Pack your paddles for a premier event — Pickleball is about to pick up in Wausau as the annual Badger State Games Winter Pickleball Tournament kicks off next week. The second-largest tournament in the state returns to Wausau Tennis and Pickleball Center, powered by 140 volunteers, for a four-day run starting Thursday, Jan. 29 and concluding on Sunday, Feb. 1. With over 400 registrations, eight courts will be buzzing with activity, competition and multi-generational community building.
Organizers expect to host about 1,250 pickleball games over the four-day tournament. There’s been a surge of interest among pickleball players, as registration for the event closed one week early due capacity limits. There are 278 players registered for the tournament, hailing from 68 different towns and cities representing four different states. Their ages range from 16 to 80 with 214 of the 410 registrations surpassing 50 years in age.
“Spectators are encouraged to come enjoy the play throughout the weekend,” said Paula Voss, co-commissioner of the Winter Badger State Pickleball Games. “Players will be more than eager to share the rules and etiquette of the games with anyone that is wanting to just watch. Pickleball is all about community.”
About one third of the players will be traveling from outside the area, according to Andrea Ingvalson, tournament co-commissioner and regional ambassador of USA Pickleball. Like all Badger State Games events, the pickleball tournament attracts participants and spectators from across the state and beyond, bringing lodging, dining and retail revenue to the Wausau area for a substantial business boon.
“You might have somebody who comes and plays all four days, so you’re talking a pretty significant hotel stay in that case,” Ingvalson said. “A lot of our local players, even though they are local, will go out to eat as an excuse for them to get together with other like-minded individuals and friends. You’ll see a lot of people making plans to go get something to eat or go get a beer. I think it has a huge local impact.”
Pickleball continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and this tournament showcases that momentum by bringing players from around the Midwest together while creating an energetic, spectator-friendly atmosphere in Wausau. Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend at no charge, making it a great community event even for those who don’t play.
Pickleball is a paddle sport that mixes elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, played on a small court with a wiffle ball. It was created in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at the summer home of Joel Pritchard, who later served as a United States congressman and as Washington’s lieutenant governor. The game was created among a hodgepodge of other sports equipment consisting of a badminton court, paddleball paddles, a wiffle ball and a tennis net. According to Joan Pritchard, Joel Pritchard’s wife, the game was named pickleball after she said “it reminded me of the pickle boat in crew, where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.” Other sources state that the name “pickleball” was derived from the name of the Pritchards’ family dog, Pickles.
What started as an impromptu summer pastime has now become America’s fastest-growing sport for several consecutive years, surpassing outdoor soccer and baseball in growth rate. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball had about 19.8 million participants in the U.S. in 2024, up roughly 45.8% from 2023, and representing growth of over 300% over several years. Research from the Association of Pickleball Professionals estimates that as many as 48 million Americans have played pickleball at least once.
Locally, pickleball expanded to Wausau in 2012, Ingvalson said, when two snowbirds from Arizona started playing one summer.
“They went to Mayoral Park in Schofield and painted some lines on the tennis court and started playing pickleball and invited friends and anybody who stopped by to ask them what the heck was going on,” Ingvalson said. “That was the catalyst of pickleball in the Wausau area.”
Since then, pickleball courts have expanded to Greenheck Turner Fieldhouse, 3M Park, Marathon Park, Alexander Park and both Wausau and Weston YMCA locations.
“Since 2012 it’s grown from two guys and their wives at one court to, fourteen years later, we now have 15 outdoor courts that are dedicated pickleball courts in Wausau,” Ingvalson said.
But what caused pickleball to spread like wildfire over the past decade? Ingvalson suggests that pickleball’s simple rules and minimal equipment requirements make it accessible to a wide range of ages and skill levels.
“It is very simple,” she said. “It’s a simple concept, it’s a simple game. Most anybody can find success.”
“It’s easy enough to learn for the novice to play, but there is always space to learn for more experienced players,” Voss added. “The great thing about it is you can find success, but if you also want to take it to that next level and be competitive there is room for that, too. There’s room for everybody.”
