DALLAS, TX – With the Summer Olympics officially in full swing, I can’t help but feel that our beloved sport should be on the world's biggest stage in Paris right now, too.

During the 2022 Winter Olympics, one of the hottest topics of conversation was whether or not pickleball would eventually make the list. It’s the fastest-growing sport in America and people everywhere are getting into it, so it deserves an Olympic slot, right?

Imagine this... Anna Leigh Waters on the U.S. Olympic team. Catherine Parenteau representing Canada. And how much fun would Jay Devilliers be having right now if he was competing for his native France on home soil? It would be a blast.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the addition of several new sports for these Games, including sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing, and break dancing or “breaking.”

Break dancing is definitely the sport that has pickleballers up in arms. Breaking over pickling? Come on, IOC!

So, why isn't pickleball a part of the 2024 Games?

The main issue is that a sport needs to be truly international in nature to qualify for Olympic participation. According to Brittanica, a men’s sport must be practiced in at least 75 countries and on four continents, and a women’s sport must be practiced in at least 40 countries and on three continents.

As outrageously popular as pickleball is domestically in the U.S., it hasn’t necessarily gained that kind of footprint just yet. 

The projected growth is definitely on track, of course, but there's a lot of competition from other popular sports, including padel.

Fortunately, facilities like the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy have started incorporating pickleball into their programs. And players like Devilliers have been promoting pickleball in their home countries - and in their native languages.

There's also a group of MLP team owners with strong Olympic ties who are already fully invested in pickleball.

Case in point, Lebron James with the New York Hustlers, Taylor Fritz with the Texas Ranchers, and even Michael Phelps with the Arizona Drive. These athletes are highly influential in their respective sports, and their involvement in pickleball is a very good sign for Olympic aspirations.

And with the UPA's recent announcement about taking the PPA Tour global with stops in Australia, India, Canada, Asia and Europe – this sport is making international moves. We need participation in at least 75 countries, and that number is only getting closer.

The fact that pickleball didn't make Paris is disappointing, especially when I see badminton, tennis, and table tennis athletes going head-to-head on such a huge platform, but if I was a betting woman, I'd wager that pickleball has a place in the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

The good news is that age doesn't really come into play in pickleball. The top pros of today will likely be sporting their nation's colors eight years from now in Australia - and beyond. Waters, Parenteau and company should still be as dominant as ever for quite a while, so bring on the Olympics and let pickleball shine under the spotlight.

For now, though, I’ll settle for watching badminton.