It was just another Saturday in Washington state in 1965. Joel Pritchard with his neighbors Bill Bell and Barney McCallum were looking for equipment for a badminton game. Unable to find the necessary gear, the trio took some ping-pong paddles and a Wiffle ball.
Pickleball was born. Prichard’s wife gave the new game the name of Pickleball after the pickle boats in crew. The boats were filled with a crew that was thrown together at random – a fitting name for a game created from leftover items from other sports.
Unlike other sports pickleball is a pretty new sport that has recently taken a lot of popularity. It is the fasting growing sport in the US for the last three years. A great part of pickleball is it takes almost little to no equipment. All that is needed is a pickleball paddle, a pickleball and a court which is very similar to a tennis court. This makes students in High School have very easy access to start playing pickleball.
“I don’t have a lot of experience with pickleball, but I know my friends play and I think it would be something fun to look forward too,” junior Josie Oatman said. “It could also take some stress off of us with all our school work this year.”
Pickleball can be played in a 1v1 match or a 2v2 match. There is a lot of similarity with tennis, just a few differences that makes pickleball, pickleball. Youth and teenagers have had a blast with this new sport, and it’s a great idea for a fun hangout with your friends, or even become competitive with it.
“I was super excited to see that we had a pickleball club,” junior Nadia Rice said. “Me and my friends have been trying to find people for our neighborhood court and now we can maybe get some tournaments going.”
The Willis High School Pickleball Club saw this new popularity and wanted to give students a chance to experience the game. The sponsor wants everyone to join and participate in this amazing new club.
“Students can stop by C112 to get a parent permission form that must be signed and an informational handout,” Parsons said. “They can also email me, and I can share this information with them, and answer what they need to know if they have never played before.”
Many people start pickleball in different ways. Parsons shares her origin story with this sport and how it has helped her life.
“I got involved with pickleball almost two years ago because it looked fun, but what has kept me coming back is the friends I have made while playing,” Parsons said. “Plus everytime I play, I get a little better and learn something new. I have also played with every type of age from kids that are 13 to an 81 year old.”
The club plays at the Core Sportsplex in Willis on Wednesdays. The offer a reduced fee and special times for students only.
“Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America,” Parsons said. “Don’t you want to be apart of something new? Our students should join this club so they have a group of people to play with and a new group of friends to be active with. We don’t have to go far or pay a lot to play and that’s very nice. There are several adults that help the students get better, so come join, new or experienced, and bring a friend. See you on Wednesdays 4-6!”
