St. Louis Showdown: Pickleball's Meteoric Rise from Backyard to Arena

On July 17 in pickleball history, a remarkable event is unfolding in 2025 that underscores just how far this sport has come from its humble beginnings. The biggest indoor professional pickleball event ever is taking place right now at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, running from July 17 through July 20. This tournament, part of Major League Pickleball, has gathered the world’s top pros and the most passionate fans of America’s fastest-growing sport under one roof for four days of intense competition. For the first time, fans in the Midwest have the chance to witness premier and challenger division matches featuring hometown heroes like the STL Shock, widely regarded as the most energetic and crowd-pleasing team in the league. From early morning into the evening, this event promises non-stop action with matches that could shift the league standings as every point matters and every rally electrifies the crowd. It is a momentous occasion not only for St. Louis but for the sport’s nationwide growth and professionalization, spotlighting pickleball’s evolution into a truly major league sport with players competing at the highest level and thousands of fans cheering them on in a large arena setting that one would associate with more established sports. This tournament setting highlights pickleball’s surge from a backyard game invented in 1965 to a highly organized, widely televised, and commercially supported sport with international reach and star athletes. This four-day extravaganza in St. Louis embodies the excitement, skill, and growing cultural footprint that pickleball has achieved by 2025, making July 17 a date to remember in its ongoing history.

It is fitting then to reflect on the origins of the game on this same calendar day. Pickleball was invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. What started as an inventive solution to entertain bored children using makeshift equipment evolved quickly. The name “pickleball” itself was coined by Joan Pritchard, Joel’s wife, who likened the mix of leftover sports gear and play styles to a “pickle boat” — a term from crew racing describing a boat made up of leftover rowers who didn’t make other teams. The family had a dog named Pickles, but she was born three years later, confirming that the sport was named first, not the dog. This origin story beautifully captures the creativity and light-hearted spirit that underpins pickleball’s appeal.

From these grassroots beginnings on that summer day in 1965 to the intense professional matchups now happening in St. Louis arenas, July 17 represents both the birth and flourishing of pickleball culture. It celebrates not only a sport but a community that has grown exponentially in participation and prestige. Over the decades, the sport witnessed its first official tournament in 1976 in Washington where David Lester won the men’s singles championship, the formation of governing bodies, the establishment of championship circuits, the introduction of nationally televised matches, and now to massive events like the Major League Pickleball tournament underway in 2025.

Listeners, on this day, think about how a simple game invented to bring family and neighbors together has skyrocketed into a professional spectacle with arena atmospheres, superstar athletes, passionate fans, and serious stakes. July 17 is a testament to the incredible journey of pickleball — from a casual afternoon pastime to a fiercely competitive and widely loved sport shaping the future of athletics and community worldwide.

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