History of Pickleball: More Than 50 Years of Fun!

WINNER National Indie Excellence Awards - 2020

Are you curious about how pickleball came to be or how the sport got such a funny name? Do you know what caused pickleball to become the fastest growing sport in America and what people and events helped spark this growth? Do you wonder how the rules were determined or why the court is the size it is? Be fascinated by the stories of founders Barney McCallum, Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell.

History of Pickleball: More Than 50 Years of Fun! has these answers and many more! Authors Jennifer (daughter/Pickleball Hall of Fame 2019 Inductee) and Beverly (mother/one of the first USAPA Ambassadors) have spent three years researching and gathering stories from pioneers of the sport, as well as pulling from their personal experiences to bring you a fascinating compilation of pickleball history.

Chapter titles include: The Summer of 65; Playing on the Early Courts and Growth; Pickle-Ball, The Corporation; Pukaball – Early Years on Maui; Washington; Trade Shows; The Name (of course!); Paddles; Balls and Nets; Rules; Florida; U.S.A.P.A.; Arizona; Tournaments; Pickleball Around the World; Health Facts; and much more!

USA Pickleball endorsement: "A book is as vital to our game as the paddle, ball, net , lines and third shot - Jennifer Lucore and Beverly Youngren have given us the story of our game's history." Enjoy.

Who better to tell this story than the mother-daughter duo who have been immersed in the pickleball community for years and who remain passionate advocates of the sport and fierce competitors on the court.

Jennifer Lucore is a gold medal champion who has won the top titles in 17 USAPA Nationals, 11 Canadian Nationals, 6 International, 4 Tournament of Champions, and 2 US Open events. Not only that, she's a pickleball blogger. Jennifer loves to have FUN with the sport and to travel the world, sharing the happiness pickleball brings to players everywhere.

Beverly Youngren and her husband, Bob, started playing pickleball in the late 1990s and have competed for almost 20 years. As avid RVers, they have found that traveling, competing, and teaching pickleball has been a big part of their retirement years. Beverly was one of the first USAPA Ambassadors in 2001 and continues to work as an active ambassador.