Pickleball’s Social Power Post-COVID: The COVID-19 pandemic brought widespread isolation, but pickleball emerged as a sport that helped people reconnect and prioritize mental health. Clinical psychologist Dr. Tess M. Kilwein highlighted pickleball’s role in reducing loneliness and fostering social connection during a time of global lockdowns.
During the pandemic, pickleball courts remained open while other community spaces, like schools and gyms, closed. Dr. Kilwein described the sport as a lifeline, allowing people to bring their insecurities and challenges to the court and rebuild relationships.
“Instead of grabbing the drink that we always talked about but never seemed to get, people started grabbing ‘dinks’ together multiple days a week,”(Dr. Kilwein in Psychology Today).
Mental Health Benefits Across All Ages
Pickleball’s social benefits extend to people of all ages. According to Dr. Kilwein, studies show that the sport improves life satisfaction, reduces stress, and boosts happiness. While it has long helped older adults combat loneliness, younger players, aged 8 to 18, have also seen improvements in focus, coping skills, and mood.
The sport’s inclusivity is key to its success.
“I have witnessed women, men, and gender-diverse people partner with and against each other on recreational courts without controversy,” (Dr. Kilwein).
She praised pickleball for bringing together players of all backgrounds, from various racial and financial groups, to compete and connect.
An Inclusive Sport During Divisive Times
Dr. Kilwein emphasized that pickleball provided an example of prioritizing community health during a time of social and political division. She pointed out that it created a space for people to connect, regardless of their differences.
“During a time when the nation was suffering (and continues to recover) from the COVID-19 pandemic and other sources of the social and political divide, the sport of pickleball showed us how to genuinely prioritize the health and safety of others and rebuild community with those we may not have interacted with otherwise,” (Dr. Kilwein).
Significance of Pickleball’s Impact
Pickleball’s rapid growth during the pandemic underlined its ability to bring people together and improve mental health. While it cannot solve all issues of loneliness and division, Dr. Kilwein believes that the sport has made a meaningful start in helping people reconnect.
News in Brief: Pickleball’s Social Power Post-COVID
Pickleball became a vital tool for reducing loneliness and improving mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its inclusivity and social benefits united people of all ages and backgrounds, providing a model for rebuilding the community in challenging times.
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