NOWS
NOWS HE
NOWS HE COACHES PICKLE BALL IN PLACES YOU MIGHT
EXPECT, BUT IN 2017, HE WAS
INSPIRED TO BRING THE
SPORT TO A VERY DIFFERENT KIND
OF FACILITY, MAXIMUM
SECURITY PRISONS.
SECURITY PRISONS. FROM REIKER'S ISLAND TO THE
WASHINGTON STATE
WASHINGTON STATE PENITENTIARY, ROGERS HAS BEEN
COACHING THE SPORT OF
PICKLE BALL, MAKING AN IMPACT
ON HUNDREDS OF LIVES.
HE JUST RETURNED FROM TEACHING
A HUNDRED INMATES IN
CALIFORNIA, AND HE'S WITH US
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. ROGER, WELCOME.
ROGER, WELCOME. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> AN AMAZING STORY.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. IF
HERE. IF ANYBODY IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH
PICKLEBALL, TELL US
WHAT IT IS
>> IT'S A COMBINATION OF PING-
PONG AND BAD MITTEN,
AND IT'S PLAYED ON A VERY SMALL
COURT.
COURT.
COURT. I
COURT. I SHOULD SAY PING-PONG AND
TENNIS.
TENNIS.
TENNIS. IT'S PLAYED ON A BAD MINTEN
COURT.
COURT.
COURT. IT'S EASY ON THE JOINTS, VERY
EASY TO LEARN.
GREAT EXERCISE, BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY FUN.
IMPORTANTLY FUN. >> HOW DID IT GET ITS NAME?
WHY IS IT PICKLE BALL?
>> THIS IS A GREAT STORY.
REMEMBER JOE RICHARDS, IN
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. HE WAS OUT PLAYING GOLF ONE
DAY, COMES HOME.
THE KIDS ARE RAISING SO HE SENT
THEM OUTSIDE
THEM OUTSIDE TO PLAY SOME BADMITTEN, AND
THEY CAN'T FIND THE
BIRDISH.
BIRDISH.
BIRDISH. THAT.
THAT.
THAT. WHAT THEY DID IS GOT A PING-
PONG PADDLE WITH A
WIFFLEBALL, STARTED HITTING THE
BALL OVER THE NET.
>> THAT'S HOW THE SPORT WAS
FORMED.
FORMED.
FORMED. WHAT'S THE PICKLE PART?
>> THIS WAS OVER ON BANE BRIDGE
ISLAND.
ISLAND.
ISLAND. YOU HAVE THE CABINS CLOSE TO
EACH OTHER.
EACH OTHER. EVERYBODY WANDERS IN ONE HOUSE
AND ANOTHER.
AND ANOTHER. THEY DIDN'T LOOK THEIR DOORS
BACK THEN.
BACK THEN. ONE NIGHT, THEY HAD A HAPPY
HOUR, AROUND 5:00, AND
THEY SAID, ", YOU KNOW, WE CALL
IT THE GAME.
YOU WANT A GAME TOMORROW
MORNING, THAT TYPE OF
THING.
THING.
THING. SOMEBODY SAID, "YOU KNOW, WE
NEED TO COME UP WITH A
NAME FOR IT.
HOW ABOUT RALLYBALL OR MAYBE
TENNIS PONG.
TENNIS PONG. THEN SOMEBODY SAID, "JOE,
YOU'VE TO THE THAT DOG
PICKLES."
PICKLES."
PICKLES." GRABS THE BALL.
''LET'S CALL IT PICKLE BALL."
>> THAT IS AMAZING.
IT'S FROM HERE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> YOU'VE BEEN TAKING THIS
AROUND, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
PARTICIPATING.
PARTICIPATING. WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA YOU
WOULD GO INTO PRISONS?
>> IT STARTED WITH A GLASS OF
WINE.
WINE.
WINE. I
WINE. I WAS WATCHING "60 MINUTES" ONE
NIGHT, AND THEY HAD
A SEGMENT ON SHERIFF TOM DART
IN CHICAGO.
IN CHICAGO. YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE THE
CHALLENGES THEY HAVE.
SO I WROTE HIM A LETTER,
BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE GUYS
JUST SIT AROUND ALL DAY LONG,
AND I SAID, "HERE
WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO GET
SOME EXERCISE.
SOME EXERCISE. THEY COULD LEARN SOME SKILLS,
LIKE LEARNING FROM
MISTAKES."
MISTAKES." AND MY WIFE, SHE SAID, "WELL, I
DOUBT IF YOU'LL HEAR
BACK FROM SHERIFF DART.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED, MARGARET, IS
HE HAPPENED TO
MENTION MY LETTER OVER THE
DINNER TABLE, AND HIS
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PUT HER
HANDS ON HER HIPS,
BECAUSE TOM HAD NEVER HEARD OF
IT, AND SAID, "DAD,
I'LL IT WILL YOU ABOUT PICKLE
BALL."
