PRIOR LAKE, Minn. — If you haven’t played pickleball yet (or if you never heard of the game!) it’s only a matter of time before you do. The game was created in the 1960s and it’s one of the fastest growing sports in the United States—including right here in Prior Lake.

Steve Hart, Parks & Recreation Manager, tells us how Prior Lake has responded to the growing popularity of this sport and put a out a welcome mat for the players—okay technically it was building project that upgraded the playing area.

“Pickleball has been popular here for years now,” he said. “Prior to 2021, the city had only two outdoor courts that shared the same space as our tennis courts in Lakefront Park. In 2020, the city began a project to design and build an 8-court complex in Spring Lake Park. Prior Lake has a very passionate local Pickleball Club, which was instrumental in the planning and funding for portions of these new courts. These courts opened in the summer of 2021 and were an immediate hit!”

“To help highlight this new amenity in our community, the Prior Lake Recreation Department offers programming to give everyone a chance to learn about the sport and use the new courts,” he adds. “While the pickleball programs for the summer are currently full, we are exploring adding more.”

The popularity of this game is based on several key factors: it’s easy to learn and fun for mixed groups, regardless of age, gender, or skill level.

And despite its name, there are no pickles involved! There are two stories about how this sport was named, one about a dog and the other about a boat.

Three sports-loving dads, Joel Pritchard, William Bell, and Barney Mccallum invented the game in 1965. Joel Pritchard’s daughter had a dog named Pickles who would chase a wiffle ball. Joel’s wife, Joan, was a rower and the pickle boat was made up of leftover oarsmen from other teams, in a similar way that this sport was created from a combination of tennis, ping pong, and badminton.

But however the name was chosen, the game is a lot of fun and easy to learn.

“Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court: 20’ x 44’ using a paddle and whiffle ball.” Steve said. “The ball is served diagonally, like in tennis, and points can only be scored by the side that serves. The first side scoring eleven points and leading by at least two points wins. Pickleball can be played with singles or doubles.”

“The game itself is easy to learn,” he continues. “As with any sport, there are nuances and strategy that comes into play. Our lessons will start with learning the basic rules and techniques, and progress into more advanced strategy with each week. We emphasize having fun and learning the sport, as well as providing people a chance to try it out before they invest in their own equipment.”

Are you looking for a fun, competitive, and social game? Pickleball might the perfect sport!

Visit the City of Prior Lake’s website for more information about the courts, and other Recreation programs: www.PriorLakeMN.gov. 

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.