Pickleball launching in Montgomery County high schools

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. ( DC News Now ) — Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) announced that pickleball is being adopted as a varsity sport by all 25 high schools this fall.

Last fall, MCPS became the first school district in the country to offer pickleball as a varsity sport, piloting the sport at 11 schools.

The district offers the sport as part of the corollary sports program to increase access and participation opportunities for students with and without disabilities, according to an MCPS news release.

MCPS said pickleball will now expand to all Montgomery County high schools through a partnership with the D.C. Pickleball team, D.C.’s Premier Level Major League Pickleball team and JOOLA.

“We are excited to expand our groundbreaking pickleball program to all 25 MCPS high schools, as we strive to provide additional participation opportunities for our student-athletes,” Jeff Sullivan, MCPS’ director of athletics, stated in the release. “Pickleball is an inclusive sport that fits perfectly with our corollary sports program, which provides additional opportunities for students with and without disabilities. This initiative is directly aligned with our R.A.I.S.E. core values of equity, access and spirited competition, and will provide a foundation of success for pickleball across our county.”

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