The Beginning of the Sport of Paddleball
The actual beginning of the sport of paddleball can be traced back to the 1900’s. Chris Lecakes, Paddleball champion of the 60s, wrote..
“In the years before and after World War I, handball was the rage for men in cities and towns throughout the U.S. Among those attracted to the sport was Dr. Frank Peer Beale of Brooklyn, N.Y. However, Dr. Beale soon discovered that his brittle hands could not take the punishment of hitting the hard ball used for he game. So that he might continue his enjoyment of the sport, he devised a paddle stick with which he and his friends would use to bat the ball against any expanse of wall that was available to them.
Dr. Beale’s interest and enthusiasm for the game continued as its rules and equipment were developed. When the U.S Paddleball Association, then known as the Metropolitan Paddleball Association, was formed in 1959, some of its members consulted with Dr. Beale who was then in his seventies. His recollections and reminiscence of the game were both inspiring and helpful to its modern proponents.”
According to Mr. Lecakes, Dr. Beale died in the 1960’s, and at that time he was known to many of those that played the game as an important individual that helped popularized the game. Dr. Beale was also known as the “Father of Paddleball’
I THINK MOST OF US KNOW HOW THE GAME EVOLVED IN THE 70s, 80s & 90s…
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