Over the last few years, pickleball has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. It’s not a huge surprise, since the sport combines physical activity, competition, socialization, and ease of play. 

Recently, in Queens Deanery No. 4, pickleball “served” as the backdrop for a community event that brought parishioners from neighboring churches together for a morning of competitive fun. 

On Presidents’ Day, the deanery hosted a free pickleball event at Haknesiah Church in Oakland Gardens. All skill levels were welcomed, and multiple parishes were represented, making this day of fellowship a memorable experience for the 22 participants. 

Queens Deanery No. 4 is made up of nine parishes in northern Queens: St. John Vianney, Flushing; St. Andrew Avellino, Flushing; St. Fidelis, College Point; Holy Trinity, Whitestone; St. Mel, Flushing; Mary’s Nativity-St. Ann, Flushing; St. Michael, Flushing; St. Luke, Whitestone; and St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang, Flushing. 

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As for pickleball, it’s a paddle sport that incorporates elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It’s played on a small court with a net, a perforated plastic ball, and solid paddles. Usually, it is played in a doubles format, though it can also be played one on one. 

According to the Association of Pickleball Professionals, nearly one-fifth of the American population played pickleball at least once within the last year. There is even a professional pickleball circuit, with national championships broadcast on cable television. 

The idea for the event began back in the fall at a deanery meeting. Father Joseph Fonti, dean of Queens North and pastor at St. Mel’s, applied for a grant from the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens for a pilgrimage to the Maryknoll Seminary in Upstate New York. The grant was approved, and there were some additional funds left over. 

Brian Kim, a member of the parish council at St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang, presented the idea to use the excess funds for a deanery pickleball event, given the sport’s growing popularity. The idea was well-received and approved by the foundation. 

“There’s a huge social element to pickleball,” said Kim, a tech professional and founder of the event’s operating company, Good Works KB. “You just have to try it, and you fall in love with it. It’s nice to be able to mix our faith with a form of exercise.” 

Planning began, and Brian — who started playing pickleball several years ago — looped in his business partner, Richard Kim, a pickleball novice. They secured a location and a pickleball coach to help beginners learn the game. 

“After a few games, I started learning the basic rules, and I got hooked,” said Richard, a parishioner at St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang. “That’s why I knew that this event would work — the community engagement and the fellowship activity for all ages. Exercise, health, teamwork, competitiveness … it has everything that other sports have as well.” 

On the day of the event, three courts were set up on the gymnasium floor, with all equipment costs covered by the approved grant. The experienced players jumped right in, while the beginners learned from the coach. After easing into gameplay, the beginners soon developed the same enthusiasm as those who have been playing for years. 

“Being a beginner, having the coach there to explain the rules was really handy,” said Robert Scott, a parishioner at St. Andrew Avellino who is a girls’ Catholic Youth Organization volleyball coach at the parish. “We started learning and enjoying the game. It was great to get to know other people by playing alongside them, because we all live in the neighborhood.” 

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The various age groups and ethnicities represented at the event highlight the diverse communities of Queens. This inclusivity is synonymous with the Catholic faith, as these parishioners built unity in a creative way. 

“It brought people together,” said Father Fonti, who enjoyed the event as an avid pickleball supporter on the sidelines. “It’s clear that on a court, people of common interests can relate and communicate their own joy of belonging and participating. 

“There was a unique and unified presence that day. Of course, meeting in the pews is very important, but there are other ways in which people can meet. This event was a novel one and a good one.” 

Given the success of the pilot event, the deanery hopes to build upon the inter-parish fun. A template has now been set for other deaneries or parishes to set up their own event. 

Who knows? Maybe someday we’ll see a full-on inter-deanery pickleball tournament featuring parishioners from throughout the diocese. The possibilities can be endless now that there’s an established format. 

No matter what the future holds for diocesan pickleball, we’ll remember that it all started with Queens North.