Pickle ballWhat do you get when you combine badminton, tennis, ping-pong, and a gregarious cocker spaniel?

These are the ingredients for the sport known as pickleball.history:Im BoredThe history of pickleball began with the familiar summer whine
that often causes parents to take drastic measures. In the summer of 19 !, the "I#m bored$ mantra was chanted by the children of two families on %rainbridge Island in the &uget 'ound area of Washington. Two desperate dads, %ill %ell and (oel &ritchard, who )ust happened to be a *' +ongressman ,tuck that in the tri-ia file., in-ented a game.The game started on an asphalt badminton court in &ritchard#s backyard. %ut, alas, no one could find the shuttlecock. The dads /uickly impro-ised with a Wiffle-type ball. The kids found it difficult to hit the 0inch ball with the lightweight rackets. 1nce again, necessity was the mother of in-ention. The dads made wooden rackets that resembled ping-pong paddles. 2s the game e-ol-ed through the afternoon it was determined that players could hit the ball on the bounce as well as out of the air.1ne afternoon of fun was had by all. %ut what about tomorrow? %ell and &ritchard huddled to form a strategy to keep the kids interested in the game. They lowered the net from fi-e feet ,badminton height. to three feet ,tennis height.. 3ow, they )ust had to sol-e the dog problem.The dog story starts with4 "&ickles, you bring that back here right now5$The whines of "I#m bored$ had been replaced by kids yelling at the dog. &ickles, the &ritchard#s cocker spaniel took an interest in the new game, particularly the ball. When he could get away with it, &ickles would fetch the ball and hide in the bushes. 6e wasn#t the most popular dog at the party, but he did get the game named after him. 7or an alternati-e -ersion of how the game was named, please see8 http899www.newsandsentinel.com9page9content.detail9id9!:; 1:.html? na-<!:!!The kids were happy and the dads were pretty proud of their new in-ention. The ne=t weekend they introduced pickleball to friend %arney >c+allum. The three men wrote down the first official rules of the game. &ickleball has three uni/ue attributes that you won#t find in any other rac/uet sport8 the ser-e position, the double-bounce rule and the no--olley ?one.'er-e position- @ou put one foot in, you keep one foot out, you keep one foot in andA you ser-e the ball. 2n incon-enient tree in the &ritchard#s yard made it necessary for one side to ser-e with one foot inside the court. To keep the game fair, both sides were allowed to ha-e one foot across the baseline when ser-ing. The tree is no longer part of e-ery pickleball game, but this uni/ue ser-ice rule is.Bouble-bounce rule-In the early days ,literally like the first two days pickleball was played. the ser-er had a huge ad-antage. The player recei-ing the ser-e would ha-e to wait for the ball to bounce. The ser-er, meanwhile, could be in position for a /uick return off the -olley. The three founding fathers added the double bounce rule to take this ad-antage away. 3ow, the recei-ing team and the ser-er must both hit their first shots off the bounce. 2fter that, the ball can be -olleyed.3o--olley Cone-To make pickleball a game of finesse and strategy rather than )ust raw power the first dads instituted a no--olley ?one in the se-en feet on either side of the net. Within this ?one, the ball must bounce before it is hit.The Friends and Family Plan&ickleball spread through the %ell#s, &ritchard#s and >c+allum#s network of family and friends. In 19 ;, +ongressman &ritchard built the first official pickleball court on the site where the game was in-ented two summers earlier. 1ther courts were soon built in the 'eattle area. 1fficial courts are nice but not necessary to the game. &ickleball can be played indoors on basketball or -olleyball courts and outdoors on )ust about any hard surface.The game caught on /uickly because it could be played by all ages, re/uired minimal e/uipment and costs and was easy to learn. @oung children who had ne-er played a rac/uet sport could en)oy pickleball. 'eniors who had hung up their tennis or badminton rac/uets came out of retirement to play pickleball.%y 19;D, interest in the game had grown to the point that &ritchard, >c+allum and %ell decided to

