Over the summer, California Baptist University’s Pickleball Club grew to more than 200 members. Club members gather every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. to compete, learn from one another and have fun. With more than 200 students signed up, the club built a strong program.
Tate Spilman, sophomore sports analytics major, founded the Pickleball Club. Before the club started, he noticed students playing pickleball in their free time and worked to build a community around the sport.
“Everyone I talked to had wanted a club, but no one had started it, so I went directly to the director of the clubs and organizations and said that I was willing to start a pickleball club, which was last year,” Spilman said.
Spilman encouraged students from any major to join, bond over shared interests and stay active.
“Anyone is able to come play pickleball; anyone who is interested can come out. We play every Tuesday night from 7 to 9 p.m.,” Spilman said.
As the club gained popularity, more students heard about it and joined.
Adam Lee, freshman civil engineering major, played pickleball over the summer. He said he made friends and developed a passion for the sport.
“I met a lot of people here at pickleball [club], and then we started doing our STEM Bible study afterwards, or even bought boba beforehand,” Lee said.
Lee said he spent time outside club nights building friendships with teammates and other members.
“We all know each other’s names, so it’s a lot of fun just rattling each other or just having fun with one another,” Lee said.
Some students arrived at CBU already playing pickleball as a hobby and used the club to build community.
Parker Vigue, sophomore kinesiology major, played pickleball for four years before attending CBU. He said the club gave him a new way to connect with others.
“It’s so easy to meet people and have fun and just hang out,” Vigue said.
Caleb Yuan, a junior pre-nursing major, also practiced with the club over the summer and said the group helped him meet new people.
“I met Adam playing pickleball here, so you just get to meet a lot of friends and people here,” Yuan said.
Pickleball Club gave CBU students a place to build social skills and improve their game. Members played in a low-pressure environment, competed for fun and supported one another on and off the court.
