Most people had never even heard of pickleball until a few years ago. So when my friend Ferd Galinato revealed he's been playing the sport for over 40 years, my curiosity was definitely piqued! I asked Ferd to share about his experience playing pickleball in California in the early 1980s

Attending North Salinas High School in 1980, I was exposed to the game of pickleball. The school tennis coach had played the game while on vacation in Seattle. He brought pickleball back to Salinas and incorporated it into the P.E. curriculum.  It would become my favorite P.E. segment. I remember hearing the story about the dog named "Pickles" and thought it was cool. Play was indoors on wooden courts. The paddles were made from dense plywood. I had wood shop and made my own paddle from a thicker plywood (15.6 Oz!). I remember another student making a paddle from a thick plexiglass.

There was an annual school-wide pickleball tournament held during lunch. The doubles tournament involved 32 teams (64 players) and was double elimination. The singles event would follow. Many students would watch from the bleachers. It really was a big deal. Since there was no Internet, we knew nothing about pickleball outside of our school.  We were unaware of the strategies that are utilized in the modern game. No third shot drop. No dinking. Many, myself included, were bangers.  It’s no surprise that I was eliminated from the singles tournament each year, by the school’s top tennis player. He was the only one that dinked and dropped his approaches.

After high school, a few of us classmates talked the community college basketball coach into adding pickleball as a class. It was popular with students that came from other high schools because it was easy to learn. I laugh now when I watch the grainy VHS tape of a match that I played with friends. All bang, no drops.

After moving to Folsom, there was no pickleball to be found. My wife would probably have thought that pickleball was something I made up if it weren’t for the trophy and homemade paddle.  I used to set up a net in our cul-de-sac and chalk a court so I could play with the kids. I would later take the kids to Lembi Park where I would loosen the tennis nets and lower them for pickleball. People would walk by and stop to ask what we were playing. They would smirk when I said "pickleball."  Those tennis courts have since been converted into 12 dedicated courts. This game is blowing up. I’m glad that pickleball is getting popular while I’m still young enough to play.