There are many racket sports, like tennis and badminton. Yet, there is a sport that is a combination of both of those. This is pickleball. It is fairly unknown, with only 100,000 pickleball enthusiasts worldwide. Yet, pickleball is a very serious sport with local history, affordable equipment and basic rules. The Washington congressman of 1965, by the name of Joel Pritchard and a businessman, Bill Bell, came to Prichard’s home on Bainbridge Island and found themselves and Prichard’s family to be quite bored. Prichard’s home had an old badminton court but he could not find a full set of equipment. But they did find some ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball. They played their improvised version of the game all weekend and discovered that the plastic ball bounced well, and they lowered the net. Pritchard introduced the game to Barney McCallum the following weekend. Bell,…show more content… Originally, paddles were made only from wood, but today’s paddles have evolved greatly and are now primarily made of lightweight composite materials, such as aluminum and graphite. Players will also need a net and the pickleball itself. The ball itself is unusual, with holes poked through it, similar to a wiffle ball, and there are different models for indoor and outdoor play. The ball travels at 1/3 of the speed of a tennis ball and is usually white or yellow in color. Although, new bright colored pickleballs are also gaining in popularity. Players wear comfortable and breathable clothing, including athletic shorts, sweatpants, polo shirts, t-shirts, etc. Tennis-style dresses and skirts for females are also common. Comfortable tennis shoes are also important, as in pickleball you are required to move your feet often. As for accessories, players may wear hats, visors, safety glasses, sweatbands and light jackets or sweatshirts when playing in colder