Montgomery County Public Schools will expand Pickleball as a varsity sport to all 25 high schools this fall

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Montgomery County Public Schools is expanding Pickleball to all 25 high schools in the county as a varsity sport this fall. In fall of 2023, MCPS became the first county to offer pickleball as a varsity sport as part of a pilot program that provides access and opportunities to students with disabilities. 

The corollary sport was previously only offered at 11 schools. But now, through a partnership with D.C. Pickleball Team and JOOLA, the largest pickleball equipment company in the world, it will be available to high students across the county. 

“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.