Below are some short excerpts from the book *History of Pickleball: More Than 50 Years of Fun!* along with current facts. Enjoy this historic pickleball timeline. If you decide to share or copy this information, please link back to this website as your source: History of Pickleball Timeline. Thank you!
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1965
Why Is it Called Pickleball? Pickleball was “born” in Bainbridge Island, WA. The founders were Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. The sport was named after the family dog “Pickles” who kept chasing the ball. Pickle’s ball.
1967
The first permanent pickleball court (built specifically for pickleball, not badminton or a temporary court), was built at Joel and Joan Pritchard’s home in Magnolia Bluff, Seattle.
1972
The corporation Pickle-Ball Inc. was formed to protect the creation of this new sport.
1975
The National Observer published an article about pickleball, which helped launch both awareness of the sport and mass orders of pickleball products.
1976
Tennis magazine published the story “America’s Newest Racquet Sport.”
1976
The first-known pickleball tournament was held at the South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, WA.
1977
A pickleball tournament was held on the roof of the Rainier Bank Tower, Seattle, WA.
1978
The book, The Other Racquet Sports, was published, providing great exposure for pickleball. Pickle-Ball Inc. attended its first trade show.
1980
Pickleball began at Thousand Trails Resorts, a nationwide network of RV parks.
1982
Sid Williams started playing pickleball and organizing tournaments in areas across Washington State.
1984
- The United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.) was organized to perpetuate the growth and advancement of pickleball on a national level.
- The first Executive Director and President of U.S.A.P.A. was Sid Williams.
- The first rulebook was published in March.
- The first composite paddle was invented by Arlen Paranto.
- U.S.A.P.A. hosted the first-ever National Doubles Pickleball Championships in Tacoma, WA.
1989
The Villages, FL, built its first permanent courts.
1992
Pickle-Ball Inc. manufactured pickleballs in-house with its own custom drilling machine.
1997
Joel Pritchard (co-founder of the sport) passed away at age 72. Although he was Washington State’s Lieutenant Governor for a while, he is probably better known for his connection to the birth of pickleball.
1999
The first pickleball Internet website (Pickleball Stuff) was launched by Fran Myer, providing information and products for sale.
2000
The first Thousand Trails tournament was held at Pio Pico RV Resort, CA.
2002
The first National Championship Tournament was hosted and played at The Villages, FL.
2003
- For the first time, pickleball was included in the Huntsman World Senior Games, held annually in St. George, UT.
- “39 Known Places to Play in North America” was listed online. This represented 10 states, three Canadian provinces, and about 150 individual courts.
- The second (and last) National Championship was hosted and played at The Villages, FL.
2005
The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) becomes a nonprofit corporation. Steve Wong created their first USAPA website.
2006
Bill Bell (co-founder of pickleball) passed away at age 83.
2008
- The Rules Committee published the USA Pickleball Association Official Tournament Rulebook – Revision: May 1, 2008.
- Pickleball was included for the first time in the National Senior Games Association (NSGA).
- 420 “Places to Play in North America” were listed on the USAPA website. This represented 43 states, four Canadian provinces, and about 1,500 individual courts. (This does not include many courts at private homes.)
- ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired a segment about pickleball – the first mass media exposure of the sport.
2009
The first USAPA National Tournament was held in Buckeye, AZ. The tournament drew 400 players from 26 states and several Canadian provinces.
2010
The International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) was created to help grow the sport on an international level.
2013
The first Tournament of Champions was held in Utah, with $46,500 in cash prizes.
2014
Pickleball Channel was launched, making it the first professional media group.
2015
- The International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA) was created.
- According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), there are over 2 million pickleball players.
- The total number of pickleball courts at the end of 2015 was 12,800 for both indoor and outdoor courts.
- The first USAPA Ambassador Retreat was held in Tahoe City, CA. (This is where Jennifer Lucore and Beverly Youngren conceived the idea for their book, History of Pickleball – More Than 50 Years of Fun!)
2016
- Pickleball Magazine was launched as the first full-color, professional print and digital magazine.
- The first US Open Pickleball Championships were held in Naples, FL.
- More than 4,600 “Places to Play” were listed on the USAPA website.
