Pickleball was created in 1965 by Bill Bell, Barney McCallum, and US Congressman JoelPritchard. The three men invented the game to keep their children entertained during a summer vacation on Bainbridge Island, WA.
The three dads combined elements from three different sports. They used ping-pong paddles, a wiffle ball, and a badminton court. The game evolved through the following summers and eventually became a popular activity among the adults vacationing on the island.
In less than a decade, the game had spread to other regions and was featured in a tennis magazine. Pickleball is now played by people of all ages in countries around the world.