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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | May 2016 | 29 Where did Pickleball get its name? According to an article found on the World Pickleball Federation: Pickleball was invented on Bainbridge by Congressman Joel Pritchard and a few of his buddies during the summer of 1963 (according to Joel Pritchard and co-founder Bill Bell), or 1966 (according to Joel Pritchard's wife, Joan) or 1965 (according to everyone else). That first pickleball court remains shrouded in moss and vines here on Bainbridge. It's a magic place. When the vines are parted, a chorus of angels can be heard and the court glows with an otherworldly iridescence. The Chronicle, in a recent article about pickleball, got many facts lined up straight. Except one. The sport was NOT named after the family dog. I'm sure this blog post will lead California authorities to turn over the Chronicle's fact checkers for a good old-fashioned tar and feathering at Winslow Green. Fudging the facts on one of Bainbridge Island's proudest moments is deserving of nothing less. A couple years ago, I wrote a story for the Review all about the "Official Sport of Bainbridge Island."* I delved deep into the history, tracking down eyewitnesses to pickleball's founding moments. "Ok, there's the 'official' history and then there's the real story," Pritchard's daughter Peggy Pritchard-Olson told me in late 2005. "It was not named after the dog because we didn't get the dog until years after the game started. The dog was named after the game. Not the other way around." If only the Chronicle had a subscription to the Bainbridge Review. Those fact-checkers would still be prancing freely about Frisco with flowers in their hair. Pickleball's name is actually derived from the Pritchard family's maritime pursuits rather than its canine pets. Frank Pritchard, another of Joel Pritchard's kids, said the name may have come from his mother, Joan, who was a competitive rower on the island. She sometimes referred to the 'pickle boat,' the slowest vessel in a race. "Nobody remembers how it came to be called 'pickleball,' but I think somebody needed a reason why it had that name and the dog story sounded good and eventually stuck," Frank Pritchard said in 2005. Come join the fun! We play on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8 am. Players of all skill levesl welcome. If you have any questions call Nancy at (951) 926-5018. Pickleball Pickleball members show off their colors George and Lisa Doktorczyk with David Thorne, center