You probably have heard of tennis, badminton, and ping pong but there’s one sport that has all of these in one. It’s the fastest growing sport in the country. It’s called Pickleball. In this game, you use a paddle and a ball that’s similar to a wiffleball but has circular holes everywhere. Pickleball brings good benefits for people’s physical health and mental health. This sport has everyone playing, from kids to the elderly. 

   How to play / What Equipment you Need to Play

           Pickleball is a very easy sport to learn and play but also fun. You can play either singles or doubles with the same court. A pickler serves the ball underhand diagonally to the other side then you have to do the “two bounce rule” when you let the ball bounce][once then hit then bounce again then do free hits in the air and then can start playing until a player loses.] The game goes up to 11 points. There is also a “kitchen” in the court which no one can step in during the two bounce rule. To play, you need a paddle that can be any size or thickness but the length can’t exceed 17 inches. A ball that is perforated and plastic that either has 26 or 40 holes. You also need a net that is 3 ft long hung at a height of 34 inches in the middle. Lastly, you need a court that is 44 ft long and 20 ft wide

                        The History of Pickleball

In 1965, Bainbridge Island, Washington pickleball was created by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. They came up with the game by using ping pong paddles and a perforated ball on a badminton court. In a interview in 2015 with one of the last creators, Barney McCallum, says that, “Well, frankly, early kids got pushed out. We had no purpose … nobody said, ‘Let’s sit down and make this a game’ there was no conversation like that – it was strictly for our own pleasure.” Pickleball’s sudden peak even started a little before Covid-19 happened but mostly during Covid-19 since people wanted a way to stay active during the pandemic that was close to their homes. People also like this sport because they feel like it’s a workout that doesn’t seem like one and it is easier on their hips and knees compared to other racquet sports. 

                The Benefits of Playing Pickleball

People also like this sport because they feel like it’s a workout that doesn’t seem like one. Leisure Studies also show that playing this sport is linked with lower levels of depression. This sport is also good for your health and body by being easier on the hips and knees and improves people’s cholesterol levels