As part of its $6.7 million expansion project, the Kroc Center is building a new outdoor recreation facility, which will have a soccer/lacrosse field, stands, a warehouse, concession stand and eight pickleball courts.
This might have you asking: What's pickleball?
The lesser-known, but fast-growing paddle sport combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, according to the website of U.S.A. Pickleball Association (USAPA).
Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized (20x44) court with a modified tennis net and a plastic ball with holes. The court is used for both singles and doubles play.
The first player to score eleven points and lead by at least two points wins the game, according to the website of Pickle-ball, Inc.
MORE: Plans change for outdoor athletic facilities at North Dayton’s Kroc Center
The sport was “created with one thing in mind: fun. It was designed to be easy to learn and play whether you’re five, eighty-five or somewhere in between,” the website of Pickle-ball, Inc. says.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum - three dads who created a new summertime activity to entertain their children, according to USAPA’s website.
McCallum said that the game was named after the Pritchard’s family dog, Pickles, who would chase and run off with the ball.
About 15,000 indoor and outdoor pickleball courts exist in the United States.
The sport has become competitive in recent years, attracting more than 2.5 million participants in the U.S., as well as some from Canada, Europe, and Asia.
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