06/08/2026
๐ญ๐ฌ๐ผ-๐ต๐น๐ด๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐! ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐!
From backyard game to global sport! Our second-year students from all academic programs will have the chance to experience ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ through ๐ท๐จ๐ป๐ฏ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ป 4.
According to ๐ซ๐. ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐, ๐ท๐จ๐ป๐ฏ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ป ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, pickleball could motivate students to become more disciplined, self-controlled, and collaborative players. He also added that FEU-NRMF will be among the ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ in the ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ to ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ as a ๐๐๐๐๐ in its ๐ท๐จ๐ป๐ฏ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Credits to LAMPARA: The official Student Publication of the FEU-NRMF School of Nursing.
๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐ฆ | Pickleball Joins FEU-NRMFโs PATHFIT 4 Curriculum
by Princess Gonzales
โ๐๐๐๐๐!โ
A new sound is making its way onto the courts of Far Eastern University โ Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation (FEU-NRMF). The swish of a paddle against a small plastic ball sounds as players scatter around the court, one burst of power after another. Every single service leads to a rally, every single point leads to excitement, and every game is filled with laughter and enjoyment; fast-paced, yet easy to learn. Beginning in Academic Year 2026โ2027, pickleball will be introduced into Physical Activity Towards Health and Fitness (PATHFIT) 4, as an activity that is quickly gaining in popularity around the world.
๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง
Pickleball was first played on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965. It was created by Joel Pritchard together with his friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. The first game was played using table-tennis paddles, a plastic ball with holes, and a badminton court with a lowered net. The sport gradually acquired its own equipment and a set of rules similar to those of tennis, badminton, and table-tennis. Today, pickleball is played in many countries. It is usually played as a singles or doubles game with paddles made of wood and a plastic ball with holes. This game can be played by people of different ages and abilities because the rules are simple and the equipment needed is not expensive.
The sport is becoming more and more popular from year to year. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, compared with 4.2 million in 2020. The organization reported that participation increased by more than five times in five years and that pickleball remained the fastest-growing sport in the United States for the fifth consecutive year.
๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐ข ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฐ
In their second year, students from all academic programs will have the opportunity to experience pickleball through PATHFIT 4, according to FEU-NRMFโs PATHFIT program. PATHFIT is the tertiary physical education program covered by the Commission on Higher Educationโs policies and standards for PATHFIT courses.
โThis is the result of months of planning and faculty preparation. FEU-NRMF President Mr. Juan Enrique J. Reyes, MHM, prioritizes the relevance of our PATHFIT programs. He supports the need to innovate and update the curriculum to meet the changing interests of students and sports in general,โ said Dr. Dennis Sajo, PATHFIT Professor.
The PATHFIT faculty attended seminars and training sessions to prepare to teach students how to play pickleball, building on their training and familiarity with the sport.
โOur faculty is well-versed and up-to-date regarding the skills needed for this sport. This allows us to be able to offer this sport to you,โ Dr. Sajo said.
๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ง
According to Dr. Sajo, pickleball could encourage students to become more disciplined, respectful, and collaborative players while helping develop school spirit. He added that FEU-NRMF will be among the first schools in the country to adopt pickleball as a sport in its PATHFIT curriculum.
The addition of pickleball could give students opportunities to develop their skills and eventually participate in inter-school and intramural competitions. These opportunities could allow students to apply what they learn in class in competitive settings while strengthening teamwork and school spirit.
Pickleball may also be featured in upcoming Nursing Week and Foundation Week celebrations, potentially taking the place of badminton as a featured sport and giving students another opportunity to participate in and enjoy the new PATHFIT offering.
โWe want it to be fun and games,โ Dr. Sajo said.
๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง
As pickleball becomes part of studentsโ PATHFIT 4 experience, each serve and rally marks another step in FEU-NRMFโs effort to expand its physical education curriculum. Beyond introducing a new sport, FEU-NRMF hopes that pickleball will encourage students to stay active, invest in their health, and discover a lifelong physical activity they can continue enjoying beyond their college years.
