who created pickleball

Pickleball was created in 1965 by three men: Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington, Bill Bell, a businessman, and Barney McCallum, a family friend. It was invented on Bainbridge Island, Washington, when the three were looking for a way to entertain their families. They improvised the game on a badminton court with ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball, later developing the rules and equipment for the sport. The game quickly grew from a backyard pastime to a widely recognized sport.