WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College's athletic department is pleased to begin offering pickleball as a club sport. Scholarships will be offered to team members.

Jordan Weidner will become Grace's first pickleball head coach, while still maintaining his role as associate head coach with Grace's men's basketball team. 

The team will begin recruiting immediately with the plan to begin competing in the fall of 2027.

"We are excited to begin offering pickleball as a club at Grace. The sport has seen tremendous growth nationally, and we're excited to invest in a program that provides another platform to share our faith," said Grace Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe. "We are grateful for Jordan Weidner, whose leadership and experience will provide a strong foundation as we launch Grace Pickleball."

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. Eleven universities in the state of Indiana already sponsor a pickleball club, according to USA Pickleball, allowing for ease of scheduling.

Grace's pickleball team will have the unique benefit of being able to practice fully on campus. In the next few months, the team will benefit from eight new, lighted courts that will be installed at Miller Athletic Complex. During the winter months, the team will have access to indoor courts at the Gordon Health and Wellness Center.

"I'm looking forward to being more involved in the growing sport of pickleball. We have an invested and thriving local community of pickleball. It's going to be exciting to see how the community will become even more involved with campus through the sport," Weidner said. "Thank you to Grace's administration and Chad Briscoe for the opportunity to be at the forefront of this sport. My wife Taylar and I are excited to see the different ways that we can continue to grow within the Grace community."

Those interested in pursuing pickleball at Grace should fill out a recruit questionnaire here: PICKLEBALL RECRUIT QUESTIONNAIRE