One of the UK’s leading pickleball players is working hard to ensure the sport continues to grow from the grassroots.
Tom Corfield began playing pickleball in May 2022 after years playing tennis.
He set up Croydon Pickleball – a network in his home borough of Croydon, London, bringing together the clubs and facilities that offer pickleball.
And he also began to offer short courses for absolute beginners, which grew through word of mouth.
The next step, he says, is for these novices to continue playing – and setting up a group where they can do that might be the next task on his to-do list.
“Pickleball is for everyone,” he says. “Everyone deserves to play competitive pickleball.”
He says his ambition now is for everyone to have heard of pickleball and tried it out at least once – and he is hoping to celebrate the sport’s growth with a summer tournament.
For more information, check out the Croydon Pickleball website.
