NOT YOUR AVERAGE GAME

By BROOKE HARTLEY

In 1965, three men changed the world of sports forever. This change came in the form of a game called pickleball which was established by Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum, and Bill Bell, creating a game that has now become the number one fastest growing sport in the world. Wizard Nation, this is pickleball. 

Similar to other racquet sports, pickleball is a paddle sport that combines different elements from other sports known as badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Even though this sport is the number one fastest growing sport in the world, it is still very unknown to many.

In order to play pickleball, wooden paddles, just about twice the size of the ones used in ping-pong, are a necessity. Players will also need a ball that is similar to that of a wiffle ball and players play on a court that is the size of a badminton court. 

By now, readers may be wondering how to play this game they have never heard of. It is as simple as diagonally serving the ball underhand to the other side of the court. Each time a team is rewarded with a point, the server must switch back and forth from starting on the right side and alternating to the left. This is so that both players on the opposite team are given the chance to receive the serve. 

Once the ball is served, the opposing team must let the ball bounce one time before hitting it back over the net. If the first server’s team has, unfortunately, lost the point, the second server is given the chance to get points. A ball is only touched by one person, one time, on one side of the court. 

After the ball is hit over the net, the team that served must let that ball bounce one time before getting it back over the net again. When a player touches the ball underhand, this is called a “dink.” When a player has the opportunity to touch the ball and swing down overhand, this is known as a “smash.” After both of these steps have occurred, it is pretty much a free for all. Balls do not need to bounce before being hit back over the net. 

BROOKE HARTLEY FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

In the game of pickleball, there is something on the court known as the “no volley zone.”  This is located seven feet behind the net on either side of the court. The no volley zone is a place where one can stand at any point of the game. One thing players should know about this zone in the game is that they can not be standing in it when trying to smash the ball down on the other side of the court. In this game, athletes can only receive a point when their team is serving the ball. 

One of Washingtonville’s very well-known physical education teachers, Mrs. Halahan, began teaching this sport in her gym classes for the very first time this year and it has been a smashing success. 

Sean Walters, a senior at Washingtonville High School, exclaimed, “At first I was kind of annoyed that we were playing pickleball in gym, but as we started and kept playing, I was more intrigued by it and it became more fun.” Sean also mentioned, “I never realized how much skill is actually required to play.” Sean Walters is now in love with this underestimated game and can not wait to see how it changes people’s  lives the way it did his.

As pickleball slowly evolves and slowly makes its way to the top of the line in sports, people begin to wonder what it was like for other sports beginning in the same situation. As underrated as this sport has been in the past, there are now thousands of tournaments that go on throughout the world. So I ask Wizard Nation to get up and try something new and play some pickleball!