Pickleball Craze Takes Over El Paso

I'm not even going to deny it, but pickleball looks like a lot of fun! I've never played it but every time I pass by the park and see people playing it, I kind of want to join in! The pickleball craze spread throughout Texas and now it looks like it's rising in El Paso, as well.

From Four Courts to a Citywide Craze

A few years ago, El Paso’s pickleball scene could fit on one hand, literally. Ascarate Park had the city’s first four dedicated outdoor courts, and that was about it.

Now? There are more than 20 courts scattered across the Sun City, from the westside’s Serve complex to community recreation centers like Chamizal and Don Haskins. Even new parks such as Skyline Youth Park and Paul Harvey Park are getting in on the action.

Pickleball has gone from an under-the-radar hobby to a borderland phenomenon.

The Serve Effect

If there’s one place that truly made pickleball cool in El Paso, it’s Serve, the city’s newest sports-and-social club tucked away in Cimarron. It’s not just about volleys and dinks; it’s about drinks, music, and mingling.

Serve mixes the casual fun of pickleball with craft cocktails, good food, and even padel courts. It’s basically the pickleball equivalent of Topgolf, but with way more neon, and occasionally someone playing in cowboy boots.

The Players Who Keep It Growing

Behind the local boom is a tight-knit community that’s helping pickleball grow one match at a time.

The Pickleball El Paso Association organizes clinics, mixers, and friendly tournaments across the city, making sure both first-timers and diehards have a place to play.

Like every trend that lands in West Texas, El Pasoans have made pickleball their own. Forget the country-club crowd- this is more carne asada and comadre energy than preppy polos and visors.

Only in El Paso could a sport born in suburban Washington state turn into a party with paddles.

What’s Next for the Borderland’s Fastest-Growing Sport

The city’s Parks & Rec Department is already planning more permanent courts, and Serve’s owners are teasing future leagues, glow-in-the-dark tournaments, and even crossover events with padel.

At this rate, if you don’t know someone who plays pickleball, give it a week, you will.