94
| SUNRAYS AUGUST 2014
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
It’s
r umor ed that
pickleball was
invented in 1965 by Joel
Pritchard in Washington
state, after returning home
from a day of golf. His fam-
ily was moping, so he and
a few friends decided a good game of badminton
would do; the only hitch: they couldn’t find the
shuttlecock! He did have some Wiffle balls, so they
created some paddles out of plywood and lowered
the badminton net; thereby devising a game which
he, then, called pickleball. Now, there are some
who say that the family dog was named Pickles.
No one knows for sure.
Today, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in
the U.S. One of the most appealing things about
pickleball is the slower pace required compared
to tennis. Also, the courts are smaller than ten-
nis courts, leaving less of a toll on bones and
joints. There are two kinds of Wiffle balls used
in the game: a green ball that moves through the
air at a slower rate because it has larger holes,
and a yellow ball that moves faster because of
its smaller holes.
I was lucky enough to practice with mentor Mary
Payne. I learned that the ball bounces much dif-
ferently that a tennis ball, that it stays lower, and
that it is more affected by the wind—and that it
is great fun! It seems to be a good sport in which
to participate and, thankfully, the club offers free
lessons—the only requirement is a readiness to
learn and proper workout clothes (and shoes!).
One member remarked about the cardiovascular
exercise the sport provides—players get a workout
and don’t even realize it!
Currently, there are 360 members in the Pick-
leball Club who use a total of six courts, two of
which have lights for night play. There are also
tournaments held both in Sun City Texas and
throughout the country. Give pickleball a try. It’s
one sport that’s easy to love!
For more information, see page 102 or visit www.
sctxca.org > Site Index > Pickleball
Club. If you have a smartphone, scan
this QR code for a direct link to the
club website.
Take to the Courts!
Pickleball popularity is spreading through Sun City Texas
PHOTOS BY WES ODELL
By Mike Gullickson
