Pickleball to become a varsity sport at all Montgomery Co. high schools

Pickleball is being adopted as a varsity sport at all of Montgomery County, Maryland, high schools starting in the fall.

Pickleball is being adopted as a varsity sport at all of Montgomery County, Maryland, public high schools starting in the fall.

Maryland’s largest school district was the first in the country to offer pickleball as a varsity sport when it piloted pickleball at 11 county high schools last year, according to a Montgomery County Public Schools news release.

The sport will be available at all 25 high schools across Montgomery County this fall.

The varsity sport program is being expanded through a partnership with the D.C. Pickleball Team and Rockville, Maryland-based pickleball equipment company JOOLA.

Under the program, pickleball is being offered as a varsity sport as part of the corollary sports program, which aims to offer more participation opportunities for students with and without disabilities.

“This initiative is directly aligned with our R.A.I.S.E. core values of equity, access and spirited competition, and will provide a foundation of success for pickleball across our county,” said Jeff Sullivan, Montgomery County Public Schools’ director of athletics.

MCPS already offers handball, bocce and allied softball in its corollary sports program.

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