With every new sport comes new skills, new paddles, new types of balls, new rules, new competitions and tournaments and thrills plus new variations of the game.

Pickleball is no exception to the rule of growth once the public grasps a hold of the game which seems to be growing at a rapid rate all over the USA thanks to the USA Pickleball Association.

It took two racquetball players in Ft Myers Florida by the names Gerry French and Joe Mahler to come up with the first real variation of the game which they named "Wally Pickle".

To view the history of the game and see the first offical rules published on the game of Wally Pickle.Click here. http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddjgths7_5c2tk8w

Pickleball in Lee county seems to be growing in slow motion. The first available courts were all in private clubs until Wakahatchee opened in Jan 2006 with three taped PB courts for play.

In Jan of 2007 the repainting of the gym floor has resulted in 6 Pickleball courts being made available for play. PLAY IS LIMITED to Saturdays through the summer from 9AM to 12.

The County of Lee still has no outdoor courts available to play on nor any planned as far as I know.

If you are a Pickleball player it might help if you called the Lee County Recreation Dept and ask when ,if ever ,will there be outdoor pickleball courts and instruction provided in this popular sport in SW Florida

Gerry French

Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.

I recently competed at the National Olympic Senior Games in June of 2007 and was pleased to find Pickleball was being demonstrated in a very visible area of the Exhibition Hall. Thanks to the USA Pickleball Association who purchased space for all to see and try this new sport.

Thanks also go to Nancy Jordan the Arizona Pickleball Ambassador and her husband for spending 14 days manning the exhibition. Perhaps by 2009 in San Francisco the first Pickleball National Games will be held. If not, then perhaps it will occur in 2011 in Huston TX.

Gerry French,

 Aspire to Inspire before you Expire