On the heels of a successful combine in Florida, The National Pickleball League® (NPL) once again set the stage for an electrifying season with the conclusion of its Pickleball Combine for Champions Pros (age 50+) in Texas.
Players from across North America and from as far away as Australia battled through two days of high-level competition at each venue, showcasing their talents and abilities in the hopes that a representative from one of the 12 NPL teams looking on would take notice and select them in the upcoming player draft.
The top two male and female performers at the Combine won guaranteed draft positions on an NPL team for the 2024 season.
NPL Florida Combine Event
More than 120 male and female pickleball professionals descended upon the first-ever senior professional combine at the Diadem Pickleball Complex in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Shay Coker of Miami, Florida and Jim Bronson of Toledo, Ohio, took top honors for the men. At the same time, Karin Ptasek-Kochis of St. Augustine, Florida and Natasha Linton of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, earned the coveted spots for the women.
NPL’s CEO, Paul Bamundo, noted, “The level of competition at this Combine was extremely high, and the play was impressive. We are confident our 2024 season will be stronger and more exciting than ever.”
Beth Bellamy, co-founder of the league and top female Champions Pro player, was equally upbeat: “We are so proud of all of these amazing competitors for having the courage and skill to take on the challenge of trying out for a professional pickleball team. They are success stories on and off the court.”
NPL TX Combine Event
The second and final Pickleball Combine of the 2024 season took place at the Chicken N Pickle in Grapevine, Texas. Over 100 male and female pickleball professionals competed for first and second place.
Tony Hoang of Crystal City, Missouri, and Eric Le of Newcastle, Washington, took the top two spots in the male category, while Leslie Ballard of Portland, Oregon and Stacy Zelenski of Morro Bay, California, were the top female competitors.
NPL Co-founder Michael “Hammer Mike” Chen was delighted at the standard on show, saying, “I really enjoyed seeing the incredibly high level of pickleball being played by these Champions Pros. In addition, they displayed great sportsmanship and respect for their fellow competitors.
“I was thrilled to hear from many of these participants that they love the NPL community and that it was the best pickleball event they have ever experienced. A big shoutout to all these players. I wish we could draft them all to play in the NPL!”
Rick Witsken, NPL Co-founder and a top male Champions Pro player, commented on the intensity and energy on display at the Combine: “Every single player brought their A-game this weekend and left it all out on the court. Our team owners are going to have to make some very difficult decisions, and the 2024 Draft is going to be off the charts!”
Registration Open Until March 29th
Registration will remain open through March 29th for qualified players interested in participating in NPL’s 2024 season to submit their names for the draft. It can be accessed at nplpickleball.com. The 2024 season will consist of 12 teams representing cities across the country.
Each team will have a roster of 14 players for a total of 168 pickleball professionals in the league. Players will learn if they have made it to the big leagues when NPL and the teams jointly announce the draft results at the Draft Reveal Party in Naples, Florida, on April 14, 2024.
Once the teams are announced, NPL’s regular season kicks into high gear. Competition event weekends take place once per month from May to September, culminating in a season-ending Championships in October, where the Championship title and $150,000 in prize money will be on the line.
All events in 2024 will be held at state-of-the-art indoor facilities across the country, so there will be no weather inclement issues that could impact play.
In Other NPL News
The 2024 NPL Draft Order Selection was also decided at the Texas event: Naples #1, Coachella #2, OKC #3, Seattle #4, Denver #5, Houston #6, Austin #7, Boca #8, KC #9, Columbus #10, Indy Drivers #11, and Princeton #12.
Read more about our coverage of the NPL here.
