If you saw a friend who was in a real pickle, you’d probably ask, “Can I help?”

But if you saw a paddle in their hands, the question might be, “Can I play?”

You wouldn’t be alone. A lot of people are lining up for their day on courts, thanks to the growing popularity of the game with a funny name. It’s called pickleball, and it’s one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S.

According to a 2025 report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, nearly 20 million people picked up the paddles in the U.S. in 2024, a number that surged 311% the previous three years, and some of those millions can be found getting in to the swing of things in the area.

Rallies stretch into the afternoons hours as friends meet on outdoor courts, trading shots and tips, and sharing in their triumphs in a sport that feels equal parts exercise, strategy, and camaraderie.

For Nick and Brittany Torres of Lake Carroll, and Mark and Cherie Lower of Lanark, the small clusters of painted lines on the court have become a gathering place where friendly competition, shared rhythms and a rotating cast of like-minded enthusiasts shape their weeks in ways both spirited and grounding. On warm Lake Carroll afternoons, the sound of paddles and laughter drifts from private outdoor pickleball courts beside Plumtree Lodge, or on a private court at the Lowers’ getaway property at the Lake.

Nick and Brittany picked up the game for its mix of fitness and friendship. What surprised Nick, though, was how naturally it accommodates both intensity and ease.

“You can make it as competitive as you want, or you can make it as recreational as you want,” Nick said. “It can be competitive to where everyone’s dripping sweat, or recreational to where we’re all having a beer and relaxing when the sun’s out and enjoying the weather.”

Whether it’s a game after work or playing on unhurried weekends, Nick doesn’t have much trouble finding partners.

“I’ll meet up with Brittany, Cherie and Mark, or whoever is willing to meet up and we can do this for hours,” Nick said. “Whether it’s the court, weather, wind – all of those things add a little different aspect to the game. Everyone’s going through the same thing, but if you keep practicing through those things, with small movements over and over again, things become more fluid."

Pickleball, which celebrated its 60th birthday in 2025, blends elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, creating a fast-paced but easy-to-learn game for all ages and skill levels. Courts are about 40 percent the size of a tennis setup, and players use a near-two-foot tall paddle to hit a perforated plastic ball, similar to a whiffle ball, over a low net on a badminton-sized court, either one-on-one or in doubles. After a serve made underhand and cross-court (which must be below one’s navel and out of one’s hand), teams exchange shots, aiming to keep the ball in play while avoiding faults such as hitting out of bounds or volleying inside the no-volley zone (also known as the “kitchen”) near the net. Points are scored only by the serving team, and games typically go to 11, winning by two (go to usapickleball.org/rules for all the rules).

Cherie approaches pickleball with a strategist’s mind. She and Mark play often, and participate in several area pickleball tournaments when their schedules allow. She also paired with Nick to win a pickleball tournament held by the Lake Carroll Recreation Department in 2023 at the Davis Community Center in Mount Carroll.

It’s those experiences that have made her relish both the mental challenge and the variety of partners.

“I definitely like the strategy side,” Cherie said. “I prefer to play with people who have played longer, and that makes you strategize … You try to figure it out and work with your [doubles] partner, and then you have a new partner who’s someone who played for years. I love that chess game mindset.”

Still, she appreciates that the game welcomes all sorts of players and energy levels, and is willing to help newcomers — “A new person, all the better,” she says.

“Anybody can play it,” Cherie said. “It just depends on what level you want to be. I know groups of women who play after going for coffee, play for two hours and they’re done, with no real competition and a lot of giggles. When we play, it’s competitive.”

One of her favorite things about pickleball is its portability; a pair of paddles is essentially a passport to the court.

“I like the fact that we can travel anywhere to play,” Cherie said. “When we go to Arizona, Florida, wherever, we can take our paddles with us. There are several places online to find out where to play. You can be at any level and get in a game.”

Finding fellow pickleball players, and places to play, has become easier in recent years.

The sport’s national governing body, USA Pickleball, reported that nearly 4,000 new pickleball locations were added in 2024, bringing the total at that time to 15,910; and with many locations featuring more than one court, the total number of courts was 68,458, an increase of 18,455.

According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, the top-playing pickleball age group are those 55 and older, with the second top group ages 18-34. The sport’s increase in popularity also has led to more opportunities available for those with disabilities to play, leading to the National Championships hosting its first wheelchair division during the 2024 event in Mesa, Ariz.

Learning the game

Because placement and strategy often outweigh sheer power, the sport favors patience, quick footwork and smart shot selection. Professional instruction is available at Westwood Sports Center in Sterling, which has six indoor pickleball courts, and where Chris Dudley offers group and private lessons in both pickleball and tennis.

