Pickleball is a new sport that is rising rather quickly around the U.S., and has about 4.8 million participants nationwide. It has reached the top spot for the fastest-growing sport in the past two years. Pickleball was created in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island. They created it by using ping pong paddles and a larger ball, so they could keep their kids busy on days that it rained. Over time and seeing how fun it became, rules were made to make it more fun and challenging. This made the game take off quickly, and by 1972 the first official pickleball court was created.
This sport was barely on the radar many years ago, so what suddenly made it so popular? During COVID-19, the sport was playable because it was a fun, simple game, and people were spread out. People could not go out and exercise, so with how small the courts are, people could make one on their driveway to exercise. The sport is much easier on the human body than say tennis or other racquet sports, and does not seem like a workout with how thrilling and simple it is. Pickleball is a game for everyone: grandparents, teens, and adults of all ages have been and can play this sport, and have been for a long time. It only requires a few easy objects to purchase. You need a wooden paddle, a ball similar to a whiffle ball, and an area that provides a court to set up with a net. The rules are simple: singles or doubles must hit the ball over the net back and forth until one team misses or it goes out of bounds; to score a point, you must be the serving team; to win you must reach eleven and win by a minimum of two points. Additionally, it provides various health benefits for its players. For starters, it has been proven to lower depression and improve cognitive performance. For younger or older athletes trying to have fun can improve their hand-eye, agility, and coordination, as well as muscle strength and function. Due to the increasing popularity of this game, there has been talk about adding it to the 2028 Olympic games. The best way to experience this is to pick up a paddle and try the game yourself.
