Why is it called pickleball?
Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of reconnecting with old friends and have told them that I work for Short Court Sports, a custom pickleball paddle company. The most common response I have received is, “why is it called pickleball?” The story I love to share is the one about a dog named Pickles. The co-founder loved playing with his dog Pickles and realized how nice it was when Pickles would go retrieve his balls during a game. He wanted to dedicate the sport to his dog, so that’s how the sport got its name “pickleball”. There is no truth to that story, but everyone loves a good dog story, right? The co-founders told that story to an interviewer, and the story blew up. They later came out and explained that the story was not true. The real reason it is called pickleball is because Joan Pritchard, wife of the co-founder Joel Pritchard, stated the term came from “pickle boat”, which is a rowing term that includes all leftover crew members. However, controversy arose in the town because the Pritchards did have a dog named Pickles, and the town was not sure what story to believe. Joel Pritchard had to later explain that pickleball was created three years before Pickles was born. I will still continue to tell the tale of Pickles, but it is always good to know the real facts. The next time someone brings up pickleball, you will have a story to share!
#ShortCourtSundays
