Pickleball was created by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell on Bainbridge Island in Washington State in 1965. The two men notices their families were bored so they improvised with available racquet equipment and space available. They created rules and then the fun began. The purpose was to provide a game the whole family could play and enjoy.
Due to the popularity within their families, the first pickleball court was constructed in the backyard of Joel Pritchard and his close neighbor Bob O’Brian. Between 1967 and 1976 Pickleball gained popularity in the pacific Northwest and in the spring of 1976, the first known tournament was held the South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila Washington.
Over the next 20 years, pickleball grew in popularity and by 1984 the U.S.A.P.A. was created to perpetuate the growth and advancement of pickleball on a national level. The first official rulebook was published in March of 1984. In 1990 pickleball was being played in all 50 states and in 1999 the first official pickleball information and equipment website was launched. The advancement also included the manufacturing of better pickleball equipment for players to use.
In 2005, a new corporation for the sport was established as the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA). It became a non-profit on July 1, 2005. Pickleball expanded internationally with the creation of the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP).
By 2015 the USAPA surpassed 10,000 members and in 2021 it reached a milestone of 50,000. In 2022 Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States.
Why the name Pickleball? Well, it’s controversial. Some say its name after the Pritchard’s family dog “Pickles” but there are also claims that its named after a reference to the thrown-together leftover non-starters in the “pickle boat” of crew races. What we do know; the game has nothing to do with “Pickles”, which is food and freakin delicious.
