Pickleball in High Schools: Why This Sport Is About to Change Everything for Student Athletes

By AIKAI Pickleball | Family-built in Irvine, CA

In 2022, I sat down with my two kids, Kai, who was 12, and Ai, who was 15, and discussed starting a pickleball company together.

They thought I was joking.

Three years later, AIKAI Pickleball is in active conversations with nine Orange County high schools, and the sport we built our family business around is on the verge of becoming a CIF-sanctioned varsity sport in California. I wasn't joking. And neither is pickleball.

If you're a student, a parent, an Athletic Director, or a coach reading this, here's what you need to know about what's coming.

The Sport Is Growing Faster Than Any School Program Can Keep Up With

Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in America for four consecutive years. There are now over 36 million players in the United States, a number that's grown by more than 220% since 2020. Youth participation is the fastest-growing demographic within that already-explosive growth.

According to a 2023 survey by the Association of Pickleball Players, at least 36.5 million US adults have played pickleball in the past year. The high school numbers are accelerating even faster.

Students are already playing, at local courts, in PE classes, in informal clubs. The infrastructure just hasn't caught up yet.

Two States Have Already Made It Varsity. California Is Next.

Arizona and Maryland didn't wait for the sport to come to them. They built the programs, organized the clubs, and petitioned their state athletic associations. Both states now have officially sanctioned high school pickleball programs where students earn varsity letters, compete in state championships, and build athletic resumes for college.

California, the state with the most high school students in the country, and arguably the most pickleball courts per capita, is still catching up.

The California High School Pickleball Board (CAHSPB) is filing its CIF petition in 2026. Varsity recognition is projected for 2027. The schools that have active, organized programs when that petition lands will be the founding varsity programs. The ones that wait will be starting from scratch while others are already competing.

This is the window. It's open right now.

Why Pickleball Works for High School Programs

Every Athletic Director and PE teacher we've spoken to asks some version of the same question: why pickleball specifically?

Here's our honest answer.

It's inclusive by design. Pickleball is one of the only sports where students of dramatically different sizes, athleticism, and physical backgrounds can compete on relatively equal footing. A smaller, quicker player can absolutely beat a bigger, stronger one. Strategy matters as much as athleticism. That opens the sport to students who might feel shut out of traditional team sports.

The facilities barrier is low. A pickleball court fits in a basketball court. Most high schools already have the outdoor space. The startup cost is equipment, paddles, balls, a net, not a new gymnasium.

It's genuinely fun. We know that sounds obvious, but it matters. Students who enjoy practice show up. Students who show up build programs. Programs that fill up get funding, recognition, and eventually varsity status.

It's a lifetime sport. Unlike football or wrestling, pickleball is something a student can play competitively at 16 and recreationally at 76. Schools that introduce it now are giving students something they'll use forever.

The Scholarship Pathway Is Real and Getting More Real

This is the part that changes the conversation for families.

As pickleball moves toward NCAA emerging sport status, projected for 2028–2029, college programs will begin forming rosters. Those rosters will need players who have competitive experience at the high school level. Scholarships will follow.

The student athletes who are competing in CIF-sanctioned high school pickleball in 2027 and 2028 will be among the first wave of players colleges recruit. The ones who started in a club in 2025 or 2026 will have a two-year head start on everyone who waited.

We're building this pathway in Orange County, from club to varsity to NCAA, because our kids are part of this generation. This isn't abstract strategy for us. This is personal.

What AIKAI Is Doing About It Right Now

We're a small family company. We don't have a massive marketing budget or a celebrity endorser. What we have is a real program, real school relationships, and a model that makes starting a pickleball program genuinely simple for schools.

Here's how it works: a local business sponsors the equipment, 100 co-branded paddles, paddle covers, balls, court barriers, at zero cost to the school. AIKAI organizes the school's first fundraiser tournament. The club runs the event and keeps 100% of the entry fees. The program funds itself from day one.

We've done this. It works. And we're bringing it to as many OC schools as will have us before the CIF window closes.

What Students and Parents Can Do Right Now

You don't have to wait for your school to come to you.

If you're a student: find out if your school has a pickleball club. If it doesn't, talk to your ASB Director or Activities Director about starting one. The process is simpler than you think, and we can help.

If you're a parent: ask your school's Athletic Director about pickleball. Ask about CAHSPB. Ask about the 2027 CIF timeline. The question itself moves things forward.

If you're a coach or PE teacher: reach out to us at jay@aikai.co. We'll bring sample paddles, walk you through the program, and make starting as easy as possible.

The sport is ready. The pathway is being built. The only question is which schools and which students will be on it first.

AIKAI Pickleball is a family-owned brand based in Irvine, CA, working to grow pickleball into Orange County high schools and beyond. Ai means Love. Ka'i means Lead. Love to Lead