THE BALL’S IN YOUR COURT

Pickleball could become official state sport

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California has surfing, Alaska has dog sledding, and now Washington could soon have pickleball as its official state sport in 2022.

Pickleball — a game resembling tennis with players using paddles to hit a whiffle ball over a net — has skyrocketed in popularity since the pandemic, allowing athletes of all ages to compete and socialize outdoors in the 20-by-44-foot court.

It’s easy to learn, slower-paced and social, and relatively cheap to buy equipment for, leading to pickleball becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the United States today.

According to the USA Pickleball Association, there are around
4.2 million pickleball players in the U.S.; a growth rate of 21.3 percent since 2019.

Senate Bill 5615 was introduced in the Washington State Legislature in late 2021, with the aim of designating pickleball as the official state sport.

The bill has already passed through the Senate and is making its way through the state House of Representatives.

“I’ve traveled around a lot and Washington folks seem to be pretty laid back, and that’s kind of what pickleball is. It allows you to play the activity and be social,” said Mike McCoy of the Port Townsend Pickleball Club.

“I love [pickleball] for the interaction and I love being active. It’s a great way to meet new people. That’s the single biggest reason why I like playing it,” McCoy said.

Beyond fitting in with the loose and casual aura associated with Washingtonians, pickleball also has deep roots in the Evergreen State. It was first invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum after they returned home from golfing and were searching for a way to entertain their bored families.

Fifty-seven years later, pickleball has surged in popularity nationwide, with potential to even become an Olympic sport.

McCoy’s introduction to the sport came in 1986, when he worked as a firefighter in Oregon, and he currently coaches and teaches pickleball to folks at the YMCA.

“I’ve been playing it since 1986 when I was in the fire service at a fire station playing it,” he said. “Folks new to the sport sometimes need a little help; I’m there to help. I always tell people [pickleball is] like standing on a ping-pong table and playing.”

McCoy says the sport can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from youngsters to senior citizens.

“I’ve seen grandparents and kids playing competitively on the court. That’s exciting to me,” he said. “You don’t have to be a physical specimen to play.”

Another perk of pickleball is that the gear to play isn’t as expensive as most sports.

“Someone can get into the sport with under $50. In fact, you can even make your own paddles,” McCoy said. “You can spend $4 on a pickleball, and make your own custom paddle.”

McCoy believes one of the best ways to grow the sport is by building new pickleball courts and multi-use spots.

“I can envision Port Townsend getting new pickleball courts. It’s just going to keep growing,” he said. “Recreationally, I think it will continue to grow. The facilities are lagging a little, but that’s true for anything with a high rate of growth.”