Pickleball History
Pickleball is a court game that uses elements of ping pong, tennis, and badminton to create a
family friendly game that can be played indoors or outside. Pickleball can turn into a fast paced game for experienced players. The game was first developed back in the 1960's by Joel Pritchard, a congressman from the state of Washington and his friend, businessman Bill Bell who, one weekend, were looking to create a game that could be played by all their family members with the equipment they had on hand: an incomplete badminton set and some ping pong paddles. The name? After the family dog. Since this humble backyard conception over 50 years ago, the game of pickleball has increased in popularity over the last 5 decades and has begun to spread around the world.
Pickleball in the PARRC Region
In the PARRC region, pickleball courts can be found in East Coventry Township at Ellis Woods Park (855 Ellis Woods Road, Pottstown), as well as indoor courts at the 422 Sportsplex and the Pottstown YMCA. The courts at Ellis Woods Park are very popular with township residents and visitors, with games being played on most days with good weather. In 2022, North Coventry Township will add three new pickleball courts to Riverside Park near the existing tennis courts. These courts will be built thanks to a grant from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, which supports park and recreation improvement projects within the PARRC region.
Pickleball Pointers
USA Pickleball contains great information on all things pickleball, including rules, strategy, tactics and has videos to help you get started. Pickleballcentral.com says, "Pickleball is an inclusive, accessible, non-elitist sport that transcends social and economic barriers. Many top players have no past racquet or paddle sport experience and have limited athletic abilities. Pickleball is easy to begin but difficult to master. Grab a paddle and give it a try!"
