Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has announced the expansion of pickleball as a varsity corollary sport during the fall 2024 season. Last fall, MCPS became the first school district in the country to offer pickleball as a varsity sport, as part of the corollary sports program that provides increased access and participation opportunities for students with disabilities.
Last year, the sport was piloted as a fall corollary sport at 11 schools. Pickleball will now expand to all 25 high schools through a partnership with the D.C. Pickleball Team, D.C.’s premier level Major League Pickleball team, and JOOLA, the largest pickleball equipment company in the world, headquartered in Rockville, Md.
“We are excited to expand our groundbreaking pickleball program to all 25 MCPS high schools, as we strive to provide additional participation opportunities for our student-athletes,” said Dr. Jeff Sullivan, MCPS’ director of athletics. “Interest in pickleball continues to explode at all age levels across the world, and we look forward to partnering with the D.C. Pickleball Team and JOOLA to bring this excitement to our student-athletes. Pickleball is an inclusive sport that fits perfectly with our corollary sports program, which provides additional 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.”
Pickleball will become the fall varsity interscholastic corollary sport at MCPS. The goal of corollary sports is to increase interscholastic athletics participation opportunities for all students, in particular, students with disabilities. Photo courtesy MCPS