When I first discovered pickleball, none of my friends played so I needed a way to find and connect with other players. My friend Matt and I came up with the idea of creating a Facebook group. On January 19, 2019, the Wichita Pickleball Connection Facebook group was born. “Connection” was part of the name because it was a way for players, specifically new players like me, to connect with the existing players in the area. Unless you knew someone, who knew someone, there really wasn’t an easy way to do that. The Facebook group made it easier for players to communicate and connect with one another. We eventually dropped “Connection” from the name to make the group easier to find and so it’s now just “Wichita Pickleball” but those who were around in the early days still call the group “Pickleball Connection.”

So why make a website now? You’re probably thinking we are going backwards. And it’s true. Normally, people will build a website first and then establish a social media presence. We’ve survived this long without a website so why even bother making one?

Honestly, I have been super reluctant to build a site because the Wichita Pickleball Facebook group has been so successful and pretty much has everything we need but, the more I go out in the community to promote pickleball, the more people I find who do not have Facebook accounts. It’s not even the older community. As astounding as it sounds, a lot of young people nowadays do not use Facebook. I figured that the non-Facebook people need somewhere to go to find out about what’s going on in our pickleball community too and so I caved, and this website was born.

If you’re already in the Wichita Pickleball Facebook group, that’s fantastic. You’re probably not going to find anything new here because you pretty much have everything you need in the Facebook group. If you’re on Facebook but not already a member, what are you waiting for? Join the group and be “in the know” about what’s happening in our pickleball community. If you’re not on Facebook and never will be (for one reason or another), this site is dedicated to you — because I care, and I don’t want anyone to be left out.

Welcome to Wichita Pickleball!