For as popular as pickleball is in the state of Arizona, the Arizona Interscholastic Association has not recognized the sport as an official high school sport.
An endeavor by PURE Pickleball & Padel and a multitude of high schools in Mesa and across the valley are trying to change that.
The Arizona High School Pickleball Championships, a two-day event in Mesa on Dec. 6 and 7, is to feature at least 12 schools sending both boys and girls teams to compete for glory in five events. Each event earns schools points if they have podium finishes, with the highest overall point total at the end of the two-day event earning that school the championship title.