Introductory classes are also periodically offered by the Wausau Tennis and Pickleball Center and the YMCA. These courses have exposed novices to what they anticipate will be a lifelong activity.
“I was already playing a lot of slow-pitch softball and traveling around the state for tournaments, and I was missing that competitive outlet and sense of structure during the winter,” said Blake Lewis, a 43-year-old from Stoughton. “When a friend told me there were weekday afternoon pickleball games while my kids were at school, it felt like the right thing to try at the right time, even though I had no idea it would turn into something so significant in my life. What keeps me coming back is the constant action and the opportunity for personal growth. When I step on the court, I’m engaged the entire time. There’s very little downtime compared to other sports where you might go long stretches without touching the ball. Pickleball keeps you locked in and competing from start to finish.”
In most communities, pickleball’s broad appeal has made it a multicultural hub that fosters intergenerational play and community bonding. Pickleball is noted for its strong engagement among older adults, but the 25-34 age group is now one of the largest segments, and youth participation continues expanding.
“People play it for the sport, for sure, but there is also this community,” Voss said. “I’ve played pickleball maybe three or four years and there’s this group of people I would’ve never gotten to know. It’s such a cross-section of society. It’s just a really safe place, there’s no discussion of politics, it’s just good friends and people getting together ... One of the fun things is you’ll see an adult father and their child come and play, you’ll see spouses play together.”
“There’s one guy who plays with his grandpa,” Ingvalson added. “They won’t be here this year, but they’re from up north and they come down and this 20-something-year-old guy plays with his grandpa and they do OK,”
Tami Zepnick-Holzhueter, a 59-year-old from Pine River, is one of those players who found a meaningful community through pickleball.
“I keep coming back to the game — at least five times a week — for the challenge, obviously, but even more so for the social aspect of the game,” she said. “My pickleball peeps feel like my chosen family.”
As participation grows, so has engagement with sport as fitness. Many players cite cardiovascular benefits, agility improvement and social health gains from organized and casual play.
“Pickleball has kept my heart healthy,” said Vi Xiong, a 30-year-old player from Wausau. “I’ve noticed a huge change in my cardio endurance since pickleball has come into my life. It also helps my mental well-being by keeping me social. I’ve met a lot of great friends that have become a big part of my life today.
“Pickleball played a huge factor in both my physical and mental wellbeing. I lost 100 pounds using pickleball as my motivator,” said Shannon Zaremba, a 39-year-old from Wausau. “First it was a great tool to use for exercising, but also I wanted to lose the weight to become a better player. As far as it helping my mental wellbeing, it’s been just as important especially with me being more introverted. It helps build confidence, gets you out of the house, spend time with friends, provides you with a consistent fun exercise, and in the summer you spend a lot more time in the sunshine. All the above really puts you in a better place mentally.”
Prior to the tournament, festivities kick off with a training clinic series on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Wausau Tennis and Pickleball Center, which will be hosted by pickleball pros Jonell Loeppert and Sheila Farny from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
“They’re both from really strong tennis backgrounds,” Voss said. “I’ve taken clinics from them out in Colorado and the technique is amazing, they offer you skill work and a lively time.”
Due to the popularity, the clinic spaces are filled but the general public is invited to drop in and watch the clinic and pick up tips at no charge. The clinic dates and times are Jan. 26 to Jan. 28 from 7-9 a.m. and 12:30-2:30 p.m
For those interested in exploring the phenomenon that is pickleball, clubs, leagues and informal groups can be found just about anywhere pickleball is played: from local park courts, to the Wausau Tennis and Pickleball Center and local YMCA branches. These community networks span ages and backgrounds, giving players the opportunity to interact with other parts of their community and expand their social circle.
For more information on local pickleball activities, contact Andrea Ingvalson at dreavalson@yahoo.com or call 715-218-1691. More details about the Badger State Games Pickleball Tournament can be found at www.visitwausau.com.
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