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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | AUGUST 2022 | | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | AUGUST 2022 | 59 59 A couple of years ago, our grand game became old enough to live in Sun Lakes. If you forgot to send a card, no worries. The State of Washington has that covered. In fact, this spring the governor sat on the very court where the sport began in 1965 and signed a law making pickleball the official state sport. For decades school kids learned that baseball was invented by Civil War general Abner Doubleday. It took MLB a long time to finally dub that tale a myth. We pickleballers don't have to wonder about pedigree. We know when, where and by whom the game began: Bainbridge Island at the home of Barney McCallum, who dreamed it up with friends Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell. None survives but family and friends attended the ceremony. So the next time you travel to the Evergreen State, tip your cap to the pioneers of the game we have come to cherish. Speaking of baseball, Dodger fans were treated to a recent in- game interview with superstar sourthpaw Clayton Kershaw. He was promoting his annual fundraiser, a ping pong tournament. Asked if table tennis was indeed his favorite non-baseball sport, Kersh replied, "Yeah, I guess so. But I'm really starting to love pickleball. It's awesome." We didn't hear more on that evening but maybe it won't be long before "Pickleball for a Purpose" supplants the current charity event. In fact, the pre-eminent table tennis supplier JOOLA (pronounced YOH-la), has this year established JOOLA Pickleball as a sister division. Undoubtedly this is a response to the ever-growing crossover to pickle from this popular activity. Many have long described pickleball as a blend of tennis, badminton, and ping pong and their identities are becoming more and more intertwined. And now the company has jumped into our game in a big way, signing the number one male pro, Ben Johns, to be the face of the enterprise. Just as many of us Sun Lakes picklers found our game to be a social lifeline during the pandemic, so JOOLA employees, shut out of indoor matches, tried pickleball and loved it. Ben Johns comes from a table tennis background and was drawn to this sponsorship because of his respect for their expertise. Look for this brand to excel in competition and technological advancements. If you haven't yet tried the fastest-growing recreational bonanza (five million have), give our club Vice-President Judy Luna a call at (949) 929-2390. She can suggest the best times to come out and meet our friendly members. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club

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