- USAPA announced it had more than 17,000 members, created the Referee Certification Program, and formed a relationship with St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
- Super Senior International Pickleball Association (SSIPA) was created for individuals aged 60 and above.
2017
- The Pickleball Hall of Fame was created. The 2017 Inductees included: Joel Pritchard (one of the three founders), Barney McCallum (one of the three founders), Sid Williams, Arlen Paranto, Mark Friedenberg, and Billy Jacobsen.
- As of November, 5,869 “Places to Play” were listed on the USAPA website.
- CBS Sports Network carried a two-hour nationally televised broadcast of the USAPA National Championships.
2018
- Indian Wells Tennis Garden, CA, hosts Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships which drew 2,000+ players who competed for $80,000 in prize money – the LARGEST cash purse in the history of the sport. This was the first year of their 5-year contract for Nationals.
- 2018 Pickleball Hall of Fame Inductees: Earl Hill, Robert Lanius, and Fran Myer (First woman “contributor”).
- The first book on the history of our sport was published – History of Pickleball – More Than 50 Years of Fun!
2019
- Barney McCallum (co-founder of the sport) passed away at age 93 in Seattle, Washington. Jennifer Lucore and Alex Hamner had a special friendship with Barney for 10 years – “Barney was the best and will be forever missed.”
- 2019 Pickleball Participation Report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) reports 3.3 million players in the United States. 62% of players are men, and the average age for all players is 41 years old.
- The APP Tour, the Association of Pickleball Professionals, was launched in June and is the first USA Pickleball-sanctioned tour for professionals and amateurs.
- The PPA, the Professional Pickleball Association, was founded as a professional tour for pickleball players.
- 2019 Pickleball Hall of Fame Inductees: Jennifer Lucore (First women “competitor”) – that’s me!, Dan Gabanek, Steve Paranto, and Enrique Ruiz.
- Anna Leigh Waters became a professional pickleball player at the age of 12, making her the youngest pro player in history.
- In the USA, the year ended with 7,928 Places to Play pickleball. Total Courts: 30,238. Ambassadors: 1,904. Certified Referees: 206. Tested and approved 134 paddles and 10 balls.
2020
COVID-19 hit the sport (just like it did the world), and in mid-March, play was suspended.
- USAPA has a network of over 1,900 volunteer ambassadors.
- USAPA, the governing body of our sport in the USA, changed its brand name to USA Pickleball to better align with other sports governing bodies and updated its logo and website.
2021
- USA Pickleball Membership reached 53,000 members year-end, a 43% increase from the previous year and the largest single growth year to date for the organization.
- With over 2,300 registered players, the 2021 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships were the largest tournament in the world to date.
- MLP (Major League Pickleball) was founded as a professional, team-based league.
- Steve Kuhn founded DUPR (Dreamland Universal Pickleball Rating).
2022
- The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America for the second consecutive year in its annual 2022 Topline Participation Report.
- Per USA Pickleball: “pickleball” was one of the hottest trends in the U.S., receiving unprecedented media coverage from major domestic and international outlets.
- CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley airs a pickleball story to the world. Jennifer Lucore is happy to be a part of it!
- ESPN airs One Nation, Under Pickleball.
2023
- From the Topline Participation Report, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America for the third year in a row. According to the report, pickleball has grown to 8.9 million players in the United States over the age of six, up from 4.8 million in 2022.
- The PPA and Major League Pickleball (MLP) merged to form their parent company — United Pickleball Association (UPA).
2024
- Nearly 20 million people played pickleball in the US, according to The Kitchen.
- 2 dominant champions continue to win: Anna Leigh Waters continued her supremacy, sweeping the PPA Tour Finals and securing her 30th career triple crown. On the men’s side, Ben Johns remained a dominant force, with so many wins that I’ve lost count.
- USA Pickleball Ambassadors grew to 2,051 dedicated, volunteer ambassadors promoting the sport across the country.
- USA Pickleball National Championships featured wheelchair pickleball as a competitive division for the first time, held in Mesa, AZ. This marked a significant step for the sport’s inclusivity, offering adaptive players the opportunity to compete on the sport’s premier stage.
- Year ended with 15,910 pickleball courts nationwide. Lots of places to play shared from the USA Pickleballs database.