Highland Park hosts ‘unofficial' world-record pickleball attempt; ‘It's all about giving back to the kids'

Chicago Tribune

5 days ago

The iconic 'pock' sound of pickleballs hitting paddles filled Danny Cuniff Park Monday morning, with more than 400 summer camp kids rotating through a massive pickleball crash course lesson as organizers took a swing at setting a world record.
Each round of lessons saw the courts packed with kids, ages 5 through 13, with instructor Mark Miller giving the kids basic lessons on controlling the pickleball and paddle. The event was a collaboration between Miller's Munchkin Programs, the Park District of Highland Park and Chicago Slice, a professional pickleball team.
'I incorporate self-esteem through sports,' Miller said. 'It's all about giving back to the kids.'
The number to beat was 300, set by Miller in 2023 in Arizona. On Monday morning, Miller said just over 440 kids were scheduled to come through. He called the youngsters an 'untapped market' for the sport, which skyrocketed in popularity a few years ago.
Nick Baird, director of recreation with the Park District, said pickleball is an important sport for the kids to learn.
'It's a different experience than other sports,' he said. 'Any age group, any ability level, is able to play pickleball.'
The kids enjoy hearing the unique sound of a pickleball hitting a paddle, Baird said, and it makes for an easy indicator, 'that they're hitting the paddle directly.'
Amelia Superfine was one of the hundreds of children having fun being part of a world record attempt. She said she'd played pickleball before with her family in Florida, but that was a 'long time ago.'
'It's fun to do it again, because I haven't really gotten the time,' she said.
Silas Trombatore, a counselor-in-training for the summer camp, said he's played the sport himself with friends outside of camp. Trombatore said the kids were having ' a lot of fun' with the lessons.
Miller was glad to see his idea come together with so many community partners. The effort is not a Guinness-recognized world record — Miller said that would have been prohibitively expensive — but he said it's unofficially recognized online.
Highland Park's head pickleball pro Zach Pellowski was there helping with lessons. He emphasized the sport's inclusivity, noting how the barrier to entry is much lower, and the game's pace a little slower. The social and health benefits were clear for both the kids and anyone who picked up a paddle.
'There's a lot more people who feel they can be a part of it, (and) join in on the fun,' Pellowski said. 'You get to be healthy, be active, but also challenge your brain in more ways than one.'
The event precedes the opening of the Park District's indoor pickleball facility, which is scheduled for August. It will be known as Club Pickle & Padel, which will offer 10 pickleball courts and 4 padel courts under a newly constructed 50,000-square-foot dome.