Just One More Game
A Pickleball Quest
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- Pedido anticipado
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- Se espera: 7 abr 2026
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- USD 9.99
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- Pedido anticipado
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- USD 9.99
Descripción editorial
An entertaining look at the meteoric rise of pickleball and one player’s joyful obsession with the game
Just One More Game is writer Clare Frank’s account of abandoning herself to a sport loved by millions (and hated by plenty of others). As she tries to understand its hold on America and herself, Frank takes readers far and wide, from PickleCon to the US Open, into the sport’s roots and its viral rise, and along on her quixotic quest to qualify for the pickleballing big-time.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in North America and has been for some time. In 2017, there were 3 million players in the United States, and by 2024, that number had grown to nearly 20 million. With over 68,000 courts across the country, a burgeoning professional league, and the sport targeting the 2032 Olympics, it shows no sign of slowing down.
The game was born in Washington State in 1965, and so was author Clare Frank, but she didn’t encounter the game until 2021, when she got roped into joining a neighborhood friend’s game. Despite being mystified by the court dimensions, the equipment, and especially the lingo (whose kitchen was being violated?), it wasn’t long before the retired firefighter’s competitive drive kicked in. And then she was in deep: joining “underground” games, shaking off injuries, playing in local tournaments, and traveling to Mexico for clinics.
This fun read will be welcomed by pickleballers old and new.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Retired firefighter Frank (Burnt) examines the allure of pickleball in this sweet if underwhelming account of why she and millions of other Americans are obsessed with the sport. After joining a friend at a community center pickleball game in 2021, Frank was immediately hooked. Here, she traces its origins to Bainbridge Island in 1965 and describes attending pickleball camp, tournaments, and the country's first PickleCon. At each stop, she asks seasoned players why the non-volley zone is called "the kitchen"—a recurring question that promises intrigue but goes unanswered. At the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Fla., Frank, alongside thousands of other fans, watches tennis legend Andre Agassi play with the top female pickleball player. She discovers pickleball's reach has even spread to prisons, including the Donovan Correctional Facility in California, where the Menendez brothers play. The book's best insights explain why so many have turned to the sport: unlike golf or tennis, Frank notes, nobody has been playing pickleball since the age of five, creating a democratic environment where almost anyone can dominate. But such analyses are compressed into brief observations, as Frank focuses primarily on her personal journey. This is best suited for pickleball devotees seeking affirmation of their shared passion.
