Join us for pickleball

Calvary has its own co-ed group of players and wants to grow. Beginners are welcome.

by Jill Pearson

Do you know the origin of pickleball? It dates back to 1965. Here’s the story: Joel Pritchard, congressman from Washington State and friend, Bill Bell, returned after golfing to Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island, WA, to find their families sitting around with nothing to do. The property had an old badminton court so Pritchard and Bell looked for some badminton equipment and could not find a full set of rackets. They improvised and started playing with ping-pong paddles and a whiffle ball. The players found that the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface and lowered the net to 36 inches. Rules were created, relying heavily on badminton. They kept in mind the original purpose, which was to provide a game that the whole family could play together.

Within days, wife Joan Pritchard had come up with the name “pickle ball”—a reference to the thrown-together leftover non- starters in the “pickle boat” of crew races. Many years later, as the sport grew, neighbors said they were there when Joan named the game after the family dog, Pickles. Joan and the Pritchard family have held fast for decades that the dog came along a few years later and was named after the game.

Pickleball is now a popular sport for a wide range of ages. My 73-year-old mom plays 7 days a week! Dave and I recently got some paddles, learned the game, and quickly came to love it. Calvary has a group that meets most weekends to play at local courts or in the Calvary gym. Married couples and singles are welcome. If you’d like to get on the WhatsApp messaging list, contact Ingrid Ansell, ansell.ingrid@outlook.com or Gail Peterson, gpeterson@calvaryefree.church.