In 1965, Congressman Joel Pritchard had some wiffle balls, some paddles, a badminton court, and an innovative spark that would cause him to create what is arguably the greatest sport known to humankind. He also had a dog named Pickles, who loved to chase wiffle balls, and who’s name would soon become the face of Pritchard new invention: pickleball.
Pickleball is a relatively new sport that is picking up steam both at San Luis Obispo High School and around the country, with a reported 2.5 million people playing it each year. Pickleball borrows elements from many sports: the swing is similar to tennis, the court is similar to badminton, and the spin, reaction time and scoring is similar to table tennis.
“It’s sort of like a fun mini-tennis game that anyone can play,” said senior Zoey Miles.
But these racquet sports aren’t the only athletic events pickleball borrows from. It has the suspense of a close basketball game; the excitement of a brutal football match; the careful planning of golf, and the deep and intricate intellectual element of chess. It is an amalgam of what makes sports great, while keeping the game accessible and open.
“I had never played before, but I picked it up in under a day,” said freshman Rowan Steins. “It’s so much fun and can get really intense.”
In fact, it’s the incredible accessibility of the game that sometimes discourages high schoolers from getting involved.
“Yeah, I know pickleball,” said freshman Coleman Howe. “My grandmother plays it.”
It is true that a large proportion of the pickleball playing population are past their physical prime, but that isn’t necessarily a negative. Have old grandparents you want to spend time with? Play pickleball with them. Want to increase your self confidence? Go to your nearest pickleball-equipped seniors center, or any nearby park, and beat up on some old folks. Old people created Medicare, they survived the Cold War, they ushered in a new age of technology: but could their greatest invention be pickleball?
Pickleball also has bottomless depths. If you want to play with beginners or hit around with some intrepid elders, you are more than welcome to do so; but you can also get really good at pickleball, and the world of competitive youth pickleball is intense and fast paced, full of hard hits and quick flicks.
For too long, sports have worked as a dividing force in our society to separate the haves and the have-nots, whether that be on the basis of skill or financial resources. Pickleball is something everyone can play, and something everyone can enjoy playing. To play in SLO, you can go to the SLO Pickleball Club website and look at upcoming events.
