David Satka
David Satka discovered and became addicted to pickleball in 2017. His tennis background quickly enabled him to become an outstanding player. He was named a USA Pickleball Ambassador for Central Pennsylvania and founded the first outdoor pickleball courts in the area. He works as an advocate for Selkirk Inc., and as a certified Professional Pickleball Registry coach. Currently, Dave is giving pickleball seminars and making media appearances in support of his book, Winning Pickleball: Expert Strategies for Next Level Play (2024).
First pickleball tournament
The first documented pickleball tournament took place at the South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington, USA, in the spring of 1976. David Lester won in the Men’s Singles category, with Steve Paranto coming in as the runner-up.
The majority of the competitors were college-age tennis players. In terms of equipment, they were using wooden paddles and a softball-sized plastic ball.
Pickleball as a sport first emerged in the summer of 1965, conceived by US Congressman Joel Pritchard and businessman Bill Bell playing on a badminton court at Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island in Washington, USA. They used table-tennis bats and a perforated plastic ball.