美作大学が今治の2分校に出張——ピックルボール体験会が瀬戸内離島校に到達した意義

Mimasaka University in Tsuyama, Okayama, in December 2024 visited Ehime Prefecture'sthe Hakata branch of Imabari Nishi High School (Hakata Island)andand the Omishima branch of Imabari Kita High School (Omishima)の2校で連続ピックルボール体験会を実施しました。日本初の大学授業導入校である美作大学が「県境を越え、離島の高校に出向く」という事例は、日本のピックル普及がまさに地域間連携へ進みつつあることを示しています。本稿は体験会の内容、講師の経歴、瀬戸内での出張実施の背景, to read the roadmap for expanding among Japan's younger population.

What took place over two days—back-to-back sessions at the Hakata and Omishima branches

According to Mimasaka University,Official announcementによれば、2024年12月11日に愛媛県立今治西高校伯方分校で、翌12日に今治北高校大三島分校で体験会を開催しました。両分校はそれぞれ伯方島・大三島に立地する離島校で、しまなみ海道沿いの瀬戸内地域にあります。岡山県北部から講師団が瀬戸大橋経由で愛媛県に入り、しまなみ海道を渡って島嶼部の高校に到達する移動を実施しました。

The session was run bylecturer Shinpei Kitaniが担当しました。木谷講師はピックルボールコーディネーター資格保有者で、学内のピックルボール部の活動にも関わっています。今回はパドル・ボールなどの用具一式を岡山から運び込み、ルール講義から実技、ミニゲームまでを1日完結の構成で展開しました。参加した生徒から「初めての体験だけど、すごく楽しかった」, and it functioned as a place to feel the sensation of rallies going back and forth.

Mimasaka University and pickleball—the backdrop of “the originator of introducing it into university coursework in Japan”

Mimasaka University is the only private university in northern Okayama, a four-year university with a Faculty of Life Sciences and a junior college division.In 2018 it became the first university in Japan to introduce pickleball as a regular course, and that same year it launched a university-recognized pickleball club. In 2024 it was upgraded to a “designated strengthening club,” and it has produced players who have reached the podium at open tournaments in the Kanto region and at the All-Japan Championships. Having faculty who build the coursework and club members who sharpen their competitive ability together on the same campus is a strength still rare among other universities in Japan.

The significance of the trial sessions goes beyond just growing the playing population. It combines a teacher-training context—“students in the Department of Child Studies, who will become teachers, gain hands-on experience so they can incorporate pickleball into their lessons”—making it also a mechanism through whichthe “pickleball as school PE” model born at Mimasaka Universityspreads to regional schools.Osaka Gakuin University High Schoolでも3年生体育の正課授業に取り入れ、日本の高校体育シーンにピックルが組み込まれ始めています。

Why island schools—the compatibility of small-group PE and pickleball

伯方分校・大三島分校はいずれも離島の小規模校で、1学年あたりの生徒数は数十名規模です。少人数の体育授業では、用具の数や場所の制約から実施できる球技が限られがちです。Pickleball is based on 4-player doubles on one court, and the court size is equivalent to a badminton court, so two matches can run simultaneously on half a gym. It's easy to secure a lot of rallies even at small schools, and groups with differing skill levels can enjoy it together.

瀬戸内地域は長く、テニス・バドミントン・卓球などラケット競技が地域文化として根づいてきました。ピックルボールはこれらの動作との親和性が高く、ラケット系経験者なら数分でゲームに入れるとも言われます。離島校での体験会は、単発のイベントというより“a class observation plus hands-on session to decide whether to adopt it in next year's PE curriculum,”carrying the character of teacher training as well.

Summary: key data on the trial sessions

Reactions from stakeholders

• Mimasaka University official“We want high school students to deepen their interest in pickleball and to widen the circle of exchange” (gist of the official announcement)
• Participating high school students「初めての体験だけど、すごく楽しかった」（公式発表より）
• Osaka Gakuin University High School“We held pickleball in third-year PE classes and will continue to incorporate it into lessons” (gist of the school's official notice)

大学・高校の動きから、授業導入が単発体験から複数回シリーズへ移行する素地が見えます。

Impact for enthusiasts and coaches—the “you can start even on an island” model

地域でピックル普及を担うクラブにとって、美作大学方式は再現性が高いひな形です。用具一式と指導者を地域外から呼び込む体験会形式は、the JPA Ehime Openalready starting to move in Shikoku. The flow of “staging a trial session at the host site of an official event to broaden the base of the playing population” directly bears on how regional clubs design their activities.

High schools and junior highs hoping to host a trial session can use the Mimasaka University Admissions and Public Relations Office (TEL: 0868-22-5570) as their contact. The basic arrangement involves dispatching instructors, and the setup where the university provides the three-piece set of equipment, teaching materials, and instructors is a major option for regional schools with limited funds or instructors.A circuit through which even regional schools outside Honshu can introduce “pickleball as school PE” at low costis finally beginning to take shape.

Ripple effects on the industry—signs that university leagues and high-school PE are connecting

米国では大学ピックルボール大会の参加校が増え、学生競技としての成熟が進んでいます。Like FAU, which won the 2026 national collegiate championship, the U.S. has already established “collegiate pickleball” as an independent market. In Japan the format of league play is not yet in place, butthe arrangement of universities handling “promotion activities toward high schools,” as in Mimasaka University's efforts,overlaps with the pattern of U.S. universities being woven into their local communities.

This trial session is better read not as a standalone event but as a move that has begun to sketchuniversity → high school → regional club → official eventという日本独自の競技人口形成ループを描き始めた一手と読むのが妥当です。2026年4月のピックルボールジャパン（PJ）発足（JPAとPJFが統合）も追い風となり、教育機関と統括団体の連携が今後加速する可能性があります。

Practical information—for schools and municipalities considering introducing a trial session

Summary—an era when pickleball reaches even “an island gym”

美作大学の今治2分校体験会は、日本の高校・大学にピックルボールが組み込まれていく動きを示す事例です。岡山の私立大学が県境を越え、瀬戸内の離島校まで指導陣を運び込んだ事実は、用具・コート・指導者の3点を地方単位で揃えるハードルをcan be cleared with a “university-based traveling model.”ことを示しました。ピックルボールジャパン（PJ）の発足とともに、教育現場と統括団体の連携が進めば、今後の高校体育シーンでピックルの導入が広がっていく可能性があります。

Information sources

• Mimasaka University official, “Trial session held to convey the appeal of pickleball to high school students!” (mimasaka.jp/news/event/art27930)
• Osaka Gakuin University High School, “Pickleball held in PE class” (ogu-h.ed.jp/news/2024/11/pickleball.html)
• Mimasaka University official “Pickleball club” category (mimasaka.jp/campus/news)