Pickleball History
The fascinating history of pickleball traces back to the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA. Let’s dive into the origins of this unique sport:
- Joel Pritchard, a congressman, and his friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum were the creative minds behind pickleball.
- One sunny Saturday, after a game of golf, they returned to Pritchard’s home to find their families with nothing to do. The property had an old badminton court.
- Unable to find a complete set of badminton rackets, they improvised by using ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
- Initially, they set the net at the badminton height of 60 inches and volleyed the ball over the net.
- As the weekend progressed, they discovered that the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface, leading them to lower the net to 36 inches.
- The following weekend, Barney McCallum joined the game, and together, the three men created rules, drawing inspiration from badminton.
- Their original purpose was to provide a game that the whole family could enjoy together.
- In 1967, the first permanent pickleball court was constructed in the backyard of Joel Pritchard’s friend and neighbor, Bob O’Brian.
- 1972 marked the formation of a corporation to protect this new sport.
- 1975: The National Observer published an article about pickleball, followed by a feature in Tennis magazine, dubbing it “America’s newest racquet sport.”
- 1976: The world’s first known pickleball tournament took place at the South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington. Participants included college tennis players who practiced with large wood paddles and a softball-sized plastic ball.
- 1982: Pickleball pioneer Sid Williams organized tournaments in Washington state.
- 1984: The United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.) was established to promote pickleball nationally. The first rulebook was published, and Arlen Paranto created the first composite paddle using fiberglass/nomex honeycomb panels.
- By 1990, pickleball was being played in all 50 states.
- 1992: Pickle-Ball, Inc. began manufacturing pickleballs in-house with a custom drilling machine.
- Sadly, in 1997, Joel Pritchard passed away at the age of 72, leaving behind a legacy forever tied to the birth of pickleball