Starting in early January, the Wadsworth High School Intramural Pickleball club will begin its inaugural season in the Wadsworth YMCA gymnasium. The club will be run by Wadsworth Intermediate School teachers, Chad Wolf and Brian Lenox.

Teachers Wolf and Lenox decided to form the club after realizing the popularity of the sport around town and within the high school community. 

After the recent installation of pickleball courts at Wadsworth’s local parks, such as Memorial and Durling, they have been flooded with community players of all ages. 

“Mr. Lenox and I play pickleball three times a week and love to compete and love the game,” Wolf said. “I live by Durling Park and see high school students there playing pickleball all the time. We thought it would be fun to give the students an organized way to play other high school students.”

By hosting this intramural club, high school students will have the opportunity to practice and play this sport all year long, thanks to the chance to play indoors throughout the early winter season.

“I am joining the pickleball club because it is the best thing ever created and I love pickleball,” said Bailey Blum, junior and avid pickleball player at WHS. “I am so super extremely glad that they made this club.”

Practices and games are currently set to be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. Times may change as the club’s season grows closer, though.

The season will be brief, lasting just over a month. From around Jan. 6 to Feb. 18. 

Teams will consist of two players each, with the club running a two-versus-two format for their games. Wolf stated that they may also run some one-versus-one games.

“I love to compete and have fun,” Wolf said. “Mr. Lenox and I are hoping to set this up like a season with an end-of-the-year tournament and championship. We hope the students enjoy it and we can continue to do this each year.”