What to Know About Chicago's Pickleball Scene

Ready to join the pickleball craze during National Pickleball Month? Toss and Spin founder and former Division I tennis player Chris Clark gave the City Cast Chicago podcast team a lesson last spring.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why is pickleball catching on?

“Tennis is not the easiest thing to find partners to play — I gotta ask you how good you are. But pickleball, everybody has these open plays, so you just show up. Pickleball is one of those things you can be good at like that. … Four pickleball courts can fit on one tennis court, so you can get a lot more people in the same amount. … I think pickleball has literally saved lives [during the pandemic] just by networking, meeting new people.”

Is the pickleball–tennis beef real?

“It's definitely real. But then I'm like, ‘Why?’ I think we [should] take a step back and just see the good in racket sports and what it's doing for people. If you have this huge space and only two people can play, wouldn't you want 16 people to play? I just think it's a silly feud that is going on.”

What do you want to see change in Chicago’s pickleball scene?

“I wanna see it more on the South Side. I started Toss and Spin to provide access and enjoyment through racquet sports because it's stuffy. So I want to see a better mix of people. … It's very hard to be interested in things where you don't think people play that look like you. So whether I'm white, Black, whatever background I am, if there's a mix of people, you want to get in on it.”

Chicago Park District is set to have 200 pickleball courts by the end of 2025. In the meantime, play at these indoor clubs year-round.