WSU’s Pink Out Pickleball Tournament: On October 2, Counseling and Wellness Services (CWS) collaborated with Campus Recreation to host Pink Out Pickleball, an event supporting the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement. This pickleball tournament featured teams competing in hourly matches while raising awareness and funds in the battle against cancer.
Building a Team for a Cause
Katie Meyer, a graduate student in public health and a graduate assistant at CWS, played a crucial role in organizing the Pink Out Pickleball Tournament.
“We are looking to do a couple of things with this pickleball event. One is to build our team for the Making Strides event.” – (Meyer)
With a target of 100 team members to represent Wright State University, Meyer expressed excitement at having achieved this goal in the inaugural year of the event.
“We’re looking to raise some money for breast cancer that we can contribute to the American Cancer Society, and then we’re just looking to kind of build momentum for the walk [and] for years to come.” – (Meyer)
At the time of the interview, Meyer noted they were slightly more than halfway to their fundraising goal of $2,500. She shared that the response from participants had exceeded her expectations.
A Fun-Filled Day
In addition to pickleball, the event featured cornhole games, food trucks, and a “skill builder” section, where attendees could practice bouncing a pickleball on their rackets.
Meyer, alongside CWS, was instrumental in the planning and marketing of the event but acknowledged the significant contribution of Campus Recreation in bringing the pickleball aspect to life.
Encouraging New Players
Evelyn Oktavec, a graduate assistant for Campus Recreation, also contributed to the event’s success. Oktavec noted that while many participants had prior knowledge of pickleball rules, they encouraged newcomers to join in.
“We always tell people, if you don’t know, that’s okay. Come out, try something new! We always are willing to teach you beforehand. Or kind of explain the rules. Most of the time with these types of events, everyone that kind of participates, even if it’s your opponent, they are more helpful than trying to beat you.” – (Oktavec)
Participants competed in the friendly tournament, retrieving balls for one another and sharing laughter before diving into their next matches.
A Positive Experience
Braden Grant, a senior majoring in financial services, and Ayden Davis, a freshman in exercise science, basketball players for Wright State University, attended the Pink Out Pickleball for the activity and the cause.
“It was fun. [I’ve] always loved supporting the battle against cancer. So that was a plus, too.” – (davis)
“It definitely made the twenty bucks easy to pay, and [the] donations as well.” – (Grant)
WSU’s first-ever Pink Out Pickleball tournament was a resounding success, attracting more participants than staff anticipated. Attendees enjoyed a fun activity while contributing to an important cause.
News in Brief: WSU’s Pink Out Pickleball Tournament
On October 2, Wright State University hosted its first Pink Out Pickleball event to support the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement. Organizers aimed to build a team of 100 participants and raise $2,500 for the American Cancer Society.
The pickleball event featured hourly tournaments alongside cornhole games, food trucks, and a skill-building area. Participants, including students and staff, enjoyed friendly competition, with a focus on community support and awareness for breast cancer. The turnout exceeded expectations, marking a successful first year for this charitable initiative.
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