On September 16 in pickleball history, a notable highlight is the ongoing evolution of Major League Pickleball, which continues to energize the sport globally with professional team competitions and significant player activity. For example, exactly one year before today, on September 16, 2024, Major League Pickleball announced the rebranding of Pacific Pickleball League teams to Major League Pickleball Australia and scheduled their first event for that same weekend. This marked a notable expansion in the sport’s professional scene, emphasizing pickleball’s spread in Australia and worldwide. This professional league draws top players and showcases intense coed team competitions, driving pickleball’s visibility and competitive growth in the 2020s.
Delving into how this ties to the sport’s origins: pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. The name pickleball was coined shortly afterward by Joan Pritchard. The name’s origin has an interesting story involving either leftover players in a crew race “pickle boat” or the family dog Pickles born three years later. The evidence supports the name coming from the boat race culture, not the dog. This quaint origin contrasts with today’s major leagues and large-scale competitions, highlighting how far pickleball has come since those backyard beginnings.
In its early years, the sport spread primarily through word of mouth and small-scale retail, particularly thanks to events like a 1975 newspaper article that sparked a wave of orders for pickleball equipment across the United States, helping the sport survive and grow. Later, key developments included the formation of Pickle Ball, Incorporated in 1968, the creation of dedicated courts, and the establishment of official tournaments. Today’s large national championships and millions of players worldwide owe their existence to those grassroots efforts.
The first US Open Pickleball Championships held in Naples, Florida in 2016 also represent a milestone, marking the sport’s entrance into nationally televised broadcasts on networks such as CBS Sports Network. Events like that showcased pickleball’s fast-paced action and attracted a surge of players and spectators. Since then, the sport’s professionalization and international reach have accelerated, with major leagues featuring former athletes from football, basketball, and tennis investing and competing, further boosting pickleball’s profile globally.
So, reflecting on today’s date, September 16, it serves as a reminder of how pickleball’s journey spans from humble backyard invention in the mid-1960s to becoming a rapidly growing, professionally organized sport on multiple continents. The expansion of Major League Pickleball in Australia exactly one year ago exemplifies how the game continues to grow strategically and professionally, bringing new excitement and opportunities to players and fans alike.
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