Exploring the Impact of Pickleball for Improving Mood in First-Year University Students—A Pilot Study in Japan

Background: Pickleball has gained global popularity as a socially engaging and accessible sport, but little is known about its short-term psychological effects on younger populations, particularly university students. This pilot study examines whether participation in a pickleball class during a university course produces immediate mood improvements among Japanese first-year students. Methods: A total of 106 sports science students (75 men and 31 women; M = 18.44, SD = 0.55) participated in a 100 min pickleball tournament. Mood states were measured pre- and post-activity using a Two-Dimensional Mood Scale (TDMS) to assess vitality, stability, pleasure, and arousal. A mixed-design ANOVA (time × gender) was used for analysis. Results: A significant main effect of time was found for vitality (F(1,103) = 4.97, p = 0.028, η2 = 0.046), indicating improved vitality after participation. Other mood indices showed positive but non-significant trends (pleasure: p = 0.127; arousal: p = 0.067; stability: p = 0.812). No significant main effects of gender or time × gender interactions were observed. Qualitative responses supported these findings, with 64% of participants describing the activity as "fun" or "good" and 24% referencing social themes such as "cooperation" and "exchange". Conclusions: Short-term participation in pickleball during a university class improved vitality and fostered social enjoyment among first-year students, with broadly similar benefits for men and women. As a pilot study, the findings highlight pickleball's potential as a low-barrier, socially interactive activity to support students' mental health in educational settings, although future studies with diverse samples and controlled designs are needed.