Discove r Cit yV iewN C.co m's fre s h up d ate d loo k ! | 21
Association, the sport's national
governing body, the creation of the
game is most oen credited to three
men in 1965. e three had returned
home to Bainbridge Island, outside of
Seattle, aer a round of golf. Seeing
their families sitting around, they
ventured out to the backyard onto an
old badminton court. Lowering the
height of the net, they began hitting
a plastic ball with ping pong paddles.
e three men came up with rules for
the game and purportedly named it
aer one of the family dogs, Pickles,
who relentlessly chased aer the balls.
Some say the game is a combination
of tennis, badminton and ping pong,
but it also has elements of racquetball.
ose who have played racquet sports
seem to have the easiest time picking
up pickleball, but anyone can catch on
easily enough to enjoy themselves.
And sometimes that leads to them
leaving other games behind.
Lauby, who is 77, discovered
pickleball two years ago while on a
tennis excursion to Palmetto Dunes on
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Aer a three-hour morning tennis
clinic in the 100-degree July heat, he
didn't think he could endure another
clinic scheduled that aernoon.
A friend offered him some advice:
"ey're playing that pickle-something
game over there and they're laughing
and having fun. Why don't you join
them?"
So Lauby did.
"And I haven't picked up a tennis
racquet since," he said.
Pickleball has been steadily growing
in Fayetteville through the efforts of
several dedicated enthusiasts. e late
Steve Beck was the one who invited Ted
Fujimoto to play. Now Fujimoto sends
regular emails to let everyone know
weekly schedules and any issues that
may arise.
When Fujimoto began playing,
