Pickleball: it sounds like this would be the single mostoutrageous sport in the world. The name itself seems silly, letalone what the sport may actually entail. In reality, pickleball isnot as it sounds.
Pickleball was created on Banbridge Island, just outside ofSeattle, in 1965. According to its inventors, which included a U.S.Congressman, was to provide a sport for the entire family toplay.
Number of pickles involved thus far: 0.
Pickleball is played on the same dimensions and lines as abadminton court, only the net is lowered to the ground, like intennis. The ground service must be a hard surface, like a gymfloor.
The ball is served underhand, diagonally over the net. The ballmust hit the ground on the other side of the net before theopponent is allowed to return the ball. You cannot volley the ballwithin seven feet of the net. Points can only be scored by theserving side, and the first person or team to score eleven pointswith a lead of two wins.
Number of pickles involved thus far: 0.
Pickleball is played with paddles similar to those used inping-pong. Instead of using tennis balls, pickleball uses abaseball sized wiffle ball. The design of the wiffle ball allowsthe balls to travel slowly through the air, changing many aspectsof the game from tennis, one of its derivatives.
Pickleball is played primarily in the Seattle area, although ithas slowly spread throughout the world, especially in the last fiveyears. It is played in physical educations classes and is anintramural sport at several colleges, including Kansas, Cornell andCentral Washington.
Number of pickles involved thus far: 0.
The United States Pickleball Association lists Mark Friedenbergand June Crabb as the top pickleball players of the past fouryears. The USAPA holds several pickleball matches.
There is even a pickleball world championship, which is in itssecond year.
Now, you may be wondering how this sport got its name. When thesport was first invented, near Seattle, it was played by one familywho had a dog named Pickles. Whenever a ball would go errant whileplaying the game, Pickles would chase after the ball and hide it inthe bushes. And so the name was shortened to Pickleball.
Number of pickles involved total: 1 (a dog).
Write to Will at wjohargan@bsu.edu
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