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Pickeball is a fairly new sport in Spain, although it was invented in the United States in 1965. In that country there are almost 5 million players, according to the DON’T GIVE., while in ours there are a thousand. The International Federation of this discipline is made up of 37 countries.
The original inventors of the game were three friends: Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Pritchard was a senator and a former basketball and tennis player. He and his friends were looking for a recreational activity to play with their families on the badminton court that he had in his garden. They couldn’t find the rackets or the shuttlecock (a hemisphere shaped like a ball surrounded at its base by feathers that is used in badminton), so they improvised with some ping pong paddles and a wiffle ball with a hole in it.
The origin of the name
There are doubts about the version of how the name pickleball was chosen for this sport, although one of them is being more accepted, perhaps because of how curious his story is. You can choose the one you like the most.
The two stories are: the one with the dog and the one with the boat. Each of these two versions have been well documented in interviews and written records by both families, the Pritchard (“Gherkin Boat” story) and the McCallums (“dog story”).
According to McCallums, one of the game’s friends and creators, the name “pickleball” refers to the Pritchard family’s dog (a cocker spaniel), whose name was Pickles and who liked to chase the ball. Instead, the Pritchards claim that the dog did not arrive in the family until two years later and that the dog was named after the game.
The second version of the origin of the name features Joel Pritchard’s wife, Joan, who had rowed in college, and who was inspired by the pickle boat crew. The origins of the pickle boat are nautical, it is a term used in sailing, to refer to the last boat to finish a race.
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Begoña de Toro, María Alfonso, Jesús Jurado and Marta Soler, in the middle of a pickleball game.
Angel Sastre Martinez
Two years later, in 1967, Joel Pritchard built the first permanent pickleball court in the backyard of Bob O’Brian, who was Pritchard’s neighbor and close family friend.
As the game began to gain steam, a corporation called Pickleball, Inc. was founded in 1972 to help interested players purchase equipment to play. This included paddles, nets, and balls, which were not taken from other racket games, but created specifically for pickleball. This helped transition the game from a local pastime to a legitimate sport.
Begoña de Toro, María Alfonso, Jesús Jurado and Marta Soler are pickeball practitioners and they explain their experience to us in this interview in which their responses alternate.
What is pickleball?
(Jesus): Pickleball is a very fun sport, born in the 1960s that combines rules and measures from various sports, such as badminton, tennis and table tennis.
What is the object of the game of pickleball?
(Marta): The same as any other racket sport, that is, the opponent cannot pass his ball over the net to the opposite field. Only one dribble is allowed within the field of play. If he bounces out, the shot will be invalid. If it touches the ground twice, the point goes to the team that took the shot.
What has attracted you the most about this sport?
(María): Mainly, that it is a very easy sport to practice, regardless of the level with which you can reach other sports, immediately they start to rally and long points are made due to its characteristics.
It is a very easy sport to practice.
María AlfonsoPickleball player
What is needed to play?
(Begoña): All you need is a shovel (for 20 euros you can already get one) and a plastic wiffle ball with holes that usually costs approximately 3 euros. And that’s it. In addition to being easy, it is cheap.
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Paddles and ball used to play pickleball.
Angel Sastre Martinez
How is the shovel?
(Jesus): The pickleball paddle is one of the most important pieces of this sport. You need to have a racket made of a rigid material that is not pierced and that does not compress. They can be made of graphite, wood, etc., with dimensions that cannot exceed 43.18 cm in length, nor 60.96 cm adding length and width.
What ball is used in pickleball?
(Marta): One of the most characteristic elements of pickleball are the wiffle balls. Unlike tennis, the pickleball ball does not have felt, but is made of perforated PVC (minimum of 26 holes and maximum of 40), its diameter is between 7 and 7.5 centimeters; and from 22.1 to 26.5 grams of weight.
Is special clothing required to play?
(María): No, sports shoes can be used for smooth and flat surfaces, as well as comfortable clothing that does not limit movement.
How many sets does a pickleball game have?
(Begoña): The matches are usually played to the best of three sets and to 11 points each, with a difference of two, but there are also tournaments to 15 or 21 points.
Where can I play pickleball?
(Jesús): According to USA Pickleball rules, this sport is played in a space 6 meters wide and 13 meters long. The back of each side of the court is divided by perpendicular white lines into 3 meter wide service areas. Many sports clubs and facilities are rushing to build pickleball courts due to the exponential growth of the sport. At our club, Bará, we currently have 4 courts and in less than a month we will have 6 courts.
Many sports clubs and facilities are rushing to build pickleball courts
Jesús JuradoPickleball player
Do you think it is inclusive?
(Marta): I think that few sports can be considered more inclusive than pickleball, everyone can practice it. To show a button, three generations (3G) can perfectly coincide on the same track, grandparents, parents and children, since due to the characteristics of the game they allow it.
How did you find out about this sport?
(María): I’ve seen a video on the internet and because of the friendship I have with Bego and Marta, they told me that they were just starting out in this world and they invited me to play… It won’t be the last day for sure!
Are there currently pickleball tournaments in Spain?
(Begoña): Yes, in Spain more and more tournaments are held. The most important of them all is the Spanish Open, which is held in Madrid at the beginning of September and which, in its seventh edition, had 300 participants. On August 5, the first Open Berà is held at our club.
Can you let us in on some pickleball secrets?
(Marta): Those who have tried it repeat. If we can get people to try it, this will be a success. That is the “secret”, and secondly, I would highlight the beauty of its simplicity.
What are the strengths of this sport?
(Jesús): I would highlight for myself the three strong points of pickleball: it is an egalitarian and inclusive sport, it is designed to be played with family, friends, of all ages, and both the technique and the rules are learned quickly, allowing start have fun
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Action during a doubles match, in celebration of the I Pickleball Open Tournament, on August 5, at the Tennis Bará facilities, in Roda de Berà.
Angel Sastre Martinez
What do you need to know to play pickleball?
The rules of the game
Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court measuring 44′ by 20′. The net measures 36″ on the sides and droops to 34″ in the middle. These are the standard regulations for both singles and doubles play. Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles and the rules are the same for both iterations. Without bouncing the ball out of court, it must be served overlapping and diagonal to the opponent’s service court from behind the baseline. The serve has to go over the net and cannot land in the kitchen (it’s the informal term for the no-volley zone in pickleball). It extends to both sides of the net at a distance of approximately 2.00 mts. Points are scored when the opponent misses (failing to return the ball, hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net). Only the service team can score. The server will continue to serve, each time alternating service courts, until the serving side fails. Matches are played with at least 11 points and must be won by a 2 point lead. Points are lost in these three cases: Failure to return the ball within the opponent’s court limits before the second bounce; enter the non-volley zone and volley the ball; and break the double pot rule.
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2023-09-08 03:05:49
#Pickleball #equal #inclusive
