Pickleball Takes Flight In Foley
Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop was proud to donate 40 pickleball paddles to Foley students last month. Credit: Foley Public Schools
It’s no secret that pickleball continues to be the fastest growing sport in the U.S. — the game is spreading into every corner of the country. Such is the case in Foley, MN, a small rural community northeast of St. Cloud.
“It’s become so popular and we're a small central Minnesota farming community,” said Jodi Erkens, a Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop customer. “You wouldn't think pickleball would be popular, but they love it.”
Last month, Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop was proud to donate 40 pickleball paddles to Foley High School. This gear is being used by over 150 students, giving more kids access to a sport they can play for a lifetime.
Jennifer Piepgras has taught physical education in Foley for a quarter century. In the last few years, she’s seen more and more interest in pickleball from her students. However, because of budget constraints, students had been using paddles that were outdated and not conducive for newer players.
With brand new paddles in hand, the students at Foley are thriving.
“These kids are loving the game,” she said. “Giving them a chance to actually have equipment that they can use and be able to strategize, be able to put spin on the ball, be able to add speed to the ball, be able to just even make contact with the ball the way it's supposed to be made has really drawn a lot of enthusiasm.”
Community Craze
And it’s not just the students of Foley who are loving pickleball. Both Piepgras and Erkens are regular pickleball players and have seen the sport’s popularity grow throughout the community over the last few years. There’s now more places to play as Foley’s tennis courts were recently updated, with four courts now featuring pickleball lines. Just a short drive away, the city of Gilman now has pickleball courts as well.
Piepgras says that last summer, a drop-in ladies league was created at the Gilman courts, and started with about six to eight women. Now, she says, the email list is up to 30-40 women.
Pickleball’s ability to be played both competitively and recreationally is a main reason why it’s a great sport for kids and teenagers. All of her students — no matter their skill level — can enjoy it. Outside of the classroom, the pickleball paddles are also used in Foley’s unified sports program which pairs students with and without cognitive disabilities to participate in sports together.
Growing the Game
Jodi and Rich Erkens with their sons Jack (12th grade) and Reid (8th grade). Both boys will be heading to the Class A State Tournament in June, with Jack competing in No. 1 doubles.
Jodi and her husband Rich Erkens are parents to four boys who have or are currently attending Foley schools. For them, the pickleball court is a place they can spend time together.
“Our whole family can play pickleball together. It’s obviously way harder to play tennis together, but pickleball we can truly come together as a family,” Erkens said. “Truly the greatest thing about pickleball is that it is so multi-generational.”
Ultimately getting pickleball paddles in the hands of kids is a powerful way to promote lifelong fitness, teamwork, and so much more. And as young people continue to have the opportunity to play, the game will only continue to grow in Foley and beyond.
“So many young people are really stuck to those phones and anytime we can give them a break from that screen time and have them doing something where they're interacting with others and they're being active and they're competing,” Piepgras said. “This is a game and sport that we can do forever and we really promote that here in physical education classes. We're trying to promote lifelong activity.”
Outside of pickleball, Foley students are continuing to thrive on the tennis court as well. For the fourth year in a row, the Foley boy’s tennis team will be competing at the Minnesota Boys’ Tennis State Tournament after defeating Pine City to take the Section 6A championship.
