Pick up your paddle — it’s all fun and games on the pickleball court.
One of the fastest-growing sports in the United States — and gaining traction overseas — is pickleball. Besides its name, here are eight reasons we are obsessed:

  1.  It was invented by three Washington dads during the summer of 1965. The dads improvised when their kids started complaining of boredom.
  2. “Pickle” has a distinct ring to it. Sports lore claims that one of the inventor’s dogs was named Pickle.
  3. A fun combination of ping pong, tennis and badminton. That’s how to explain it in 10 words or less.
  4. Players are known as “picklers!”
  5. It comes with its own kitchen — the seven-foot zone on either side of the net where volleying is not allowed.
  6. When in doubt, dink! The dink is like a drop shot—slow, low, just over the net and so hard to return.
  7. Most importantly, it’s a game anyone of any age and athletic ability can play. From the start, it was played by para-athletes.
  8. What do Tory, Bill Gates and Andre Agassi have in common? They all play pickleball!

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