WHITEWATER – Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. For years it was characterized as a sport for the older set.

But check out any of the pickleball courts around the Menomonie area and one will see the sport is being played by all ages. Carter Davis, a 2023 Menomonie High School graduate, is one of the regulars from the Menomonie pickleball scene playing the sport at the next level.

A sophomore majoring in general business, Davis is playing for the UW-Whitewater Pickleball Club.

Davis has been playing pickleball for three years, picking up the game  after his junior year in high school.

“My parents got interested in the sport and convinced me to play it one time,” said Davis. “After that I was hooked and played whenever I could during the summer with my family and other community members.”

Davis began playing at Whitewater the first week of school his freshman year.

“My first week at college after finishing classes I walked past the tennis courts that are used for pickleball and noticed people playing,” Davis said. “I asked if I could play and immediately was part of the club and have been playing three times a week since then.”

Davis said between 15 and 30 people come to open play times and the club welcomes any student to come out and play. But the club has a traveling team that has gone as far as Texas and Georgia for tournaments. The traveling team consists of four men and four women. After watching the level of competition around him, Davis didn’t have high hopes for making the traveling team as a freshman.

“I tried out for the team last year not expecting to make it but thought it would be fun to try,” Davis said. “I ended up making the team, competing in tournaments and traveling with the team.”

Davis plays both men’s doubles and co-ed doubles.

“This fall I didn’t compete because most of the tournaments were very far away and we couldn’t afford to bring all eight of our top team members, so instead only our top team went,” said Davis. “Our top team was very successful, placing second in the tournament, which is high enough to give our team a bid to nationals in the fall of 2025.”

Davis loves the competition that comes with pickleball and that comes at all levels and at all occasions.

“I love the level of competition there is regardless of age,” Davis said. “I fell in love with it first when my brother and I, at the age of 18 and 14, both athletic and competitive, were beaten by two players well into their mid-60s. I really like the fact that any age can be competitive.”