A United States Professional Tennis Association certified coach, Dudley has played tennis since the 1970s and is the center’s racket sports coordinator. He has helped several players transition from playing tennis to pickleball, and vice versa. Like millions of others, he’s embraced the rise of pickleball, and has seen countless newcomers pick up a paddle for the first time. He remains impressed by how accessible the game is. An hour-long lesson can pass quickly because the sport’s mechanics are so approachable and the pace of play so steady.

“I’m sort of a tennis traditionalist, but we’ve embraced pickleball and have way more pickleball players out here than tennis,” Dudley said. “Tennis is still a popular sport, and a growing sport, but pickleball is so easy to learn quickly. If I’m giving a pickleball lesson, and two people come out who have never tried it before, usually by the end of an hour they’ll play a real game, or at least try it — you don’t see that on a tennis court.”

That early success is part of what keeps beginners coming back. The first triumph often comes simply from getting the ball over the net, but the sport deepens quickly.

“There’s a lot of eye-hand coordination, a lot of agility,” Dudley said. “As you get better and more skilled, strategy comes into play. There’s that first level where you’re so happy just to hit it and it goes over the net, and then as you get more comfortable with it and get a little more skilled, then you can think about strategy, aiming, and recognizing that your opponent may not like to hit their backhands.”

Dudley encourages new players to take lessons sooner rather than later, so they can learn proper footwork, paddle position, and court awareness without developing what could become bad habits. In his view, pickleball has potential as a meaningful fitness tool as well — a kind of “Couch to 5K” equivalent for racket sports, he said, offering a gradual and social way to build cardiovascular health and agility.

Regardless of how you play, what you play with matters from the beginning. Good equipment is key, and Dudley urges players to choose true court shoes rather than running shoes, which aren’t built for the lateral movements that pickleball demands.

“There are so many lateral motions, and I’ve seen people roll their ankles with running shoes,” Dudley said. “There’s virtually nothing holding you in your shoe if you’re moving [left or right]; running shoes are made for going straight.”

Places to play

Northwest Illinois and eastern Iowa offer several indoor and outdoor places to play pickleball, giving newcomers and regulars plenty of time and room to learn the game and to get to know fellow pickleballers. Beyond the aforementioned Davis and Westwood centers, indoor facilities in the area also are available in Clinton, Dixon and Oregon. Outdoor courts, many of which were converted from tennis courts, are available in Byron, Clinton, Dixon, Freeport, Lena, Morrison, Pecatonica, Rochelle, Savanna and Sterling (see bottom of story for exact places to play).

For all the talk of the game’s growth, its strategies, and tournaments and techniques, pickleball’s staying power rests on something simpler: the joy of showing up for one another, point after point. It’s a truth Nick Torres often returns to, treating each point as its own moment — a philosophy that makes for minimal frustration and maximum fun.

“No matter how many times you do it for practice, you’re going to get into a game and you’re going to make a mistake,” Torres said. “It takes consistency, practice and a strong mindset. You’re going to make a lot of mistakes, so you don’t want to get aggravated. Just enjoy it and have fun. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”

Where to play – indoors

(Drop-in use fees vary by location)

• Clinton, Iowa: River Cities Tennis and Pickleball, 315 Fourth Ave. South; 563-219-8826; acrylic pickleball court availability varies, go to rivercitiestennisandpickleball.com/monthly-calendar for times. Dedicated youth sessions from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Monday.

• Dixon: The Facility, 1312 Washington Ave.; 815-284-3306; wood courts available from 8 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Bring your own paddle.

• Oregon: Nash Recreation Center, 304 S. Fifth St.; 815-732-3101; wood courts available from 8 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

• Mount Carroll: Davis Community Center, 631 S. East St.; 815-244-5524; wood courts dedicated to pickleball from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, other times available according to calendar at daviscommunitycenter.org.

• Sterling: Westwood Sports Center, 1900 Westwood Dr., building 3; 815-622-6201; acrylic courts available from 8 a.m. to noon and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Tennis in same building; private lessons for pickleball and tennis available.

Where to play – outdoors

• Byron: Joe Parks Athletic Parks, 1113 W. Second St., 815-234-8435

• Clinton, Iowa: Riverview Park, 303 Riverview Dr., 563-243-1260

• Dixon: Meadows Park, 1716 Washington Ave., 815-284-3306

• Freeport: Krape Park, 1799 Park Blvd., 815-235-6114

• Lena: Dodds Park, 206 Walnut St., 815-369-5351

• Morrison: Kelly Park, 300 E. High St., 815-535-1105; find Morrison Pickleball on Facebook for summer lesson times

• Pecatonica: Sumner Park, 301 W. First St., 815-239-1083

• Rochelle: Helms Park, 1120 N. Eighth St., 815-562-7813

• Savanna: Old Mill Park, 9621 U.S. Route 52, 815-273-4549

• Sterling: Thomas Park, 2301 12th Ave., 815-622-6200