A fun game with a strange name is slowly creeping across the globe and has recently found a devoted group of players here in Canberra. Pickleball is a sort of mash-up of tennis and badminton with a splash of ping-pong.
This year, pickleball has been adopted as the official state sport of Washington, USA where it was first played back in 1965. Pickleball was born when two families with nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon improvised after only being able to find parts of other games. It started with a badminton court, ping-pong paddles, and a perforated plastic ball.
One of the original families was that of former US congressman Joel Pritchard, who created the rules with two other men. Two years later, the first official court was built in Pritchard’s neighbour’s yard. In 1972, a corporation was created to protect the sport.
Congressman Pritchard’s wife, Joan, was the one who coined the name pickleball. The mismatched equipment made her think of a pickle boat in competitive rowing, where a team is made of those who were not selected to be principal rowers. While a widely held belief is the name came from the family dog, Pickle, that kept stealing the ball, this was later found to be a joke told to a media outlet. They didn’t have a dog named Pickle at the time.
On a badminton-sized court with small, solid paddles (aka the bat), players hit a hollow, plastic ball the size of a tennis ball. The game can be played both indoors or out and can be slow or quick. The only way to score a point is as the server; players cannot gain points from beating the other side or losing a serve. This may contribute to the game’s friendly feel.
“The idea is to serve from the back line and then come into the line near the net called the kitchen line, that’s where you do dinking. Dinking is where you do short little shots to each other trying to get somebody out or make a mistake. It is very quick and exciting and frustrating – but most of all fun,” says Judy Stretton, Pickleball ACT club secretary.
Judy first discovered the sport when she was holidaying at a friend’s house near Foster, Victoria. A self-confessed non-sportsperson, Judy gave it a go and enjoyed the game so much that when she returned home, she was determined to find like-minded people in Canberra. She took to Facebook asking the Pickleball Australia page where she could play the game locally.
“I’ve never played a ball and paddle sport before and I’m not very good at it, but I am absolutely addicted to it,” Judy smiles.
Susan Briggs, now vice president of the Canberra club, contacted Judy. Susan loves sports, and when a friend started posting his new sporting craze, she was intrigued. Once she heard about the kitchen line, she knew pickleball was right for her.
“You’re not allowed over that space; you’re not allowed in the kitchen. That’s me! I do not like spending time in the kitchen, so I thought this is the sport for me,” Susan smiles.
The women and other social players started meeting on Sunday afternoons to play. Then, about 18 months ago, Pickleball Australia sent a representative to help establish Pickleball ACT Incorporated, which saw the group form a committee and receive funding to hire a space.
Susan and Judy say the hardest part of playing pickleball in Canberra is finding a venue, especially one that is indoors. Weather can be unpredictable in the ACT and the club wanted a place they could play rain, hail or shine.
They found an indoor venue in the Action Indoor Sports Kambah; the owner also has a sister company in Queensland which had started hosting pickleball a month before. The club’s outdoor venue is the Tuggeranong Archery Club, while Belconnen Community Services hosts an over-65s event each week.
“They are older, they are retired, which gives us the chance [to play] then. We have Wednesday nights for the workers and Sunday afternoon, so we are trying to spread our target group,” Susan says.
“We are finding the indoor cricketers and the netballers are saying ‘what is that game?’ because they hear us just laughing all the way through,” Judy says.
They say the sport tends to be popular with an older demographic because it requires less running than tennis or squash and is easier on the joints.
“I think it’s more forgiving, I think anyone can play pickleball. You don’t have to hit it hard, you don’t have to be strong, you don’t have to be a fast runner, you don’t have to have played the sport before,” Susan says.
However, they want to encourage everyone to give it a go, saying it’s perfect for ages eight to 88. The group’s president discovered pickleball on a cruise ship where it had its own courts. It has been widely adopted across the United States with many retirement villages fitting out courts, Susan says. There are even pickleball holidays in the Caribbean where guests receive training each day.
“It’s prolific everywhere but not here,” Susan says.
“It is just slowly spreading around the world; I think it’s been evolving all around the world,” Judy adds.
The world and national championships are already on the way, but the women know the Canberra crew isn’t there yet. They are hoping to find a place they could set up six courts and invite nearby groups like Jindabyne and Batemans Bay for a mini comp weekend.
They want to improve their skills and have contacted a regional NSW coordinator to see if they can provide some coaching or attend a training day.
“It’s a very strategic game. It’s not just knowing how to play, it’s knowing what to hit, where to hit, what type of ball to hit, cause that’s how you win,” Susan says.
Want to try your hand at pickleball? Find out more at facebook.com/groups/pickleballaustralia
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