Music on the Court: Whose Playlist Reigns Supreme?
A spicy little post about music on the pickleball court
By Casie (Yes, the one with the speaker)
Let’s set the scene.
It’s a sunny Tuesday. The vibes are immaculate. You brought your favorite portable speaker, popped on some Lizzo, and the court is bumpin’. Not just because of your killer third shot drops, but because the energy is right. Everyone’s smiling, grooving a little between points, and you think to yourself: This is peak rec play joy.
Then…
They arrive.
Another foursome. Lovely people, I’m sure. But now they set up their speaker, and it’s playing EDM.
At full volume.
We’ve officially entered: Competing Soundtrack Chaos
Now it’s Lizzo vs. Diplo, with a side of Queen from the court behind you. And instead of fun music energy, it’s just… noise soup.
So, what’s the etiquette here?
Is it first speaker wins?
Is there a volume hierarchy?
Can you ask someone to turn theirs down?
Can you ask someone to turn theirs off?
And the biggest, most sacred question of all:
Can you just walk over and turn off someone else’s speaker?
(As in: physically. With your actual fingers. On someone else’s property.)
Because guess what?
Someone did that. TO ME.
Yep. There I was. Mid-vibe. My little JBL doing its thing. And a stranger - A STRANGER -walked over and turned. it. off.
Did they ask? No.
Did they look ashamed? Also no.
Did I gasp audibly? Oh, you bet.
Look, I get it. Music on the court is a divisive issue. Some people want silence. Some want Beyoncé. Some are in their Barry Manilow era.
But here’s what I thought were the unwritten rules:
If you bring music, keep it reasonable.
If someone’s music is a little loud, you ask (kindly!) if they can lower it.
You NEVER touch someone else’s speaker unless it’s on fire.
Touching a stranger’s speaker without asking is like eating fries off their plate. It’s just... not done.
So what is the right move?
Honestly, I don’t know anymore. That’s why I’m asking.
When it comes to music on the pickleball court:
Should it be first-come, first-serve?
Should we all invest in noise-canceling paddles?
Should there be a court DJ and a shared playlist app?
Or is music on the court something we all need to give a side-eye to and move on from?
What do you think?
Drop a comment, send us a DM, or tell us your music-on-the-court drama story so we can all feel better together.
Because pickleball is full of tough calls…
And this one isn’t in the rulebook.
Cheers,
Casie
P.S. Yes, my speaker lived.
Yes, I turned it back on.
And yes, it was Aretha. Because some things deserve respect.