsken started boys' and girls' pickleball teams at Zionsville Middle School. They are building four dedicated pickleball courts outside the school.

He thinks the sky is the limit for the sport.

“I believe we're the first middle school in America that has a scholastic middle school team. That being said, it’s so easy for other schools to jump on board that. I think it's going to explode," said Witsken. “I think it'll be an Olympic sport before we know it.” 

Witsken runs pickleball camps for kids and lessons. 

Click here for more information about those camps and programs. 

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