Pickleball
Slowly making its way around
America
A Great Game for Montpelier
Positive Family Relations
Positive Public Relations
PickleBall’s not-so-humble
beginnings
• Pickleball was
“invented” on
Bainbridge
Island - a short
ferry ride from
Seattle
1%er’s gift to America?
Congressmen Joel Pritchard (1925-1997; RWA) and his friend, William Bell, invented the
game one day when they couldn’t find
shuttlecocks for their kids’ badminton game.
They made makeshift wooden paddles and
used a wiffleball -- their kids loved it.
So did “Pickles,” the family dog – he would
chase the wiffleballs and hide in bushes
• Thus the name: “Pickleball”.
• Pickles - co-inventor of pickleball.
• Pickles would chase after the errant balls and then hide
in the bushes.
• Initially, families played Pickleball in their backyards on a
hard surface, on driveways, and on residential dead-end
streets.
Pickle-ball in a nutshell
• A sport for all ages;
indoors/outdoors
• Combines elements
of badminton, tennis,
and table tennis
• Net two inches lower
than tennis (ideally);
court 20’ by 44”
• Hard paddle and a
wiffle ball
Equipment
 Wiffle ball (similar)
 Wooden or graphite
paddles
 Low net – 34”- can
play with slightly
higher or lower
 20’x44’ court size
(singles & doubles)
Easy to Adapt Montpelier
Courts
• One line to be drawn in
chalk 7 feet from the net,
parallel to the net (“no
volley zone”
• (will wash away and can
be redrawn by anyone
who wants to play)
• The singles Tennis
boundaries can be used
• Later, if it really proves
popular on and the Board
wants to go further, any
of the tennis courts can
be formally “retrofitted” to
TWO pickleball courts –
But this would be for
Summer 2014 IF it
catches on.
My “committee”
• To teach Pickleball:
• Floyd Zablotney, Senior Citizen, many years
playing and planning Pickleball (moving to
Millersville June 2013)
• Kevin Hall, Swimming Instructor, Fairlands,
experienced teaching Pickleball at Gallaudet
University
• Neighbors who have volunteered to assist
• David Gorthy, Susanne Sutton, Lillian Fazio
(Tennis Court Coordinator)
• Other Montpelier Residents being recruited
What do we need from the
Board
• Permission to use the courts on July 20
with 27th as a rain/unforeseen
circumstances date
• Permission to use chalk to mark out the
“no-volley” line parallel to the net
• Moral Support (announce on web, etc)
The Remaining Slides
• Additional information about the game –
for the Board’s pleasure
THIS IS FOR IF, AT A LATER DATE, THE BOARD WANTED TO CHANGE ANY OF
THE TENNIS COURTS INTO “OFFICIAL PICKLEBALL COURTS”
For information on Rules, strategies, positioning, court size, etc
Check this link out:
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0157/4690/files/243978_Pickle_Ball_Rules.pdf?3421
General rules
• Ball served underhand diagonally, starting from the
right side, then alternating,
• Must bounce once on receiving side before
returning the ball (volley) – after this it can be hit in
the air (no bounce) or after bouncing once
• Play to eleven points, win by 2 points
• Faults/lose serve
–
–
–
–
Hit out of bounds
Does not clear the net
Volleyed from the non-volley zone
Initial Volley before bounce
Unique Attributes
• Pickleball has three unique
attributes:
–The serve position
–The double bounce rule
–The non-volley zone
• The three rules are not found in
any other racquet sports.
Some History: In 1984, the USA Pickleball
Association became the governing body of the
sport and published its first official rulebook. The
organization has 15,000 members and 30
registered courts in 12 states.
The game is most popular in Washington State
where it was founded nearly 40 years ago.
Pickles would be proud.
USA Pickleball Association
• This organization has 15,000
members and 30 registered
courts in 12 states.
• This sport obviously is most
popular in the state of
Washington where it was
created.
Pickleball Today
Very popular
with senior
citizens
Can set it up
anywhere
Good for
learning
racquet skills
Kids love it!
Pickleball has spread across North
America. There are an estimated 2,000
players in and around Surprise alone,
according to leaders of the association,
whose mission is to promote the sport.
The Villages (Florida):
“Pickleball Mecca”
•
•
•
•
•
•
100 courts
4 levels of play
Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles
National Tournaments are Held
Popular in the Senior Games
Also very popular in Surprise, Az. and
other warmer 55+ communities
Video of various ages playing
Pickle-Ball
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOLY
TAz5g4
• The video shows numerous kinds of hits
which include: volley, smash, rally, lob and
more
Bibliography
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickleball
• http://www.chiefseattle.com/history/chi
efseattle/_derived/bainbrid.htm_txt_bai
nbr2.gif
• http://www.sportsknowhow.com/pickle
ball/history/pickleball-history.shtml