pickleball

This is a sport loosely based on badminton but taking elements from tennis and ping-pong, such as using paddles rather than racquets.  It was invented by a couple of Americans who were trying to devise a game that all the family could enjoy.  They had an old badminton court available to them but they then improvised with ping-pong paddles, a perforated plastic ball, and a lowered net.

 The sport became official in America in the 1970s and spread to all the states. It arrived in Australia about four years ago and has been taken up enthusiastically.

 There are a couple of stories about how the sport got its name. One is that it was named after the dog Pickles who belonged to one of the original family that played the game. Pickles had the habit of running off with the ball. The other story is that one of the women in the original game said that she was reminded of a pickle boat in rowing where the crew is made up of whoever is left over from the other boats. I think my money is on the dog Pickles, an active participant it would seem.