Local players share why they love the game.
According to the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), the game – a blend of ping-pong, tennis and badminton – was created during the summer of 1965 by Congressman Joel Pritchard, William Bell and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, off the coast of Seattle, Wash. In the 1970s, the family game was played mostly on driveways and in backyards but has since grown to a formal paddle-court sport with official rules sanctioned by the USAPA. The organization says the sport is the "fastest growing in North America" and cites as proof the burgeoning list of 400-plus locations to play, which represents more than 1,500 courts in nearly all 50 states. The sport's quirky title is attributed to its namesake, Pickles, the family dog who used to chase …
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The Libertyville Sports & Fitness Complex
1950 N Us Highway 45, Libertyville, IL
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Pickeball players can now enjoy the game all year round.
It's not every day that Randy Splitt, recreation supervisor at the Libertyville Sports Complex (LSC), receives suggestions for new sports offerings from patrons; particularly from a group of senior citizen ladies. But that's exactly what prompted Splitt to quickly organize the necessary infrastructure for the complex's most recent sports addition – pickleball. "We were thrilled to have a whole group willing to come in and try a new sport at our complex," Splitt said. "Our initial concern was that we had to create a playing surface using our current equipment." In 2009, Splitt began working with the "pickleball ladies," as they are affectionately known at the Sports Complex, from the Del Webb community in Mundelein to get the ball rolling…
42.308988
-88.004272
The Libertyville Sports & Fitness Complex
1950 N Us Highway 45, Libertyville, IL
/articles/active-seniors-prompt-addition-of-pickleball-at-sports-complex
1718388
/locations/2537269
