Pickleball, Anyone?

You’ve heard about it; maybe you’ve even played the game. Pickleball has grown in popularity over the years, especially among people 55 years and older. So this gave us an excellent opportunity to educate ourselves, and our readers, about the game and why so many people love playing pickleball.

What’s the Story?

Pickleball is a peculiar name, for sure. Turns out the game was created in 1965 by three friends from Washington state – Congressman Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. While vacationing on Bainbridge Island (near Seattle), they were looking for something their families could do together. There was an old badminton court on the property, but not enough rackets, so they improvised using ping pong paddles and a wiffle ball. After weeks of trial and error, the net was lowered to 36 inches to make it more engaging and rules for playing the game were developed using badminton as a guide.

There are two stories as to how the name pickleball came about. One thought is that Pritchard’s wife, Joan, says the name came from the term “pickle boat.” A pickle boat is the last boat to finish a race. In rowing, the pickle boat is usually made up of leftover oarsmen from other teams. The other theory is that it was named after Pritchard’s dog, Pickles. Both are original!

Why do people love pickleball?

Interestingly, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S., according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. In 2021, USA Pickleball reported their membership reached 53,000 members. At the 2021 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, over 2,300 players registered, the largest tournament in the world to date. Locally, Pickleball Lincoln (PLI) offers memberships, round robins, lessons, and more.

The interest and growth in pickleball may be due to the fact it is easy to learn for all ages and is gentle on the joints, unlike tennis or racquetball. Within only a few games, players can get the hang of it.

Pickleball is an inexpensive sport that only requires basic equipment. It is played on a small court which makes it so enjoyable. It can improve hand-eye coordination, test your reflexes, and best of all, the social aspect of pickleball is an environment of fun competition and socializing!

Now that we know more about the game, we’re excited to go check it out. People say that if you play pickleball, you will be hard-pressed to put the racket down once you start — pickleball just may be the sport for you and your friends. We’ve even listed where to find pickleball courts around the Lincoln area!

OUTDOOR COURTS

Ballard Park

N. 66th & Kearney Ave.

PLI net box (4 nets)

Peterson Park

4400 Southwood Dr.

10 dedicated courts

Henry Park S.

44th & Prescott Ave.

PLI net box (4 nets)

Seng Park (aka University Place Park)

49th & Garland

PLI net box (4 nets)

Eden Park

S. 45th & Antelope Creek Rd.

PLI net box (4 nets)

Roberts Park

56th & Sumner

PLI net box (4 nets)

INDOOR COURTS

F Street Rec. Center

1225 F Street

(402) 441-7951

Genesis-East Lincoln

1305 S. 70th Street

(402) 483-2322

Calvert Rec. Center

4500 Stockwell St.

(402) 441-8480

Genesis-Racquet Club

5300 Old Cheney Rd.

(402) 423-2511