5 minute read
EVERYONE IS PLAYING PICKLEBALL — BECAUSE IT'S FUN
PICKLEBALL
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America. According to a 2022 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, there are more than 4.8 million picklers or pickleball players in the United States. From 2019 and 2021 pickleball grew by almost 40 percent and continues to grow as it appeals to all ages and skill levels. If you are not familiar with the sport, it can be played indoors or outdoors on a badmintonsized court. Pickleball is a fun sport combining the elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes and can be played as singles or doubles. It’s easy to learn for beginners, the rules are simple, and it’s slower-paced than tennis, but can develop into a fast-paced competitive game for experienced players.
In 1965, three dads invented the game to give their bored youngsters something to do during the summer. They started with a badminton court, some ping-pong paddles, and a plastic whiffle ball-like ball and this was literally the beginning of pickleball. Since that time, pickleball has evolved into a popular sport throughout North America with more than 53,000 USA Pickleball Memberships at the end of 2021, and pickleball has seen growth internationally with numerous courts being added in European and Asian countries.
Williamson County Parks & Recreation has also experienced the pickleball craze as the popularity of the sport continues to expand locally. Roy Wayne, Manager at Longview Recreation Center in Spring Hill, said, “It’s exciting to see how popular pickleball has become and it keeps growing. We have four indoor and eight outdoor courts and it’s becoming a challenge to balance the court times between basketball, volleyball, and badminton due to the popularity of pickleball.” Pickleball has such a following locally that Wayne has another instructor coming on board to cater to the more advanced players.
If you are wondering how the name pickleball came to be, the National Governing Body for USA Pickleball, explains:
In the summer of 1965, pickleball was founded by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Within days, Joan Pritchard had come up with the name “pickle ball” — a reference to the thrown-together leftover non-starters in the “pickle boat” of crew races. Many years later, as the sport grew, a controversy ensued when a few neighbors said they were there when Joan named the game after the family dog, Pickles. Joan and the Pritchard family have held fast for decades and the dog came along a few years later and was named after the game.
It’s an undisputed fact that pickleball began, and was also named, in the summer of 1965 by Joan Pritchard. If Pickles was around then, the dog story could be true. If Pickles wasn’t born until after 1965, the dog story would be confirmed as just a funny newspaper interview hoax—later confessed by Joel Pritchard.
Proof of when Pickles was born could help resolve the twostory name debate. As the official magazine of pickleball, we decided to dig up the past and report the truth, regardless of the venerable feathers being ruffled. We looked for dog records, uncovered photos, and interviewed several people who were there from 1965-1970. Based on evidence, we learned that the dog was born in 1968 — three years after pickleball was first played and named. In other words, the Pritchard family story stands true that pickleball was not named after the dog, but rather in reference to the local pickle boat races.
Shana Uppermann and Doug Keener are both pickleball instructors at Longview Recreation Center as well as enthusiastic players. Uppermann explains, “Pickleball started here in August 2015 at the rec center when Sharon and Joe Gibbs asked the management to start it, and then it was only offered once a week. Fast forward, now we have pickleball almost every day with 30-40 players showing up. There is open play four times per week and reserved court times twice a week. We also offer clinics for all skill levels, leagues, and tournaments throughout the year.” This past December there was a Dinking Pickleball Tournament at the rec center where picklers play in the kitchen dinking. Say what, please explain. The kitchen is the 7-foot area or non-volley zone by the net on the court. Dinking is a short drop shot that originates in the kitchen area. Players can only dink back and forth during the tournament. Hence a dinking tournament. Voila!
When Keener moved to Middle Tennessee he had already been playing pickleball in Florida and was a huge fan of the sport. “I've been playing pickleball for 10 years now. It is a sport for all ages and is absolutely perfect for seniors because it gets you off the couch and gets you moving again,” he said. “It’s good for your body and your brain because you're having to think about every shot, where it's going, and where you are going to return it. Pickleball is something I can have fun playing anywhere. That’s why there are so many people playing it. And it’s really easy to learn.”
If you are looking for a great exercise for your mind and body, then pickleball is for you. It’s something that’s fun to do with your friends and a good workout for all ages. Stop by the Longview Recreation Center in Spring Hill or one of the other centers nearby and give pickleball a try this winter. It’s a smashing good time! n
