On September 10 in pickleball history, while there may not be a single headline event tied directly to this exact date, it sits in a season deeply connected to pickleball’s early growth and development. The sport was invented in the summer of 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington, when they aimed to create a fun family activity using available sports equipment like ping-pong paddles and perforated plastic balls. They played on a badminton court, lowering the net from 60 to 36 inches to improve playability, and by the end of that summer, they had drafted the initial rules combining elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. September, including early to mid-month dates like the tenth, falls within the period when these founders refined their new game and its culture, which laid the foundation for pickleball’s immense growth and community spirit.

One crucial milestone that relates closely to early September periods like the 10th is the construction of the first permanent pickleball court in 1967, just two years after the invention. This court was built in the backyard of Bob O’Brian, a friend and neighbor of Joel Pritchard. This event was pivotal because it marked the transition of pickleball from a casual backyard pastime to a sport with an established playing venue. Having a dedicated court allowed players to engage in more structured play and fostered the sport’s spread beyond individual homes and neighborhoods toward organized competitions.

Also, September historically marks a time when, after its invention, pickleball started to receive attention beyond its local roots. In 1975, a newspaper article in The National Observer reported on pickleball reaching a broader audience, rapidly increasing demand for starter kits including paddles, nets, and balls. This surge of interest came after a New Yorker visited and then pushed for wider coverage, accelerating pickleball’s visibility in the United States. Such media exposure in the mid-September period played a critical role in moving pickleball from a regional novelty to a nationally recognized sport.

An interesting note tied to the naming of pickleball, which also comes from the mid-1960s era that includes early September, is the story involving Joan Pritchard. She coined the name “pickleball” in that founding summer of 1965, referring not to the family dog as a popular myth states, but to the “pickle boat” in crew races—boats made up of leftover rowers. Research by USA Pickleball confirms that the dog Pickles was born in 1968, three years after the sport was named, confirming the name’s true origin during that formative time.

Over the decades following the mid-September era of the 1960s and 1970s, pickleball has grown from those humble backyard games to an international sport played on nearly 70,000 courts across the United States today. The sport’s early origins during September months remind us of the creative spirit and family focus that helped shape the inclusive community around pickleball—a community that continues growing rapidly and nurturing players of all ages and skill levels.

Thank you for tuning in to learn about pickleball history on this date. Be sure to subscribe for more fascinating stories from the world of pickleball. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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