CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– Pickleball has become a staple across the United States and its simple rules make it easy to comprehend for anyone that wants to play.

“I wasn’t aware of pickleball about three years ago before the pandemic,” a co-owner of Smash Point Pickleball in Mechanicsburg Vinay Joshi said. The facility is set to open at the end of July.

According to the Sports and Fitness Association, pickleball went from 3.5 million players in 2019 to 8.9 million in 2022.

“We happened to try pickleball, and once that happened, we never looked back,” Joshi said. “It’s such a fun sport to get into and it appeals to a big age group.”

The big following has public parks installing courts or applying permanent lines on tennis courts for the sport.

“It’s very addictive and the fun part is it’s easy on you,” another co-owner of Smash Point Pickleball Sowmya Sreeram said.

The community and growth of the sport have allowed people to make new friends and have a good time on the court while everyone tries to improve their game.

“There was more friendliness in the sport, and I’ve never seen it that way in other things,” Madhu Rengarajan said.