In Grove City, two young men have been taking the pickleball court by storm. Brothers Connor and Camden Chaffin have been rising through the ranks in the sport, and have already competed on a national level – all within months of picking up the sport. Connor is a junior at Grove City High School, and younger brother Camden is a seventh-grader at Jackson Middle School.
Pickleball, a game created for the family, was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. Almost 20 years later, the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (USAPA) was created. The group set the stage for the explosion of growth in the sport. By the early ’90s, pickleball was being played in every state. Between 2013 and 2020, USAPA membership increased by approximately 1,000 percent, jumping from around 4,000 members to more than 40,000.
In 2020, Grove City allotted funds to build pickleball courts in local parks. By the end of that year, the popularity of the sport in Grove City had grown exponentially. However, the Chaffin brothers’ history with the game predates Grove City’s courts.
They would play on the tennis courts at Windsor Park, using chalk to create regulation pickleball courts. A family member from California shipped over paddles and equipment to the Chaffin household so they could play together while visiting. As the cliche goes, the rest is history.
“We were playing a lot and kind of became addicted. We started watching videos of professionals (online), so we picked it up very quickly,” Cam says.
The game was specifically designed for anyone to play. Luckily for the Chaffins, that means there was always someone to play with – either as an opponent or teammate.
The Chaffin brothers have found that the strategic element is the most exciting part of the game.
“You have to be more strategic and adjust on the spot. It’s a constant battle of trying to catch the other team off guard,” Connor says.
Like a game of chess, players are always trying to anticipate what their opponent will try next. The best pickleball players are always two or three steps ahead.
In December 2021, Connor and Camden competed in their first local tournaments and began to see success throughout 2022. By June 2022, they were competing in the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships representing Grove City in Naples, Florida.
The brothers play in the 5.0 division of pickleball, which is just a step below pro competition. Competitors are incredibly diverse in age, some even younger than the Chaffins and others as old as 36. While competing against players more than double their age can be intimidating, it hasn’t discouraged either of them or thrown them off their game.
“At first, it is intimidating because (some opponents) will hit it fast toward you, and we would be like, whoa, but it wouldn’t take long to get the hang of it,” Cam says.
With each obstacle they face, the Chaffins are motivated to keep getting better. After every game, they make a list of what went well and what they want to keep working on. They appreciate that the pickleball community is so welcoming and are always open to advice from experienced players they meet at tournaments.
While they keep busy developing their skills in pickleball, both brothers have their own passions off the court, too. Connor is a dedicated bassoonist in the Grove City High School Marching Band. In fall, he is always busy with practice or playing on Football Friday Night. He lends his talents to several community orchestras.
The younger Chaffin is also a musician, playing trumpet for his middle school band, and he plays travel baseball during the winter.
“It’s kind of hard to have a social life when you’re really busy with all this other stuff, but obviously, band is a pretty social thing. Baseball is a social thing, and when we’re going to these tournaments, we have a lot of people from all over the country that we get to meet,” Camden says.
Despite their other hobbies and schoolwork, the duo still find whatever time they can to play or watch pickleball. When it rains, the Chaffins transform their basement into a pickleball court.
Mike Maynard is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