BALL."
BALL." >>
BALL." >> WOW, SHE KNEW.
>> SHE KNEW.
AND THAT REALLY STARTED IT.
SOY ENDED UP BACK THERE.
IT WAS JUST INCREDIBLY WELL
RECEIVED.
RECEIVED.
RECEIVED. >> AND IT WAS WELL RECEIVED NOT
ONLY BECAUSE PEOPLE
GOT EXERCISE AND DID SOMETHING
THAT WAS NEW TO THEM
AND HAD FUN, BUT IT ALSO TENDED
TO BUILD
TO BUILD
TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND REDUCE THE
STRESS AND HOSTILITIES
THAT LEAD TO VIOLENCE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT REDUCES STRESS BECAUSE OF
THE EXERCISE; BUT YOU
KNOW, WHEN I WAS BACK THERE, A
REPORTER FOR "USA
TODAY," AND PART OF THE ARTICLE
IS -- I'M SITTING ON
THE BENCH, SITTING WITH ONE OF
THE INMATES.
THE INMATES. HE SAYS, "ROGER, LOOK OUT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. SOME OF THESE GUYS WOULDN'T
EVERYONE TACK TO EACH
OTHER BEFORE PICKLE BALL,
BECAUSE THROUGH EAR IN
OPPOSITE GANGS.
OPPOSITE GANGS. BUT NOW THEY'RE IN THE ONLY
PLAYING TOGETHER.
PLAYING TOGETHER. THEY'RE LAUGHING TOGETHER."
>> THAT IS AN AMAZING THING.
>> IT'S TERRIFIC.
>> IT'S GOT TO BE, YOU KNOW,
JUST GOOD FOR THE SOUL.
WERE YOU AT ALL TRIP DISHES
GOING INTO SOME OF THESE
ENVIRONMENTS?
ENVIRONMENTS? >> WELL, YOU NEVER FORGET WHERE
YOU ARE, THAT'S FOR
SURE, BUT I ALWAYS HAVE
SECURITY AROUND ME.
>> WHY IS IT SO MEANINGFUL TO
YOU?
YOU?
YOU? >>
YOU? >> WELL, I THINK, FOR ONE
THING, IT'S REALLY HELPING
SOME PEOPLE.
SOME PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, I THINK OF ONE FORMER
DRUG DEALER, WHO
SAID, "ROGER, MY DRUG OF CHOICE
RIGHT NOW IS PICKLE
BALL."
BALL."
BALL." >>
BALL." >> WOW.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> I KNOW ANOTHER SITUATION
WHERE AN INMATE SCREAMED
AT ANOTHER THAT "I'D BEET THE
OUT OF YOU, BUT
IF I DID, I COULDN'T PLAY
PICKLE BALL."
PICKLE BALL." THAT'S WONDERFUL, BECAUSE HERE,
VIOLENCE IS BEING
REDUCED.
REDUCED.
REDUCED. IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT
98% OF ALL INMATES
WILL EVENTUALLY BE BACK OUT IN
SOCIETY, 98%.
SOCIETY, 98%. THEY'RE GOING TO GO FROM BEING
AN INMATE TO BEING
OUR NEIGHBOR.
OUR NEIGHBOR. SO BELIEVE ME, I'M NOT BEING
HARD.
HARD.
HARD. I
HARD. I JUST LOOK AT THIS ON A
RATIONAL BASIS, AND SAY, IF
IT'S UP PROVING LIVES, IT'S
WITH ALL OF US.
>> I'M WITH YOU, BECAUSE IF
PEOPLE ONLY COME OUT
MORE DESTITUTE, MORE ANGRY,
WHATEVER --
WHATEVER -- >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> -- WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ATLANTIC
A ROLE FOR THIS, BUT
THERE IS A ROLE FOR
REHABILITATION.
REHABILITATION. THERE IS A ROLE FOR SHOWING
PEOPLE A BETTER ROAD.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE IN
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH SOME
OF THE PLAYERS?
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T.
I'M COMPASSIONATE IN TRYING TO
HELP THEM WITH THEIR
LIVES, BUT I DON'T REALLY WANT
TO FORM A PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP. WHAT I WANT THEM TO DO IS HAVE
THEM LOOK AT PICKLE
BALL AND ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF
IT AS WELL AS, YOU
KNOW, LONGER FROM MISTAKES,
THINKING ABOUT
THINKING ABOUT CONSEQUENCES.
CONSEQUENCES. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> LEARNING ABOUT TEAMWORK.
>> AND THEN TAKING IT FOR
THEMSELVES AND MOVING
FORWARD.
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> IT'S REALLY QUITE AMAZING.
I'M SURE THIS HAS BEEN GOOD FOR
YOUR HEART AS WELL.
>> YEAH, IT'S TERRIFIC.
>> NICE TO BE ABLE TO HELP.
THAT IS INCREDIBLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.