Pickleball was invented in 1965 in the USA as a family recreational game that could be played by children with their parents and even grandparents. It was originally played on a badminton court with a low net, wooden paddles and plastic wiffle balls. It was designed to be an easy game to learn - the low net, underarm serve, and some rules to make it easier to play rallies. The game soon spread and was enthusiastically adopted amongst older players as a great way to keep fit and burn a few calories. As a mainly doubles game it is very sociable and became widely played in US retirement communities. Over the following years it became the fastest growing sport in the USA and has now spread all over the world, including the UK where it is becoming increasingly popular with the older generations.
Now it is no longer just a game that appeals to older people. The game now has a well paid professional circuit predominantly, but not exclusively. made up of ex tennis players andis attracting players from all age groups. The current world number 1 female player is an American teenager, born January 2007 and now 16 years old, She first played pickleball at the age of 10 soon after which she gave up her previous sport, football, to concentrate on becoming a professional pickleball player. She turned pro at the age of 11!
However, like most sports, the grass roots players are the foundations and mainstay of pickleball. In the UK there is a small but growing number of pro and semi-pro players but the great majority are in the 50 and older age group. The benefits are obvious for health, fitness, physical and mental wellbeing, for sociability enjoyment.
The Bradford u3a pickleball group started in October 2022 with 8 players and a year later we have over 36 players and organise three sessions a week at the Heaton Tennis and Squash club.
