By Dan Wollman – Member of the Sport Court® of America Founder’s Group
Most pickleball enthusiasts are familiar with the sport’s origins. It was the summer of 1965 when Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum created the game on Bainbridge Island, Washington. With their families looking for entertainment, they improvised a game using a badminton court, ping-pong paddles, and a wiffle ball. Initially, the net was set at 5’2″, but they later lowered it to 36″. By the following weekend, they had drafted the first set of rules.
The Birth of Pickleball Courts
In 1967, the first permanent pickleball court was built in the backyard of Pritchard’s neighbor, Bob O’Brian. In 1972, a corporation was established to protect and promote the sport.
In 1972, a corporation was established to safeguard and advance the sport.
At the time, however, pickleball was still relatively unknown, with only a handful of players and few dedicated courts. That changed in 1974, when Sport Court of America, Inc. was founded in Seattle, Washington. Sport Court quickly became instrumental in bringing pickleball to the masses.
Sport Court’s Influence on Pickleball’s Growth
A collaboration between Sport Court and Barney McCallum helped establish pickleball as a viable backyard sport. Sport Court marketed, sold, and built multi-use courts suitable for pickleball and included pickleball equipment—nets, paddles, balls, and rulebooks—as part of its Sports Pack for new court owners.
During the late 1970s, Sport Court was constructing more than 100 courts per year in key markets such as the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. The demand grew further in Portland, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin. By 1980, over 2,000 Sport Court-built courts featured pickleball, with local dealers actively teaching families how to play and organizing backyard tournaments.
Spreading the Word Through Media and Community Engagement
Sport Court dealers played a crucial role in spreading pickleball’s popularity. They reached out to local newspapers, inviting reporters to experience and write about the game. Many stories included the now-famous anecdote about “Pickles,” the dog who supposedly inspired the sport’s name by chasing stray balls.
Media exposure in Sports Illustrated and Newsweek in 1978 generated national interest, leading to hundreds of inquiries about Sport Court’s courts. Additionally, many colleges and universities introduced pickleball through their recreational sports departments, taping court lines in gyms and tennis courts to accommodate the game.
A Turning Point in 1979
Despite Sport Court’s contributions, a shift occurred in 1979 when Pickleball Inc. approached the company with a proposal to charge a $300 royalty fee for every court Sport Court built. Sport Court declined, arguing that its own marketing and court-building network—not Pickleball Inc.—had fueled the game’s expansion. Following this disagreement, Sport Court shifted its focus to promoting other sports, such as paddle tennis, short-court tennis, and basketball.
The Legacy of Sport Court in Pickleball’s Success
Although Sport Court redirected its priorities, its impact on pickleball was already firmly established. No other company or organization had done more to market, promote, and expand the game in its early years.
In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell explores how small influences can trigger major cultural shifts. If he were to write about pickleball today, Sport Court’s role in its rise would undoubtedly be a featured case study.
Did you know that in 1974, Sport Court operated the first commercial indoor pickleball facility in Seattle? It housed six courts in a leased warehouse space before being sold to a backyard court customer in 1975. The rest, as they say, is history.
Acknowledging the Foundation of Pickleball’s Growth
Today, many people and organizations take credit for pickleball’s popularity. However, before patting themselves on the back, they should first recognize Sport Court’s essential role in laying the groundwork. Without its expansive court-building efforts and media outreach in the 1970s, pickleball might not have become the phenomenon it is today.
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About Dan Wollman:
Dan Wollman was one of the original leaders and founders of Sport Court of America. The Sport Court Concept was developed by Dan Kotler and Mark Sherman in the mid 1970’s. Dan Wollman worked tirelessly to recruit and engage most of the Sport Court dealers across the country and was essential in the development of promotional arrangements with the USTA, NBA, NCAA,USA Roller Hockey, and USA Futsal. Dan is semi-retired but still promoting Pickleball and Sport Court products through his even management company GameDaySports.
