By Hannah Poukish
The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The fastest growing sport in the United States has reached San Luis Obispo’s only prison.
On a mid-November morning inside the California Men’s Colony gymnasium, two courts were packed with 25 inmates holding paddles and awaiting instruction on how to play pickleball.
“This is not tennis, this is ping-pong on steroids,” pickleball coach Roger BelAir called out to the participants.
For a few hours, he was set on teaching Men’s Colony inmates the key rules to the racket sport that has exploded across the country in recent years. He was accompanied by a film crew creating a documentary on the rise of the sport behind bars.
So far, BelAir has coached more than 4,000 inmates at nearly 20 prisons across the country.
“Guys enjoy it so much and they look forward to it, that there’s a new rule inside: If you don’t behave, then what’s going to happen is you can’t play pickleball,” he said.
He and other staff at the prison believe the sport could have rehabilitative powers for those locked up. Not only is pickleball easy to learn and play at almost any age, but it could also build community among diverse populations at the prison, as well as break down barriers between inmates and staff, BelAir said.
That morning, the pickleball coach had an eager audience in front of him.
Some men raised their hands to ask follow-up questions on the game’s specifics, while others were already well-versed in the sport, itching to show off their skills on the gym’s brand-new courts.
Inmates partnered off two-by-two and began rallying on the pop-up pickleball courts. In no time, the space was filled with sounds of “pops,” “tocks” and “whacks” as hollow plastic balls flew from one side to another.
“I play this daily,” inmate Alejandro Quiroz said, while waiting his turn on the sidelines. “I look forward to going out to the yard just for this. It’s very addicting.”
From amateur pickleball player to prison coach
In 2017, BelAir was watching a segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes” about Cook County Jail in Illinois .
He was shocked by what he saw in the story. The inmates looked inactive, “sitting around doing nothing,” he said. He couldn’t get the images out of his mind.
That’s when he had an idea.
“They ought to be playing pickleball,” he exclaimed.
He was an avid amateur player who figured he could volunteer his time to teach lessons to those on the inside.
BelAir wrote to the local sheriff, and soon enough, he was coaching dozens of inmates about the history, rules and strategy of the game.
His work has since ricocheted across the country, and he’s given lessons everywhere from Rikers Island in the Bronx to San Quentin in the Bay Area.
BelAir is confident the sport will only rise in popularity among prison populations nationwide.
“Pickleball is going to be the No. 1 sport played in prison,” he said.
Documentary aims to showcase pickleball’s power in prison
BelAir’s work has since attracted the attention of Hollywood.
Producer Daniel Ostroff is working on a feature documentary titled “Pickleball in Prison,” and he and his film crew are tracking BelAir’s journey teaching pickleball to incarcerated men.
Over the last year, they’ve filmed pickleball lessons at nine prisons across the United States.
Ostroff said he chose BelAir as his documentary subject because of the coach’s empathy for prison inmates and his love of the game.
The documentary producer was also impressed by BelAir’s foresight that the sport could create positive community in a place that often lacks healthy male relationships.
“Unique to pickleball is the sense of community that it fosters,” Ostroff said. “The incarcerated are aware of how big the sport’s becoming out the prison, so it helps them feel more in tune with what’s going on in society.”
New racket sport arrives at California Men’s Colony
At maximum capacity, the Men’s Colony has around 2,500 inmates housed within its walls, prison staff said.
Over the last year, pickleball courts have gradually popped in its prison yards.
The facility has four yards and a gymnasium where men can spend up to nine hours a day playing sports or doing other activities.
The prison offers inmates everything from tai chi, yoga and ping-pong to mini golf, basketball and dodgeball, Correctional Officer Herschel Keel said.
Recently, pickleball has really taken off.
“It fills their time. It’s constructive and keeps them out of trouble,” Keel said. “It’s a good incentive to not screw up.”
Inmate Virgil Zwicker said the prison’s newest sport gives him a reason to get outside. As a lifelong athlete, he called pickleball particularly “addicting” to play.
“It’s definitely one of the sports people are enjoying, you can see the community getting bigger and stronger, especially amongst us inmates,” he said.
Heidi Wippel , the head coach for California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation who oversees physical activity at all of the state’s correctional institutions, said BelAir’s pickleball training session was meant to provide inmates with a sense of normalcy where healthy actions could be a part of their success and rehabilitation.
Pickleball could be a catalyst for change among the men, she said.
“A majority of the population that is here is going to be going back into the community,” she said. “If we do our role to help rehabilitate while they’re here, they’re going to be better productive community members and citizens when they return to our community.”
At CMC, pickleball is a voluntary, non-credit program. Inmates can choose whether to participate in the sport, which is expanding across the state as prisons launch pickleball leagues and tournaments.
The goal is to create a controlled, safe space for competition that gives inmates a chance to feel good about their skills, Wippel said.
Inmate Michael Harris said he plays every Sunday with a set group of guys. He enjoys the challenge and strategy behind the same.
“Everyone can do it, that’s the dope thing about it,” he said. “It brings people together — all ages, all races.”
Harris is eligible for parole in July 2025, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website. He’s already looking forward to being reunited with his 5-year-old daughter.
And when he gets out, he hopes pickleball will be a sport they can play together.
This story was originally published November 28, 2024 , 5:00 AM .
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