Nora’s Pickleball Panther Pals Pick Up Popular Pasttime
What do you get when you mix tennis and ping-pong with a whiff of wiffleball and a gaggle of grade-schoolers? The Pickleball Panther Pals, of course!
The Pickleball Panther Pals at Nora Elementary is an after-school club that helps 3rd, 4th and 5th graders get active, make new friends and have a whole lot of fun. The idea for this club came last summer when two Nora teachers—math coach Shannon Wagner and 3rd grade teacher Julissa Ashby—learned how to play the game together.
“We had such a great time,” says Ms. Ashby. “And we thought it would be so fun to bring pickleball to our kids.”
But what is pickleball exactly?
“It’s like ping pong… but make it bigger,” Ms. Ashby says with a laugh.
Played on a small court with paddles and whiffle balls, pickleball is fast-moving, easy to learn and even easier to get hooked on. But as much as Ms. Ashby and Ms. Wagner loved the game, they couldn’t be certain students would feel the same. To test the waters, they sent interest forms to 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at Nora. The response was unexpected.
“We received more than double the amount of interest we anticipated,” says Ms. Ashby. “It was a huge surprise.”
After hammering out logistics and crunching the numbers, Ms. Ashby and Ms. Wagner approached the Foundation for support. Thanks to our donors, the Foundation was able to provide a grant to purchase 5 nets, 50 paddles and hundreds of indoor and outdoor balls. For courts, the grant paid for three sets of transportable pickleball lines, and Nora’s principal Peter Schlifke arranged the installation of three permanent outdoor courts. All combined, the Pickleball Panther Pals can play up to six games at once. And the cost to participating students and their families? Zero.
“We don’t charge for our clubs—if you want to play, then I believe you should be able to play,” says Ms. Ashby. “That’s why this grant was such a blessing for us; we were able to provide free resources for all our kids.”
With the equipment and courts in place, the club kicked off in Fall 2024 with Ms. Ashby and Ms. Wagner as co-leaders. Every Wednesday after school, 35 students pair up and pickle out. And the kids aren’t afraid to get out of their comfort zone.
“I feel like getting to know people outside your friend group and grade level has been a huge benefit of this club,” says Ms. Ashby.
“I’m in 5th grade, but sometimes I partner up with 3rd or 4th graders,” says Natalie. “It’s a good way to hang out with new people and get to know them.”
Watching the students play, their joy is palpable. But what is it about pickleball that makes it so fun?
“I like pickleball because I get to be outdoors, and not just stay inside after school,” says Tailynn.
“I had never played pickleball before, but I signed up because I like the teachers and wanted to try something new,” says Elana. “You get to exercise and hang out with your friends at the same time.”
“I like playing sports, and I like my teachers who lead it,” says Gabriel. “I hope we keep the club going!”
This passion for pickleball has also led to benefits in the classroom.
“It’s been a huge help for some of our friends who have a harder time at school,” says Ms. Ashby. “If they have behavior issues or don’t come to class, then they can’t come to pickleball. It’s been such a motivator to show up and try.”
And students aren’t the only picklers at Nora. Teachers and staff formed their own after-school club, and courts are also open to members of the school community for use on weekends.
“Pickleball can be super expensive, and it doesn’t have to be,” says Ms. Ashby. “There are no free pickleball courts in our area, so it was really important to us to find a way that people in our community could have an easy way to come play with their kids.”
As the club wraps up its first year, its success can’t be denied.
“When we started, 95% of our kids had never played before… now it’s all they want to do,” says Ms. Ashby. “It’s something that the kids will always remember about their elementary school career, and we’re really grateful to the Foundation for helping us make it happen.”
Want to help support more programs like this? Donate today and help our Foundation support programs to enhance the educational experience for our students and provide resources for MSDWT teachers and staff.
