Pickleball was born in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, when three friends—Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum—wanted to create a fun backyard game for their families. With makeshift paddles and a perforated plastic ball, the sport quickly took shape.
The name “pickleball” itself has a fun story: some say it came from the Pritchard family’s dog, Pickles, who loved chasing stray balls. Others believe it was inspired by “pickle boats” in rowing, referring to crews made up of leftover rowers—just like pickleball borrowed from different sports like badminton, tennis, and ping pong.
​What started as a backyard pastime has now grown into a global sport played by millions.