A Pickleball Gospel

Book excerpt: Dink, speed up, smash! Such has been the rise in popularity of pickleball in recent years, from niche backyard games to ubiquitous national obsession and professional sport, with many left wondering what the fuss is all about. A Pickleball Gospel packages the essence of America’s vibrant pickleball culture with the thoughts and experiences of an aspiring anthropologist and elite pickleball player. From the practice courts of public parks, churches, gymnasiums, and private clubs to the center court of a professional tour event, readers are taken on a pickleball journey complete with charming playfulness, intense action, and colorful characters. Additionally, woven within the text is a new perspective on sport that highlights not just competition but cooperation as well, which are proposed to co-exist in an ever-present tension otherwise known as coopetition. Among other things, “coopetition” ensures that both sides of a competition gain or benefit in sport, regardless of who wins and loses. In this anthropological retelling of the author’s experience, readers can expect to find the following: Responses and commentary from a select group of pickleball enthusiasts Touches of personal memoir Scientific inquiry into “coopetition” in sport Readers can choose to engage with A Pickleball Gospel as a scientific, anthropological inquiry or simply as a popular tale about a new and exciting sporting phenomenon.