An incoming club to have on the radar is Pepp Pickle, a group dedicated to fostering community through pickleball.
Located on the Lower Alumni Courts, Pepp Pickle holds open play sessions multiple days a week from 2 p.m., to sunset, according to Pepp Pickle’s Instagram. The club encourages people to bring their own paddles but provides them as well.
With juniors Katelyn Hsu and Lucas Lorimer as members of the leadership team, Pepp Pickle is in the process of becoming an official club on campus. However, it has been active since fall 2023.
Hsu, the president of Pepp Pickle, said she and her friends found they enjoyed playing pickleball and wanted to invite others to play together. Now, their official GroupMe is 292 members strong.
“We started realizing ‘OK, there’s actually a lot of people interested in pickleball,’” Hsu said. “It’s been so cool to have this little Pepperdine pickleball community.”
As of now, Pepp Pickle’s schedule is subject to change because the leadership team is constantly opening up new times, Hsu said. With Daylight Saving Time approaching soon, times will also have to adjust.
Lorimer, Pepp Pickle’s vice president of Internal Affairs, said Pepp Pickle has different events planned — including regular open play sessions throughout the week and intro sessions for people new to the sport.
“We also have some tournaments that we’re planning on going to,” Lorimer said. “Tournaments within the club and also tournaments with other schools.”
Hsu said they are currently fleshing out details for “Praise and Pickle” — weekly Sunday sessions that incorporate faith. They may hold worship or listen to messages on Sundays.
“With a community so big, we really wanted to include the opportunity for people to grow in their faith,” Hsu said. “We definitely wanted to add a spiritual side to it.”
Pepp Pickle looks forward to partnering with other organizations — such as Campus Recreation and UNICEF — to help plan events and fundraisers with fraternities and sororities, Hsu said.
Pepp Pickle’s mission is to bring a sense of community to Pepperdine while keeping students healthy and active, Lorimer said. Pickleball is a great space to meet new people.
“In pickleball, you’re constantly talking and switching around with people, so it fosters a great sense of friendship between a lot of different people,” Lorimer said.
The executive board of Pepp Pickle emphasizes the community aspect of pickleball, Hsu said. Pickleball is accessible for all ages and can be picked up easily, making it a good opportunity for people to mix and mingle while having fun.
“We really care about inviting people,” Hsu said. “When we see new people on the court that we haven’t seen before, we definitely take that proactive effort to make them feel like they have a place on the court and make them feel like they’re welcome.”
As a competitive player, Lorimer said he wants Pepp Pickle to help people understand that pickleball can be taken seriously as well as recreationally. Because pickleball’s popularity emerged recently between 2019 and 2021, a lot of people do not view it as a serious sport, according to The New York Times.
Established pickleball clubs at nearby schools, including Loyola Marymount University and UC Santa Barbara, have reached out to invite Pepp Pickle to compete in tournaments, Hsu said. She said she has found it intriguing to work with other campuses and see how they are running their pickleball clubs on both recreational and competitive levels.
Pickleball has a lower barrier of entry compared to other sports, making it the fastest-growing sport in the country, Lorimer said. With practice, people can improve quickly.
With many other sports, it becomes too daunting of a task to become good enough to recreationally play with other people, Lorimer said.
“You don’t need that with pickleball, and since there’s also so many different people that are getting into it, you get a ton of people that are at the beginner level,” Lorimer said. “So, you can get a lot of good games.”
Hsu said Pepp Pickle is excited to welcome new people and play with them.
“We’re so ready to pour out our love and passion for pickleball and for you to be there,” Hsu said. “We really do notice and take the time to invite you and get to know you and get you settled into the game.”
___________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Sophia Luo via email: sophialuo.luo@pepperdine.edu
