Browsing: Pickleball News

The Showboat Hotel Atlantic City unveiled its inaugural indoor pickleball court on Thursday. City officials, alongside local leaders and other stakeholders, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Showboat’s pickleball court, situated adjacent to the entrance of Island Waterpark and the new Island Bar. “Outpouring Of Support” Bart Blatstein, the proprietor of the Showboat Hotel and CEO of Tower Investments based in Philadelphia, showed his enthusiasm for the sport, stating, “I was turned onto the sport over a year ago, and I can’t believe the outpouring of support, and how many people just want to play pickleball because it’s easy,”…

Katherine Jeanne Manousos ’63, a graduate alumna of the 1963 class of elementary education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), now enjoys playing pickleball on Sunday mornings at the same campus where she earned her degree six decades ago. Joining her on the court at the Campus Recreation Center are her daughter, Julie Petros, an alumna in biological sciences, and her grandson, Ben Petros, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. A Deep Affinity Manousos, now 82, expresses a deep affinity for the institution where she spent 27 years of her career after graduating from Lowell State Teachers College, stating,…

MLP by Margaritaville (Major League Pickleball) and the Carvana PPA Tour have jointly unveiled their integrated 2024 schedule, marking a significant milestone following their announcement to merge and establish a unified pickleball entity. SC Holdings, D.C. Pickleball Team owner Al Tylis, PPA Tour owner Tom Dundon, and a roster of existing MLP team owners have put together a $50 million package to finance the consolidation. Greater Flexibility Next year will witness a total of 34 events spanning 200 days of competitive play, visiting more than 25 cities across 18 states. PPA and MLP will culminate their seasons with championship events,…

Franchisor and indoor court facility provider Ace Pickleball Club is set to launch another facility in 2024, this time in the Uptown Solon, Ohio, location previously occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond. The facility, spanning 40,000 square feet, will boast what the newsletter describes as the finest available pickleball courts, along with state-of-the-art technology. Join The Waitlist Residents of the community can express their interest in membership by joining the waitlist, where they will also receive updates on the opening, tournaments, and events hosted by ACE Pickleball in Solon. Click here to join the waitlist. Ace Pickleball Club’s anticipated reopening…

Franklin Sports and USA Pickleball have announced an expanded partnership aimed at providing a dedicated series of pickleball products tailored to competitive athletes designed to enhance their personal game. This collaboration offers a range of USA Pickleball-endorsed training products endorsed by Franklin Sports to elevate one’s pickleball skills. The 25-34 Demographic According to the 2023 State of Pickleball: Participation & Infrastructure Report, the age group with the highest number of pickleball participants falls within the 25-34 demographic, with the 18-24 age group closely following suit. This extended partnership between Franklin Sports and USA Pickleball caters to athletes of all ages,…

On November 5, the Women of Tri Kappa Gamma at Abilene Christian University will host a pickleball fundraising tournament from 2 to 5 p.m. All campus students are welcome to participate in this event, fostering community and contributing to a commendable cause. Participants have the option to play individually or register as teams. Payment can be made either at the door or by scanning the QR code featured on the campus flyers. “Well-Loved” Ashley Jacobson, a senior majoring in elementary education from Austin, who serves as the Fundraising Service and Chair for Tri Kappa Gamma, told The Optimist, “I wanted…

It’s been a rocky couple of months for Major League Pickleball (MLP). From a messy merger with the PPA Tour to the resignation of the organization’s founder, Steve Kuhn, there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future of MLP going into this weekend’s big event: MLP Dallas. We’ve already covered our overall thoughts about the group stage matchups in our MLP Dallas Group Draws Preview article, so be sure to check that out for who we think will succeed and make it to the finals! However, we wanted to point to a few specific matches on the televised Championship and…

Pickleball is proving a huge hit at NC State University. The university has an incredibly lively pickleball community that caters for casual matches or national championship games. The introduction of pickleball at NC State can be traced back to Robert Valdillez, a Ph.D. student in nuclear physics, who founded the club in 2019. Valdillez proudly stated that the club was the first of its kind in the United States and became the inaugural official collegiate member of USA Pickleball. It garnered recognition in USA Pickleball’s magazine and served as a model for similar clubs nationwide. Over 100 Active Participants In…

The International Pickleball Federation (IPF) has announced the hosting of a virtual 2024 International Pickleball Summit from January 6 to 7, 2024. The summit aims to gather leaders from all Pickleball Continental Federations and the two International Federations to engage in discussions regarding unification. Mission, Governance, And Funding The first day of the summit is dedicated to allowing continental federations the opportunity to articulate their vision for an international federation. This will encompass the international federation’s mission, system of governance, and the proposed approach to funding. Each continental federation will present its vision on Day 1. The subsequent day of…

The National Pickleball League (NPL), the first and only professional pickleball league for Champions Pros aged 50+, has just concluded its historic inaugural season. In a dramatic turn of events, The Indy Drivers, down 3-6 and needing nine matches to clinch, pulled off an incredible feat by winning seven straight matches to bring the NPL Championship Trophy to Indianapolis. Remarkable Performance This remarkable performance led to their victory over regular-season winner Austin Ignite, allowing them to proudly hoist the NPL Championship Cup at Chicken N Pickle in Glendale, Arizona, during Championship weekend from October 13 to 15th. The pivotal moment…