Bill Bell, played a
round of golf and
returned to the
Pritchard home, where
they found their
children bored and
restless. A badminton
court was on the
property; perhaps that
would entertain them.
Unable to find a full
set of badminton equipment, the men brought out table
tennis paddles and a perforated plastic ball. They set the
net at 60 inches — the standard height for badminton —
and players began volleying the ball over the net. The ball
bounced well on the court’s asphalt surface, so the men
lowered the net to 36 inches as an experiment.
The next weekend, kids and adults resumed play at
the Pritchards’ home, this time with neighbor Barney
McCallum joining them. Soon, the three men created some
rules, relying heavily on the game of badminton. They kept
in mind the original purpose: to provide a game that the
whole family could play together.
Little did these guys know how exponentially the game
would grow, especially once the RV crowd became involved.
Back in 2010, there were around 100,000 players, mostly
in Arizona, Florida, and Southern California. However, as
RV snowbirds became hooked, they wanted to play in their
northern locales. That’s when the real explosion began.
By 2016, there were around 2.5 million players. Some
estimate that by 2018, as many as 8 million will be playing
pickleball.
SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE, AND FUN
Have you ever played tennis, handball, racquetball,
or squash? You’re halfway there. Pickleball is somewhat
similar. Play can be soft, or rapid-fire, or a combination.
Games are played as doubles or singles, with paddles that
resemble oversized table tennis paddles. Players hit a
perforated plastic ball that looks like a Wiffle ball over a
net, which is 36 inches high on the ends (34 inches in the
middle). In regular play, the winner is the first to score 11
points, and to win by 2.
If you haven’t played
pickleball but want to
try, players in most
communities often
are happy to give free
lessons and help.
Many of these folks
have paddles that you
can borrow or buy.
Many online sites sell
pickleball equipment
as well. Sporting goods stores, while a bit late to the party,
also are beginning to carry pickleball gear.
The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) is the governing
body of pickleball in the United States. Its “Ambassadors”
promote the sport around the country. Yes, I’m one of
them! We see ourselves as spreading goodwill for this
terrific game.
POPULAR AND ADDICTIVE
Pickeball is popular because it’s fairly easy to learn,
without too many rules, and the equipment is reasonably
priced. In my opinion, the biggest reasons for the game’s
popularity are that it is so much fun to play and it is an
extremely social sport. Men and women play as equals,
generally in doubles games.
It’s very good exercise, but because the court is one-
quarter the size of a regulation tennis court, play is easier
on the joints and muscles. If you pass by pickleball courts,
you’ll often hear laughter and hooting and hollering over
well-executed shots. The game sucks you in like no other
I’ve ever experienced. Play it a few times and you’ll be
hooked, too!
RVERS AND PICKLEBALL
Why are RVers so hooked on pickleball? Because the
game is portable. The USAPA has made buying a portable
net very affordable. (At this writing, a portable net system
was $139 for USAPA members; $149 for nonmembers.) We
carry a net as we travel in our motorhome and have played
all around the United States, and also in Canada. With
permission, we’ve played in a parking lot in Quebec City,
Quebec; on a hockey rink at an RV park on Prince Edward
CONTINUED >>
JULY/AUGUST 2017 |
MAGAZINE
43