Browsing: Pickleball News

Last September in Beijing, a few hundred Chinese officials and dignitaries gathered at the Beijing National Aquatics Center—known colloquially as the Water Cube but better known worldwide for hosting the Olympic swimming events back in 2008. 10,000 Courts And 100 Million Players! However, this time the dignitaries were not watching an individual medley or the high dive but attending a pickleball exhibition. As we reported a few weeks ago, our favorite sport is on the rise, with a report stating that the global pickleball equipment market is scheduled to reach nearly $1 billion by 2028. And it’s easy to see…

Former professional croquet instructor and Siesta Key resident Ken Scoggins only began his pickleball journey about seven years ago. He had previously been a lifelong tennis enthusiast but when pickleball changed all that, it became his dream to make pickleball accessible to everyone on Siesta Key. Action Was Required He was not happy with that arrangement and decided that action was required to encourage the officials of Sarasota County to up their pickleball game and make its sporting facilities more attractive to players. The way to do that turned out to be relatively straightforward: “About a year ago, I decided…

Virginia Acres Park, widely recognized in Aiken, South Carolina, as the location of the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, experienced a substantial police presence on the afternoon of January 26.  However, the reason was more to do with paddles than nightsticks as the law enforcement representatives were there exclusively to host a popular pickleball event! A Big Hit The “Pickleball with a Cop” mini-tournament was a big hit and attracted numerous pickleball enthusiasts who enthusiastically participated in approximately three hours of friendly competition. The principal organizer of the event was Corporal Mark Blades, a representative of the Aiken Department of…

Ben and Collin Johns’ position at the top of the men’s doubles game throughout 2022 and 2023 is a testament not only to their ability but also their desire to improve while staying there. Five Gold Medals Ahead Of The Competition According to tournament stats compiled by the PPA Tour, the Johns brothers outshone their closest competitors by three gold medals in 2022, and by 2023, they expanded this lead to a substantial five gold medals. The Johns brothers secured ten gold medals in 2022, a number that increased to an impressive 12 in 2023. Their silver medal count decreased significantly…

Golf isn’t the first sport to spring to mind when you think of pickleball and what its related pastimes could be. However, Connor Hance and Drew Baird, co-owners of Enhance Pickleball based in California, would tell you differently. The former tennis stars from UCLA were flabbergasted when the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) reached out to enquire about their interest in participating in the 2024 PGA Show, mainly because they were so new to the scene, having only launched their company in 2022. A Unique Opportunity This event, a significant exhibition of the latest developments in golf featuring over…

The pickleball rating system DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) has announced a new board, ownership, and investors, as well as an influx of $8m in funding, to advance its mission to unify pickleball with innovative technology and a dynamic global rating. New Owner, Chairman, And Investors Real estate developer, Major League Pickleball team owner, and DUPR Chairman of the Board David Kass will operate as the new owner and chairman, alongside new board members and investors, including legendary tennis star Andre Agassi; Raine Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Raine Group; Jay Farner, CEO of Ronin Capital Partners and…

USA Pickleball, the National Governing Body for pickleball in the U.S., has announced Mesa, Arizona, as the location for the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships. The Pickleball Nationals will be hosted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa from November 10-17. “A True Destination Event” Mike Nealy, USA Pickleball Chief Executive Officer, stated, “The 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships will be a true destination event for the best of the best in our sport. “We look forward to welcoming our community to the Valley of the Sun to enjoy this year’s Nationals along with the beautiful weather, outdoor…

The National Pickleball League, LLC (NPL) has announced its first-ever television deal with CBS Sports leading into the 2024 Season. An Exclusive Two-Hour Special CBS Sports Network will provide an exclusive two-hour special airing of the Gamma Sports National Pickleball League Championship weekend in Glendale, Arizona, that saw the Indy Drivers team – comprising Rick Witsken, Kim Jagd, Nathalie Bagby, and Tao Thongvanh – winning the inaugural title in dramatic fashion over the Austin Ignite. CBS Sports Network will also air additional NPL programming in the 2024 season. The two-hour Gamma Sports NPL Championship will air on the CBS Sports…

Bob Kreienkamp starts his day by donning his tennis shoes, grabbing his paddle, and making his way to the pickleball courts. His devotion to pickleball has taken over his previous interests in softball and golf, mainly because the sport is gentler on his aging knees. Sue, his wife, is understanding and supportive: “This is his love every morning,” she says. Generous Donation More than 30 fellow pickleball enthusiasts surprised Kreienkamp at the Community Center in Bowling Green, Ohio, to express gratitude for an incredibly generous donation of $20,000 he made recently. This contribution is earmarked for one of the proposed…

The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) has announced an extension with partner Vlasic® Pickles to continue as the official pickle partner of the APP. As part of Vlasic Pickles’ title sponsorship of the 2024 APP Tour, pickleball players will compete in the APP Vlasic Classic™ tournaments in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Delray Beach, Florida. “A Global Audience Of Diverse Players” “Our friends at Vlasic Pickles share more with us than the ‘pickle’ in our names; they share in our vision for continuing to grow the sport of pickleball for years to come, reaching a global audience of diverse players,” said Tom…