Let’s be real here for a minute.  You could not get a funnier name for a sport.  

Who would have thought that a game invented by a group of families looking for something to do on a summer vacation would become one of the fastest growing sports in the world? But that’s exactly the story of pickleball.

This fun and easy-to-learn sport has its roots in Washington State, USA back in 1965. A group of dads were looking for something to do after golf one day and stumbled upon an old badminton court. With some quick thinking, they improvised some paddles and found a perforated plastic ball, and voila – pickleball was born!

So, where did the name pickleball come from? According to legend, the game was named after a dog! However, the true story is actually even more interesting. The name comes from a combination of the words “pickle boat” and “badminton”. Pickle boats were used in a popular sport called “Platform Tennis” which was similar to badminton.

Platform Tennis was mostly played by wealthy people and required expensive equipment. Joel Pritchard, one of the inventors of pickleball, wanted to create a game that could be enjoyed by everyone – not just those with deep pockets! So, he came up with the idea of using a Wiffle ball and paddles instead of rackets and balls.

And so, pickleball was born!

The game was designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels, and that remains true today. Pickleball has been growing in popularity steadily over the years and is now played all over the globe.

The game has been growing in popularity ever since and is now played all over the world. It has been kept to its original purpose which is a game for all ages and skill levels…and that is the history of pickleball!