By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer

As pickleball tops the charts as one of the fastest-growing sports in America for the third year in a row, it’s easy to see the craze here on campus. It started off with some freshly painted lines on the McLean Tennis Courts between Penland Dining Hall and the Marrs-McLean Gym. Then it evolved into a trio of pickleball courts at the McLane Student Life Center. Latest on the list of pickleball’s imperial conquests are the Paul and Jill Underwood Pickleball Courts.

The new 12-court facility will replace the four eastern courts of the McLean Tennis Courts. Donated by Baylor alumni Paul Underwood and his wife, Dr. Jill Underwood –– a lecturer in the Baylor School of Education –– they’ll act as a home base for both the competitive and casual sides of Baylor’s Pickleball Club. Assuming they’re completed in time, the new courts are set to host a regional tournament for club teams across Texas on March 29.

Although construction began over Christmas break with completion expected before the spring semester, weather and staffing issues have continually caused setbacks.

Underwood, who is the coach of Baylor’s competitive club pickleball team, is doubly responsible for the courts opening. As suggested by the fact that he’s the courts’ namesake, the renovation is being funded by a donation from the Underwood family. But beyond the monetary gifts, Underwood had an impact in growing the sport on campus.

A retired restaurant owner in Brownwood, Underwood recently moved back to Waco. He quickly became one of the millions of retirees, students and everyday Americans who fell in love with the trendy younger brother of tennis. In the fall of 2023, he decided he didn’t just want to play — he wanted to coach.

“I knew [pickleball] was just starting to take off,” Underwood said. “I wondered what Baylor had going as far as pickleball. Back then it was just a social club.”

Seeing the recent growth in competitive pickleball at colleges, however, Underwood wanted to take Baylor pickleball to the next level.

“I went down on an August afternoon two years ago … and [the club] said, ‘Who’s this old guy just coming up to our table?’ I introduced myself and told them what I saw was happening in collegiate pickleball. I asked, ‘Would you allow me to start and run a competitive team?’”

San Diego junior Brady Small, president and founder of the Baylor Pickleball Club, was receptive to the idea. He wanted the new club to enter the competitive landscape someday.

“I’d wanted to start something similar, but I didn’t have the resources to go about running a competitive side,” Small said.

As the club took shape, Underwood handled the competitive tournament team, and Small was in charge of the casual club practices. The competitive team practiced more rigorously and attended tournaments that were either organized by Underwood or by one of the many growing collegiate pickleball organizations, like Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rankings.

But as the competitive team continued its success, becoming a recognized club sport in 2024 and attending the DUPR national tournament last November, new challenges arose within the club.

Because of rapid growth and different practicing styles, it became harder to integrate the more casual side –– the 100 plus students who show up twice a week for some relaxing hitting –– with the competitive side.

“We can’t have competitive and casual play at the same time because when they’re training for tournaments it’s hard to combine the social aspect of the club where they’re just playing, having fun and playing random games,” Small said.

This disconnect –– and the prospect of reuniting the clubs –– was the reasoning behind the creation of the Underwood Courts.

“The beauty about the facility is that it’s going to be the big uniter because the team has basically operated separately. The club has struggled because they didn’t really have enough courts, but now they will,” Underwood said.

The courts are designed so that the competitive team and the casual club members can practice together. Four courts will be used for the competitive team, and the remaining eight will be reserved for the casual side.

Underwood sees the facility as not just a win for the club but a great amenity for the entire Baylor community.

“I didn’t really do it just for our group,” Underwood said. “It’s really something for the whole campus.”