Making and maintaining friendships as an adult is objectively harder. But the good news? Pickleball is changing that.

Why Adult Friendships Are Hard

Researchers have identified three key ingredients for friendship: proximity, repeated unplanned interaction, and a setting that encourages people to let their guard down.

How Pickleball Creates the Conditions for Connection

Pickleball naturally recreates all three friendship ingredients:

• Proximity: You’re 14 feet from your opponents. It’s intimate by design.
• Repeated interaction: Most players come back week after week, building familiarity.
• Lowered guards: Shared physical activity and light competition makes people open up.

The IPOP Community Factor

At IPOP, we’ve watched strangers become teammates become friends hundreds of times. If you’re looking for connection, come try a session at IPOP. Visit ipop.fun to see what’s on this week.