In Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum were looking for a way to
entertain their bored children. Looking around, they found a badminton net, ping pong paddles, and a plastic ball. After a few days of playing, the group had refined a game that is very similar to the modern day pickleball (pickleballconnect.ca). Pritchard’s wife, Joan, was a competitive rower. She noticed the similarities of the game to the concept of a “pickle boat,” a rowing team usually made up of leftover rowers from different teams. Like a pickle boat, the newly named sport was made up of leftover games (pickleballconnect.ca).
In recent years, pickleball has grown in the U.S.. USA Pickleball, the “national governing body for pickleball,” reported that there were a total of 68,458 total pickleball courts in the U.S. by 2025 with 18,455 being installed in 2024. The organization also sanctioned 142 tournaments in 2024.
In line with the national rise, the sport has also grown within Paso Robles. According to Larry Werner, USA Pickleball Association Ambassador for the Paso Robles area, the Paso Robles Pickleball Club has seen a 20.76% growth since the 2019 fiscal year (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019). These numbers only include club members who sign in to play on Mondays through Saturdays between 8 and 11:30 am. These number also leave out the vast number of unregistered recreational players.
In a survey conducted at PRHS, 21.8% of 152 students said they’ve played pickleball before.
Boys tennis coach, Daniel Diaz, shared his opinion on the recent growth of pickleball.
“I think the great thing about pickleball is the barrier to play is really low. Anyone can pick up a paddle and hit the ball around. There’s a lot of public places you can go to play. You can also buy a somewhat decent paddle for $40. It’s easier for people to play in general,” Diaz said.
Compared to pickleball, high quality tennis rackets cost around $300 alongside tennis players needing a higher fitness level when compared to pickleball.
Though pickleball has reached new heights in the U.S., it is unlikely to become an Olympic sport in the near future. According to the Professional Pickleball Association, the sport currently lacks a global reach. In order to receive an Olympic admission, men must play a sport in 75 different countries across four continents and women must play in 40 different countries across three continents. Pickleball would also need to set a standardized competitive structure , comply with Olympic regulations, and compete with limited Olympic sports.
Sophomore Levi Anderson, a varsity tennis player, believes the popularity of pickleball varies depending on the person.
“Pickleball is fun but not nearly as rewarding as tennis, mostly because of the increase of skill that tennis requires while anyone can pick up a [pickleball] paddle and be good quick,” Anderson said. “Want to have fun with your friends or grandma? Play pickleball. Want to challenge yourself physically and mentally and still have a great time? Play tennis.”
Pickleball has been implemented as sports in high schools across Maryland (USA Today). Currently, there are no plans to instate pickleball as a varsity sport at PRHS.
