The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) has appointed Melissa McCurley, a highly respected and experienced figure in the pickleball community, as the executive vice president of the APP’s competition initiatives.
Significant Contributions
The APP reports that due to her significant contributions to the sport’s growth and resources over the past decade, McCurley has been praised by APP Founder Ken Herrmann as a leader who played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s vision since its inception in 2019.
Herrmann says, “Melissa is one of the forefront leaders in the pickleball industry, significantly shaping the sport’s growth and resources over the last decade.
“When I was starting the APP back in 2019, Melissa was a trusted advisor who helped ensure our vision and objectives were established for long-term, enhanced player experience.
“Her continued commitment to growing pickleball as an inclusive sport is inimitable, and we are thrilled to have her join the APP family as we expand opportunities for recreational play.”
Wealth Of Knowledge
McCurley will take charge of the APP’s competition domain, leveraging her wealth of knowledge to enhance grassroots pickleball initiatives within the organization.
With almost a decade as the owner and CEO of pickleballtournaments.com, a premier pickleball tournament management software platform, McCurley’s leadership saw remarkable global expansion, supporting over 1,200 events and 300,000 players, compared to 93 tournaments and 10,000 players in 2014.
McCurley’s impact extends beyond tournament management; she played a key role in creating and launching the sport’s first algorithmic data-driven rating system in collaboration with USA Pickleball.
Adept Leadership
Her adept leadership facilitated the growth of the emerging pickleball industry, successfully organizing tournaments with thousands of players and earning recognition as the first person to run events with over 800 players.
Excited about her new role, McCurley was enthusiastic about joining the APP family:
“I couldn’t be more thrilled about becoming a member of the APP family. With the continued rapid growth of the sport and the ongoing changes to consumer needs coupled with the equipment and technology advances in the industry, I just couldn’t stay retired.”
“Most Influential Person In Pickleball”
McCurley’s achievements in the pickleball industry are commendable, earning her titles such as the “Most Influential Person in Pickleball” by sports media and the “Pickleball Service Industry Award” from the Racquet Sports Industry group in 2020.
Additionally, she received a nomination for the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2023 and the US Open Pickleball IMPACT Award in 2022, recognizing her significant contributions to the sport’s growth and success.
Before her career in sports business and technology, McCurley served in the United States Navy for eight years as a Hospital Corpsman during Operation Desert Storm.
Leading Crucial Initiatives
Her commitment continued with roles at Electronic Data Services (EDS), where she led crucial initiatives, including the installation of the Navy and Marine Corps’ first common infrastructure, establishing the Navy’s Crisis Response Center, and forming the Navy’s Emergency Response Team after Hurricane Katrina.
Notably, McCurley is one of three female leaders recently added to the APP’s front office, coinciding with the organization’s announcement of a new pro-team competition and amateur format.
As the APP opens its 2024 campaign with the U.S. Collegiate Championships and Midwest Open, McCurley’s expertise adds strength to the leadership team.
Player registration and ticket information for these events are available on theapp.global.
