One can hardly bring up the word “pickleball” without hearing how it’s the fastest-growing sport in America, and Thursday’s gathering at the new Relish Food Hall and Pickleball facility in Louisville proved just why.

The Denver Iconics, a member of the National Pickleball League which began in 2023, welcomed professional players, fans and local icons alike in what was billed as a “celebrity event.”

Local celebrities included former CU women’s basketball coaches Ceal Barry, Linda Lappe and current head coach JR Payne, as well as executive director for Sportswomen of Colorado Jennifer Anderson-Ehrlich and director/portfolio manager at Trailhead Wealth Management Kristy Tochihara, who’s also the corporate sponsor of the Iconics — among others.

Jen Hamann co-owns the Iconics with husband Mario Boschi, and she was thrilled by the level of excitement shown by all in attendance.

“We wanted to honor this new business coming, and it’s great for the NPL, the National Pickleball League; it fits their qualifications for a tournament,” Hamann said. “There are 12 teams in the league, and of course we were the third or fourth team to come on into the league. This is our third season.”

The NPL and Iconics feature both men and women over 50 years old, and Colorado’s home team — which Hamann said is 65% Coloradans — houses a celebrity in its own right. Danny Wuerffel, 51, won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback for Florida in 1996, and he put on a dominant performance against every opponent who dared cross his path Thursday.

He never imagined that nearly 30 years after being drafted by the New Orleans Saints, he’d join another professional league.

“I’d never even heard of pickleball back (during my football career),” Wuerffel said. “I just loved to compete in everything. I grew up playing tennis, racquetball, ping pong. I loved that stuff. I got into it during COVID and I’ve never looked back.

“It’s just really fun to have something to train for, to get better at. Pickleball is a game that anyone can play, but also, there’s a million levels. To just be able to continue to improve and get better, I always loved that. Whatever I was doing, I wanted to work really hard to get better. Pickleball is that. It’s tons of fun.”

Barry was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 following 22 seasons with the Buffs. She normally plays the sport recreationally at rec centers in Boulder. Gail Hook, who’s coming on as a part-time owner of the Iconics, invited her to attend as a local celebrity.

“I think it’s great to have the Iconics here because I hear about them through Gail, but to meet them, to meet the owner, to see how good they are — men and women — it’s fun to be on the same court with a pro,” Barry said. “I think it’s great exposure for the Iconics. In my experience as a coach, we get our team out in the community and do clinics and things like that and expose the community to the team, and I think that’s important for the Iconics.”

Throughout the rest of the weekend, the Iconics will welcome other professional teams for a full NPL tournament. Hook — who’s had stints coaching Monarch’s girls basketball, Erie’s boys basketball and in the WNBA — hopes it will springboard even greater interest in the new league.

“Pickleball is such a social sport,” Hook said. “Anybody can kind of grab a paddle and kind of play and at least have some fun with it. It’s the one sport, I also think, where men and women are comparable, so they can play with each other and against each other. It’s the fastest growing sport. The facilities are popping up everywhere, particularly in Colorado. It’s a very exciting time to be involved in pickleball right now.”