The rhythmic thonking of a community pickleball court spiraled into cacophony when 20 fourth graders grabbed paddles and filed into skills stations in the Wilson Borough Elementary School gym.
The region’s first blasts of wintry temperatures were no obstacle for the students as they completed their last class in a four-week pickleball unit that is part of the district’s efforts to expand the sport.
A $2,500 Capital Blue Cross grant purchased nets and paddles to make pickleball lessons accessible for Wilson Area School District elementary, middle and high school students.
Interest in pickleball spiked during the pandemic, and it’s now a lifetime fitness activity that feels relevant and current for students to learn, said Nicholas Woodward, health and physical education teacher at Wilson Area intermediate and elementary schools.
The message to students is “essentially the whole country is playing pickleball, and this is something we’ve been talking to you guys about,” Woodward said.
The fourth graders practicing Wednesday had plenty of positive things to say about the sport.
“I like that we can play with our friends and we can also move around, play different games, have fun,” Nicolle Henao Ruiz said.
Ruiz’s playing partner, Zoey Alford, said, “I like that we get to compete against each other.”
At the first station, where students hit serves into a taped square on a wall-mounted whiteboard, Cylis Joseph said pickleball practice is exciting.
“I like it because you can hit it hard,” Cylis said.
In addition to serve practice, students tried to hit underhand dink shots into plastic buckets and counted how many times they could hit back-and-forth with their partner across the portable nets that lined the gym’s center.
“It gets your energy out,” Elizabeth Ferdinand said after completing a full-on mini game with partner Vivien Shade.
Zoey practices pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
D’Arri practices pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Students play pickleball Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickleball program.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
D’Arri practices pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Nicholas Woodward, a physical education teacher, works Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to show fourth grade students at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson how to play pickle ball. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Lucero practices pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Students play pickleball Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickleball program.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Oriya, left, and Lucero, right, practice pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Nicholas Woodward, a physical education teacher, works with student D’Arri Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to show fourth grade students at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson how to play pickle ball. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Nicholas Woodward, a physical education teacher, works with student D’Arri Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to show fourth grade students at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson how to play pickle ball. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
D’Arri practices pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Nicholas Woodward, a physical education teacher, works Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to show fourth grade students at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson how to play pickle ball. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Students play pickleball Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickleball program.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
D’Arri practices pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Nicholas Woodward, a physical education teacher, works Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to show fourth grade students at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson how to play pickle ball. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
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Zoey practices pickle ball skills Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Wilson Borough Elementary School in Wilson. The school district recently received a grant from Capital Blue Cross to expand its pickle ball program. The grant helped pay for nets, paddles, balls and other equipment for the district. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Students pick up the game at different paces, Woodward said, and it took weeks to train students to tackle all the skills stations.
For Matty Austin, the fact that pickleball “can be really challenging once in a while” is precisely what he likes about the sport.
Tennis racquets are too big and heavy for kindergarteners, but pickleball’s low net and short-handled racquets mean even the youngest students can participate.
Woodward started playing pickleball about 15 years ago. Last year he joined the rest of the district’s physical education teachers in receiving lessons at Pickleball Lehigh Valley at St. Luke’s SportsPlex.
Wilson has recently invested in racquet sport facilities, installing two tennis courts and six pickleball courts.
“They’re just absolutely beautiful,” Woodward said, noting that the borough’s courts are within walking distance for many of the district’s students.