GJHS is in a pickle!

GJHS has added a student-led pickleball club

Mason Strippel, Reporter • August 29, 2025

GJHS sophomore Will Simpson gets a swing in a pickleball game. The new GJHS Pickleball club plays at the Lincoln Park pickleball courts every Friday after school.

Grand Junction High School students, if you feel old and tired, join the new Pickleball Club.

It is now the 46th GJHS club, founded by senior Hunter Simmons, junior Jacob Smith, and freshman Lucas Simmons. The team is advised by GJHS English teacher Steve Brown, math teacher Brandon Gregg, and science teacher Kim Murray.

“The club was started so we can join together to have fun and enjoy a sport we like. We are meeting at Lincoln Park on Friday afternoons and will continue to do so in the future. I’m excited to see the growth of the club,” said Smith.

According to Gregg, the club was established to offer students a chance to showcase their pickleball skills and enjoy a game. Gregg also hopes that one day pickleball will become an official school sport nationwide.

“I was asked to advise the Pickleball Club because the students knew I played. I gladly agreed and helped them sign the papers to start one. There were 25 students last Friday, and this Friday we are expecting 50 students to show up,” said Gregg.

The club will practice and play games at the Lincoln Park tennis courts at 4 p.m. on Fridays. To participate in the club, students must purchase their own paddle and pickleballs. According to Gregg, the reason the club isn’t using the tennis courts at the school is that they are only lined and suitable for tennis, not pickleball.

More information can be found on the GJHS website under the clubs page. To participate or ask any questions, contact Gregg, Brown, or Murray via email.

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About the Contributor

Mason Strippel, Reporter

Mason Strippel is a junior. He is part of the Orange and Black Newspaper. He likes to play basketball, video games, and mountain hiking. He is also part of the TRIO Upward Bound program. He joined the Orange and Black Newspaper during his sophomore year.