Pickleball Fever

Sixty-five years ago—long before parents worried about their children sitting transfixed by screens—Washington State Congressman Joel Pritchard and successful businessman Bill Bell returned from playing golf to Pritchard’s home near Seattle only to find their families sitting around with nothing to do.

The men rousted their children from their doldrums and out to the property’s old badminton court. Unable to find a full set of rackets, they improvised and started playing with ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball.

At first they placed the net at badminton height, 60 inches, and volleyed the ball over the net but as the weekend progressed the players found that the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface and soon the net was lowered to 36 inches.

The following weekend, a friend, Barney McCallum, was introduced to the game at Pritchard’s home and soon the three men created rules, relying heavily on badminton. The game’s inventors were ever mindful of their mission: to provide a game that the whole family could play together.

The game—which combines aspects of tennis, badminton and ping pong—was an immediate hit with friends and family and the Pritchards soon built the first permanent pickleball court to their own specifications (20-feet-by-44-feet).

With their families totally beguiled by the infectious game, the three men saw a business opportunity, and each contributed $500 to establish Pickle-ball Inc., manufacturing the first commercial paddles. McCallum, who had already launched two companies of his own, was the business mind behind the sport’s growth. He’d cut out plywood paddles on his bandsaw and establish standards for the equipment.

Why did they dub the game pickleball? The most appealing story is that the family’s dog, Pickles, liked to race across the court chasing the ball, so it became “Pickle’s Ball.” Asked much later if the game was named after Pickles, or whether the story was true that the name originated from a rowing crew term. McCallum declared, “Everyone involved knows the name came from the dog.”

Pickleball is an intensely social sport and considered to be easier on the body than many sports. In its first decades, its popularity spread along the West Coast with the first pickleball tournament being played in Washington State in 1976.

By 2008, the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (USAPA) website listed 420 places to play in 43 States and four Canadian provinces, with approximately 1,500 individual courts, not including private courts. But then the sport began to grow like wildfire.

In 2015 the total number of courts reached 12,800 indoor and outdoor courts with 10,000 members on the USAPA rolls. Only a year later, USAPA announced it had 17,000 members, a number that reached 30,000 by 2018. That year there were 21,000 known courts across the country.

Today it is officially recognized as the fastest growing sport in America, a title it has held for four of five consecutive years as of 2026, with a 300-plus percent increase in participation over the past three years. Estimates of total participants vary by study but range from about 20 million to more than 48 million, including significant number of both seniors and Generation Z.

And it has certainly invaded the tristate region with towns bowing to the clamor of local residents for designated pickleball courts, while in Pittsfield MA Bousquet Sport, 100 Dan Fox Drive, offers pickleball enthusiasts—and those new to the sport—a complete experience.

With 12 courts (six inside and six outdoors, all with cushioned surfaces) the games are never interrupted by weather at Bousquet—indeed, the sports complex was open this week even during the region’s first blizzard in decades.

Tyler Besse, racquet sport and simulator manager at Bousquet Sport, oversees five pickleball instructors there who are ready to introduce those new to the sport or instruct those who want to improve their game. The facility offers private and group lessons, children’s lessons, clinics, specialized training—and tournaments!

Since first picking up a paddle in 2019, Besse has been infected by the pickleball bug, both competing and introducing others to the fun. “The first time I played pickleball I was impressed with how fun it was and the camaraderie of the sport,” he said. “Within 10 or 15 minutes you are laughing and making points. There is something about the game that is special.”

As an instructor, Besse focuses on assessing each student’s strengths and growth potential, customizing the learning experience. “I think that is why it has grown as much as it has,” he said. “It’s easy to learn but takes a long time to master. You can be having fun in 10 or 15 minutes but there is always something that someone else has learned that you have to master. There is something addictive to it. A lot of people come to play five or six times a week and some even play multiple times a day they love it so much.”

Besse said pickleball has been part of Bousquet Sport’s offerings for four years with games first taking place on the tennis courts. The facility has had dedicated facilities for two years and membership is now edging up toward 400.

“There are additional players who come as guests or get a day or week pass,” he said. “It’s definitely in demand depending on the time of day but it gets easier in the summer when we have the outdoor courts.”

New pickleball players are encouraged to take Bousquet’s Pickleball 101 clinic to learn the basic rules, safety techniques and practice hitting the ball on the court with one of its instructors. Players must wear clean court shoes while paddles and balls are available to rent for players who do not have their own equipment. Players interested in joining tournaments or more experienced clinics, should consider three private lessons to assess their skill level.

Besse directs Bousquet’s leagues, tournaments, clinics and develops corporate events that bring together players of all ages and abilities. One such event will be held March 12th-15th when Bousquet Sport stages its Spring Fling Pickleball Tournament. This event is open to players of all skill levels.

The tournament will follow a round-robin format, guaranteeing multiple matches for all teams. Larger brackets may be split into two pools, with the top teams advancing to playoffs. All players receive a swag bag and have access to light refreshments and snacks throughout the event.

The registration fee is $65 for the first event, with an additional $25 fee for each added event. Registration closes March 11th at midnight, and early registration is encouraged as space is limited. There is no charge to join the waiting list; fees only apply if the team is added to an event.

Besse, an active competitor in regional pickleball tournaments at the 4.5+ level for both men’s and mixed doubles, has won or placed in more than 20 events, including a first place in a Minor League Pickleball tournament.

“I still travel to tournaments and local leagues,” he said. “A lot of tournaments are offering cash prizes, including ours. It’s a really good sport for people who like to compete but who are getting a little older and can’t play basketball or football anymore. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Visit the Bousquet Sport website for more information about its many offerings.