Alan Parfitt shines at record-breaking Skechers Pickleball English OPEN

Pickleball: The Sport Taking the World by Storm

If you haven’t heard of pickleball yet, you’re missing out on one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Just ask Alan Parfitt, a primary school teacher who went from watching YouTube videos to competing in the record-breaking Skechers Pickleball English OPEN in just five short years.

The English OPEN, held at the Telford International Centre, saw nearly 2,000 players from 42 countries come together to compete in a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. With players ranging in age from 7 to 70+, pickleball has truly become a sport for everyone.

For Parfitt, pickleball was love at first sight. “I first played in my English Open four or five months after I started playing up in Nottingham and I’d really got the bug by then. I just loved it,” he said. “I can’t believe how big this event has become.”

And Parfitt is not alone in his passion for the sport. Pickleball’s accessibility and universal appeal have led to its rapid growth in popularity, with players of all ages and skill levels taking to the court to enjoy the fast-paced action.

“I got into it through a tennis YouTube feed about five years ago and then pickleball just came up out of the blue,” added Parfitt. “I’d never heard of it before and I watched a couple of profiles of the game from the States, and the more I watched it I thought ‘I think I can actually play this game.’”

With aspirations of making it onto the Olympic programme, pickleball is a sport on the rise. And with events like the English OPEN drawing in top professionals from around the world, it’s clear that pickleball is here to stay.

So whether you’re a seasoned pro or a complete beginner, why not give pickleball a try? Who knows, you could be the next star of the court at the next record-breaking event.