Pickleball sees regional growth through tournaments and youth clinics

Pickleball continues to see growth in popularity and demographic shifts across Colorado and Utah. In Salida, two teams from the Vail Valley secured gold medals at the 2026 Peak to Peak ‘Rally in the Valley’ event. Steve Lincks and Jeff Wiles won the 60+, 4.0 Men’s Doubles Division, while Nikki Broeffle and Caleb Bickis took gold in the 8+, 4.5 Mixed Doubles Division.

In Park City, Utah, Basin Recreation is addressing the sport’s expanding youth demographic by launching pickleball clinics for children aged 7 to 12. This initiative follows trends noted by USA Pickleball, which indicates that low barriers to entry and inexpensive equipment are driving participation. Currently, players under the age of 18 represent a significant portion of the active player base, with the 13–17 age group seeing more than double the participation over a two-year period.