Pickleball is a sport that is growing in popularity. The sport & fitness industry association reports 2.46 million people played in 2015. It is not only becoming popular in the United Sates, but in Canada, Europe and Asia as well.
The sport was invented in 1965 by three Fathers; Joe Prichard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Their kids were bored with their summer activities. They tried to setup a badminton game but was missing the shuttlecock. The three fathers improvised by lowering the net, using a wiffle ball and making paddles out of plywood.
The sport combines the elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong into one. Two, three or four players can play on one court. The rules are easy to learn making it great for beginners. Pickleball can quickly develop into a fast paced competitive game for experienced players.
Pickleball has become a popular sport for people of all ages. Kids are playing the sport now during their physical education classes in school. Seniors are finding it a great social activity while at the same time getting exercise.
The court dimensions inside the playing lines is 20’x 44’ for both singles or double. The total playing areas is typically 34’ x 60’. Pickleball courts can be individually constructed or can be configured into tennis, badminton or basketball courts. The net height is 36” high on the ends and 34” high in the middle.
Each player will need a racquet. The racquet is made of wood or composite & is smaller than a tennis racquet and larger than a ping pong paddle. The ball varies from inside to outside use but it has holes like a wiffle ball and is usually white or yellow. Players at this point typically wear anything that is comfortable.
New England Sealcoating is putting in more and more of these courts each year. It has usually been stripped on an existing tennis court. The popularity is most definitely growing.
