Pickleball was created by Joel Pritchard (former United States congressman), Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The three founding fathers of pickleball created the game out of a necessity to entertain their bored children. They improvised with the recreational gear they had at hand, which included a badminton net, table tennis paddles, and a wiffle ball. Pritchard, Bell, and McCallum tweaked the rules to eventually come up with the first rules of the sport of pickleball. Needless to say, the newly created game was a hit with the children and quickly attracted the attention of the adults, too.
Other Key Dates in the History of Pickleball:
Today, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, there are more than 3.3 million pickleball players in the United States. There are also almost 8,000 places to play, with more than 30,000 pickleball courts, across the globe. The growth of pickleball since 1965 is staggering, and this is only the beginning. The sport of pickleball continues to grow and capture the hearts of players worldwide.
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To get better at pickleball, try the following:
Step 1: Find the nearest public pickleball court.
Step 2: Say hello and wait to be invited onto a pickleball court.
Step 3: Say YES to playing pickleball!
Stacie Townsend
Author