Pickleball interest surging in Bonner County

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America. In Bonner County, it is no different; the sport has gone from just one local player to over 500 local players in the past five years.

Jim Hagler, former founder and president of the Panhandle Pickleball Club wanted to bring awareness to the rising sport of pickleball. Hagler has been playing the sport since 2006, long before it was mainstream. He loves the sport so much, he can remember playing outside one winter when it was just four degrees fahrenheit.

“It’s an extremely social sport, but it can also be very competitive as well,” Hagler said. “Whether you’re competitive or just want to play recreationally, it’s a sport that you can play throughout your lifetime.”

In 2015, Hagler moved to Sandpoint from Gig Harbor, Wash., and noticed that handball and racquetball were still dominating the YMCA scene. After some conversing, Hagler was able to get four to five players together regularly who played in Hope until about 2018. His attempts to get the sport a spot to play in the city of Sandpoint were still unsuccessful up until this point, but things would change eventually.

Haglar met some friends in Coeur d’Alene in October 2018 and the Panhandle Pickleball Club was formed. There were about 20 people in the club at this time. In June 2019, members bought nets, were able to secure a court at Lakeview Park, and the club immediately jumped to 64 members. Not long after that, the club doubled again to 120 members and secured three indoor courts in a warehouse to play on during the winter.

Fast forward to July 15, 2022, the Ponder Pickle Pad now exists in Ponderay with two indoor courts specifically designed for pickleball.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Hagler said. “Having the first indoor program here is significant. We have some really competitive players here at the Pickle Pad.” Players come from Sagle, Bonners Ferry, Blanchard, Priest River, Clark Fork, and Hope to play in the greater Sandpoint area.

Hagler said people start playing pickleball for a variety of reasons. Pickleball is social, helps prevent osteoporosis, and even can serve as an outlet for happiness. One member of the Ponder Pickle Pad found happiness in the sport after being heartbroken when her son moved away for college. It was the first sport she had ever participated in.

“A lot of people here did not know each other a year ago, but pickleball has brought us together,” Haglar said. “Now most of us go out for dinner together, go to barbecues together – all that fun stuff.”

Jim is a certified pickleball instructor and teaches lessons for the city of Sandpoint through the parks and recreation department. Hagler teaches new and intermediate players about every other Saturday. For the first time ever, through the parks and recreation department, there will be a pickleball youth camp for athletes aged 13-17. The camp will be held July 10-13 at the Lakeview Park pickleball courts from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

“When I first started playing, the average age of a pickleball player was 66 years old. Now, the national average age of a player is about 47 years old,” Haglar said. This is due to the fact that many colleges now have established teams. Haglar said he would love to help introduce it on the high school level as well.

In terms of competition, some players from Sandpoint will join tournaments in the Pacific Northwest throughout the year. Haglar himself competed in a tournament in Big Fork, Mont., in years past. He said some players from Sandpoint will potentially be competing in a tournament in Libby, Mont., on Saturday, July 8.

The Ponder Pickle Pad has 106 official members. The Panhandle Pickleball Club also has a large number of players, but they are not as active. Both organizations are private clubs; the Panhandle Pickleball Club is considered to be a non-profit organization.

Local pickleball players use “Playtime Scheduler” for meet and greets with other players in Sandpoint. It has been used by about 500 different players over the last couple of years. Haglar said the most interest seems to be coming from families and retired couples.

With the new construction at Travers Park occurring in the spring 2024, up to 16 new pickleball courts could be established. Haglar said this addition is sure to drive even more interest to the pickleball community.

For more information on local pickleball, visit Sandpoint Public Pickleball on Facebook.