Monday, July 8, 2013....New Pickleball Record....The Funny Pickleball Name

Paso Robles Pickleball Club website:  www.pickleballpasorobles.shutterfly.com

On a beautiful Monday morning here on the Central Coast of California (Paso Robles), we set an attendance record.  Twenty-two players showed up to play on our five courts.  This is without 5-6 of our regulars who are always in attendance.  Interest and growth has been steady and the summer months seems to bring out a few more players (although we have only been playing since last September), so we cannot use the summer of 2012 as a barometer.  Two new players came over after playing tennis on the adjacent city courts.  They played 3-4 games and seemed to really like our fun game with the funny name.

Speaking of the funny name.  People always seem to have an adverse reaction to the mention of Pickleball.  I know. I did.  Sister (plays PB in AZ) kept telling me to try out this game.  One email a week.  "Have you gone down to the local PB club and tried the game?"  I kept finding excuses....too busy, no equipment, leg's a little sore, tough night last night....but I was guilty of not doing my homework and instead turning my nose up to a game with a funny name.  Finally, in June of 2011, I retired.  The next day I received a one sentence email from her...."What is your excuse now?"  A short while later I went down to the Crown Valley Pickleball Club in Laguna Niguel.  In fifteen minutes I was hooked.  Now, I am the one doing the promoting/recruiting.  Naysayers hint that the game might catch on faster if the name were different.  Pickleball is catching on just fine, thank you.  30 new venues a month according to our national governing body---usapa.org  More Pickleball courts being built than tennis courts.  City after city converting idle tennis courts to Pickleball courts (you can fit four on one tennis court).  So, just for the sake of wondering....what would have happened to these sports with funny names if organizations succumbed to pressure:

1.  Football (it really is passball or runball)
2.  Soccer
3.  Cricket
4.  Squash
5.  Racquetball (are we referring to the implement or the sound?)
6.  Ping Pong
7.  Croquet
8.  Fencing
9.  Even tennis

Go Pickleball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!