copyright the rules and form the *' &ickleball 2ssociation. &ickleball, the game that had a mascot before it had a rulebook, was now a real sport.Though pickleball is played by all ages, it has found its niche in grade school &E programs and senior retirement centers. The first national tournament was held in at a retirement community in 7lorida that has 0 courts. &ickleball has found its way into senior games competitions in se-eral states.In 19FG, the *' 2 &ickleball 2ssociation became the go-erning body of the sport and published its first official rulebook. The organi?ation has 1!,::: members and 0: registered courts in 1D states. The game is most popular in Washington 'tate where it was founded nearly G: years ago. &ickles would be proud.

pickleball is fun but, as with any physical activity, you need to exercise judgement.Please note that there is an AED Automated Extrernal Defibrillator! just outside of "ourt #. $f you havent take the class on it use, please consider doing so.%o help prevent injuries you should&'efore beginning any new sport discuss it with your doctor to be sure you are fit for participation. (ou may need to prepare by beginning a regular exercise routine first.$f you start feeling tired or di))y take a break.*emember that this is a game for fun and relaxation. Don+t get so caught up in it that your push yourself too hard.,arm up and stretch before you begin playing.-eep yourself hydrated, especially in hot weather. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after playing..se sunscreen and wear a hat to protect your skin.Play within your abilities // backing up or overreaching can lead to nasty falls on the hard court surface."ommunicate with your partner to avoid collisions. "all 0(ours12 or 03ine12 when it+s not obvious who should get it.,hen your ball is heading toward another court call 0'all on "ourt12 loudly to stop play on that court.4top play $33ED$A%E5( when you hear 0'all on "ourt12. 4tepping on a stray ball can lead to injury.,ear 6uality court shoes for your foot type i.e., good arch support, durable heel, proper sole contour and flexibility!. $f

Pickleball Safety TipsPlaying

you have already hurt yourself playing pickleball or another sport, make sure you recover completely before you start up again.

e/uipment&ickle &addles, &ickle ball, 3ets'kills 3eededServeWith practice, players should be able to -ary
the speed of their underhand ser-es and alternate between opponents# forehand and backhand sides. &layers should try to make their ser-es land deep in the opposite court. 2 slice ser-e will call for e=tra concentration by the returnee.Return of ServeThe player#s goal is to keep the ball in play and then to ad-ance to the net area. The best returns are either high and slow or hard and low. Ground Stroke&layers should be able to sustain long rallies and to place the ball deep and in the corners of the court. +ross-court shots and shots down the line are -aluable weapons.DinkThe most effecti-e short shots, or dinks, are those that bounce in front of the no--olley line ,the area ; feet out from the net where -olleying is not allowed.. Binks should be short and low. &layers should practice their dink shots from

mid-court, three-/uarters from the net, and from the base line. 2 popular skill-builder is the all-dink practice game.Drop Shot'imilar to the dink, the drop shot from the base line or mid-court goes far enough to clear the net, but not far enough to gi-e the opponent the chance for a return -olley. olley2 -olley is the return of a ball before it strikes the ground. 2 good way to de-elop -olleying skills is for two players to stand across the net from each other, at the no--olley line, and hit the ball back and forth without bouncing it.!o"The lob can be highly effecti-e, especially against players with weak o-erhead skills. The successful lob is usually hit fairly high, o-er the opponent#s head. The defensi-e lob allows a player time to return to his optimum position on the court. If the opponent is close to the net, a player can score by hitting an offensi-e lob that goes o-er the opponent#s head and lands inside the base line.#verhead2fter a player learns to lob, sheHs ready to learn hitting o-erhead shots ,returning lobs. down the middle and to both corners. The o-erhead stroke is nearly identical to the tennis ser-e ,i.e., a throwing motion, with the arm fully e=tended abo-e..