Naples JBB United’s owner, Bob Strommen, is bullish about the National Pickleball League’s imminent second season.
“We’re fully geared up for another great year,” he said in reference to the prospects for his team, which formed part of the inaugural season of the NPL.
Escalating Popularity
Strommen also says the league is similar to the PGA’s Tour Champions circuit in that it features players aged 50 and above worldwide. In 2023, the franchises involved included Austin, Denver, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, and Boca Raton.
However, as we reported here, due to the sport’s escalating popularity, the league has magnified its scope for 2024. It has introduced teams from Coachella Valley, Seattle, Princeton (NJ), Kansas City, Houston, and Columbus.
Matches are held monthly and commence on May 17 in Chicago. Then, they blaze a trail through Columbus, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Houston.
A $150,000 Prize
The venue for the climax to the season, The Championship Weekend, will be announced soon. It is scheduled from October 17 to 20, and teams will vie for a $150,000 prize, a step up from the previous year’s $100,000.
Naples JBB United clinched fourth place in last year’s regular season and fifth in the National Pickleball League’s championship tournament.
National Pickleball League is not to be confused with Major League Pickleball, which is a pro circuit for younger players. NPL also only concentrates on women’s, men’s, and mixed doubles.
Amazing Athletes
“As you get older, the singles game is a little tougher,” Strommen told Coastal Breeze News. Because we’re so committed to the game’s legacy and lifestyle aspect, where you can be almost any age and be competitive, we require every team to have one male and one female over the age of 60.
“We had some people trying out who were in their 70s who are just amazing athletes because they’ve stayed so active in their lives.”
As a further unique feature, NPL matches are exclusively held in covered facilities. Last year, matches were held at Chicken-N-Pickle complexes. However, this year, they’ll use courts in the NPL franchise cities. Strommen envisions each owner housing their home courts, with the Naples Pickleball Center (NPC) in Collier County, Florida, serving as the base for JBB United.
“Pickleball Capital of the World”
Strommen has been an NPC managing partner since 2020 and has trademarked its slogan of “Pickleball Capital of the World.” With 66 courts at East Naples and 14 at nearby Veterans Community Park, the NPC describes itself as the world’s largest dedicated pickleball complex in one location.
Strommen is a recreational pickleball enthusiast and Collier County resident who runs two St. Paul, Minnesota-based firms. He’s also an author, speaker, and former high school soccer coach. The “JBB” in the franchise name commemorates Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum, and Bill Bell, the founders of pickleball in 1965.
Strommen one day hopes to build a covered pickleball facility in Collier County or elsewhere in Southwest Florida.
“That’s in part because I think there’s a demand for it,” he says. “But I also think it’s part of my commitment to the league that if we’re going to have a team in the Southwest Florida/Collier County area, there will be a covered facility.
Even though we would only be using it for a very small percentage of the time, when you consider a 12-month cycle, it will just be just another asset of Collier County and continue to be known as the ‘Pickleball Capital of the World.’”
Local Talent Acquisition
This year’s draft, set for April in Naples, will differ from previous years in that it will focus on local talent acquisition.
“A player’s geographical location really wasn’t a consideration because there was no way to have a local tie to the players or team,” Strommen says. “This year, we’ve made a point of changing that because it’s critical for the sake of the team and the host city.
“It allows players to get involved with local youths, camps, clinics, and to start a youth movement towards watching pickleball.
“I saw that happen with professional soccer. Soccer teams had to develop a fan base within the community. I think that’s going to start happening, not only within Naples but also in all of the locations around the country.”
For more information about the Naples JBB United professional pickleball team, visit their website and Facebook page.
For more information about the National Pickleball League, visit nplpickleball.com. For more information about Naples Pickleball Center, visit naplespickleballcenter.info.
