A new brand is stepping onto the backs of the world’s top players: J. Pritchard.

Founded by twin brothers Steve and Darren Gable, the brand was born after they discovered pickleball in 2020 and saw an opportunity to elevate the sport’s apparel while honoring its rich history.

Named after Joel Pritchard, one of pickleball’s founders, J. Pritchard pays tribute to the game’s roots. Darren has also shared the story behind how they secured the name of one of pickleball’s most influential figures. 

“The Pritchards invented the sport. We wanted to be the most authentic brand on the market,” he said. “By working with the founding family, we wanted to share this beautiful story.”

Without any personal ties to the Pritchard family, however, they had to get creative to make it happen.

“We talked to an IP lawyer, we found a phone number, and we had no idea if it was connected to them or not. My brother called this number and he left a heartfelt message on their answering machine where he said, ‘My brother and I want to pay homage to what your family has done for this sport,’” recalled Darren. “We also wrote them a handwritten letter and sent it to some random address with no idea if it was going to reach them. Eventually, it reached Frank Pritchard, who’s now in his 70s, but he was 13 when the sport was invented.”

Joel Pritchard’s son, Frank Pritchard, asked if Steve and Darren could fly out to Seattle to meet and see if this was going to be a good partnership. 

As soon as Steven and Darren hopped in Frank’s car, they knew they’d be a good match. Pritchard even had one of the original wooden pickleball paddles in his backseat. Then, Pritchard took them on a grand tour of the original pickleball court—and the rest is history. 

But Frank had two requirements for the brand if they wanted to use his father’s name. 

“He wanted it to be a premium brand,” said Darren, “And we wanted to take this Ralph Lauren and Peter Millar mindset,” so it was a perfect match. 

What else?

“Frank wanted to make sure that his mom got credit for naming the sport. They had a dog named “Pickles,” but Pickles was born three years after the sport was invented,” mentioned Darren. “Frank’s mom absolutely named the sport after the pickle boat in sailing.”

Mystery solved. 

Frank, Steve, and Darren shared a clear vision: to create a refined, elevated apparel line for pickleball. Drawing inspiration from Ralph Lauren, they set out to design pieces that feel at home alongside the polished style of a country club or luxury resort—blending performance with the timeless sophistication you’d expect from a club golf pro.

“If we’re sharing this beautiful heritage story, we need to come with the most beautiful, classic and timeless colors—Wimbledon white, nautical navy, the grass court green that we’ve named Pritchard green,” said Darren. “Our tagline is “Play Proper.” It doesn’t mean to show up snobby, but it means show up as if you are at a country club. Like if you’re a golfer, there’s a dress requirement, and if you want to look like a professional sport, you have to look professional.”

And after working with MLP’s LA Mad Drops, J. Pritchard is certainly helping to elevate the fashion game at every level.

Shop J. Pritchard online or at their store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, CA. And to keep up to date on all things pickleball, follow us on Instagram.