Picklemall inside Arizona Mills becomes one of the first of its kind

TEMPE, Ariz. - Pickleball has taken off across the country – and now Arizona is home to one of the first pickleball malls in the country.

It's like tennis, but with a lot less running.

"It's definitely better than playing in the heat," Riley Belding said. "So it's good."

And when it's 110-plus degrees outside, taking the trend indoors is the perfect solution.

"It's been so hot lately, so this is a nice change of pace," Timothy Rogers said.

The new indoor courts in Tempe, dubbed Picklemall, use renovated mall space, giving the Arizona Mills mall new life.

"Picklemall is an incredible concept. We're bringing high-tech technology to strip malls, standalone malls, so we really want to take spaces that haven't really been utilized and build that up for people at Picklemall," said Megan Budd, guest associate for Picklemall.

It's a good way to stay active in our hot summer months.

"In the summer, this is the place to be, and being indoors makes it a more social atmosphere, so it's more fun," Belding said.

And, the sport spans generations.

"This is what pickleball is all about, anywhere from 10 to 80 years old," Rachelle Wilson said.

She retired in Arizona and found pickleball to be a fun pastime – one that she could easily pick up.

"A lot of people can't play tennis anymore. It's hard for your back, your knees, you're running. Pickleball is the most exciting sport in America today for all ages and that's why a lot of people are interested," Wilson said.

More Picklemalls are expected to pop up in the U.S. later this year.

And, if Wilson has any say about it, this trend is going to stick around for a long time.

"100% this is gonna go far. Years and years," she said.

Learn more about Picklemall here: https://thepicklemall.com/