Students in Africa pick up the game of pickleball

By Brynn Grissom

on May 01, 2024

Two boys smile at the camera as they hold up two SLK Nexus paddles. They stand on a dirt pickleball court.

Children were all smiles after they got to play pickleball at the Sierra Leone Mission School.

Children gather around two men who are explaining rules. They stand on a dirt pickleball court near the net.

Volunteers teach students the basic rules of pickleball.

A child stands at the baseline of a dirt pickleball court. He holds a pickleball in front of him as he prepares to serve.

A child prepares to serve the pickleball with a new SLK Nexus paddle.

Three men stand shoulder to shoulder and smile at the camera as they hold up their SLK Nexus pickleball paddles and balls.

People of all ages were ready to get in on the fun.

Two children stand on a dirt pickleball court near the baseline. They are both waiting to receive the next shot. A crowd of children watches the game.

Children prepare to receive the pickleball while their classmates cheer them on.

A man puts his arm around a student as they smile at the camera. They are both watching people play pickleball.

Volunteers from ACE Pickleball club taught the children how to play.

A small child stands at the baseline of a dirt pickleball court. He is ready to receive a serve. Adults stand nearby to help explain the rules.

Children of all ages picked up the game as volunteers helped explain the rules.

Small children gather around two adults for a photo at a school in Africa.

Volunteers from ACE Pickleball club pose for a photo with students at the Sierra Leone Mission School.

A student holds their Selkirk Nexus paddle while standing at the baseline of a dirt pickleball court. They are preparing to receive a serve while an adult gives advice off to the side.

A student prepares to receive a serve.

In an effort to expand its athletic offerings, children at the Sierra Leone Mission School were introduced to the game of pickleball in April.

The school was started in 1992 to support children in grades 1-6 who had lost their parents. Now, the school has expanded to include five campuses that serve 5,000 children ranging in age from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The school previously offered soccer and basketball equipment to children, but after donations from Selkirk Sport, the children can now play pickleball.

A group of individuals from ACE Pickleball Club in Roswell, Georgia, traveled to the school to teach the children how to play. Once there, the volunteers met with members of a pickleball program in Sierra Leone who came to campus to help referee matches.