There are an estimated 36.5 million players in the U.S., and experts believe that requires more than 25,000 courts just to meet demand.
At 60 years old, Jim Faruki never imagined he'd be taking up a new sport, but this part-time tax specialist spends most of his lunch breaks on the pickleball courts outside Walter Reed Community Center in Arlington, Virginia. And Faruki always finds someone new to play with.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. But with the sport's popularity, there's been a shortage of courts to play on.According to Pickleheads.com, there are an estimated 36.5 million players across the U.S. Experts believe that the country needs more than 25,000 courts just to meet demand.
"It's crazy how much [the sport] exploded and it hasn't stopped," said Matthew Magner, owner of World Class Courts.Magner said he and his team have built hundreds of pickleball courts in the last eight years. But recently, they've been building more and more private courts for homeowners in their backyards.