Jam On It: Reno’s Epicenter of Pickleball Enthusiasm
Reporters Kat Fulwider, Kathleen Leslie, Kesley Morris, John Purdy, and Kelly Yang look into the growth of pickleball in Reno, reporting for the Reynolds School of Journalism.
The recent popularity of Pickleball can be seen sweeping across the nation and worldwide, partly due to the close-knit community it creates amongst players and its accessibility.
Pickleball is a paddle sport that blends aspects of badminton, tennis, and ping pong. It is a simple game to learn and has a certain amount of competitiveness and excitement.
The Pickleball hot spot to visit in Reno, Nevada is “Jam On It.” This outstanding facility has come to represent the sport.
“Tonight you’re going to see kids play with their parents. You’re going to see grandparents play with their kids, and their grandkids. So the diversity, women, black, religious wise, they leave it here,” Matt Williams, the founder of Jam On It, and co-founder of the pickleball portion, said. “You may have a judge come here, and you may have someone who just got off parole. It is that diverse. They don’t care. It’s sports. It’s pickleball.”
Due to the diversity pickleball has to offer, it encourages players of all ages and abilities to come participate. Creating a vibrant, and welcoming environment for any and all to come play.
“If you’re single, or you’re lonely at home, you come here, you can stay here for hours,” Katherine Lewis, one of the staff at Jam On It said. “It’s big enough that you’re not sitting by yourself. You can watch good games, interact with people, eat, leave, come back. You can spend a good day here.”
All different players find comradery at the facility with other players and their enthusiastic staff.
“If you’re pairing up with people, and you’re partnering with them, you can build upon that, get to know more about your partners,” Kristina Cipolletti, one of the many participants said. “You learn their game, you learn about their life. It’s really special.
Jam On It embodies the essence of the game and cultivates a thriving community in Reno. Pickleball is quite popular in the area because of Jam On It’s exceptional facilities, welcoming atmosphere, and growth-oriented philosophy.
Faces of Pickleball, a photo series by Kat Fulwider:
Wesley Turner hits the ball on Dec. 5 at Jam On It.
Story, pictures, and video by Kat Fulwider, Kathleen Leslie, Kesley Morris, John Purdy, and Kelly Yang for the Reynolds School at UNR.
