Browsing: Pickleball News

As the “fastest growing sport in America,” it should come as no surprise that one forward-thinking company is giving pickleball aficionados a chance to invest in the game. “Eatertainment” Concepts Competitive Social Ventures (CSV), the founder of the popular pickleball eatertainment brand Pickle and Social, has announced it is seeking qualified investors for its Series B raise. The funding will support the expansion of Pickle and Social as well as CSV’s other eatertainment concepts, Fairway Social and Roaring Social. CSV plans to open 11 new locations across the U.S. in major markets, including Texas, Louisville, Scottsdale, Alpharetta, Florida, and South…

We’ve got a weekend off from the PPA and APP, but that doesn’t mean that pro pickleball is off the table! Starting today, the sixth annual Beer City Open kicks off in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for an entire weekend of pro pickleball! The Beer City Open was co-founded by Andrea Koop, a pro pickleball player who plays on the PPA and MLP and resides in the nearby town of Grand Haven, MI. Koop saw potential in hosting the Midwest’s premier pickleball event in her home state, and together with co-founder Paul Richards, hosted the first Beer City Open in 2018.…

About 35 miles northeast of Bakersfield and 105 miles due north of Los Angeles (as the crow flies – it’s considerably further by road!) lies the small community of Kern River Valley, CA. “Small Town Challenges” Maybe an unremarkable fact, but what is remarkable is the journey its pickleball club is going through at the moment and the impact on the nearby communities it is having. KRV Pickleball Club is hot in the middle of a series of contests against its neighboring rivals. The first two contests, or “Small Town Challenges” against Team Bear Valley Springs (about 40 miles north),…

The inaugural Pickleball Slam back in April was a resounding success; it turns out that seeing tennis legends hit the pickleball court makes for quite the spectacle! In the first tournament, we saw Andre Agassi team up with Andy Roddick to face off against John McEnroe and Michael Chang. Round 2 will see the return of the newfound pickleball rivalry between McEnroe and Agassi, but both will have new partners while duking it out for the $1 million purse. Agassi will partner with his wife, Steffi Graf, who is largely considered one of the greatest women’s singles players ever. McEnroe…

The Firley YMCA at 525 Ellis Blvd. in Jefferson City, MO, was host to an extraordinary pickleball event last Saturday. The SOMO State Championship The center held a series of games as part of the first-ever SOMO – The Special Olympics Missouri Pickleball State Championship. The games consisted of regulation doubles (two-player teams, each of whom has intellectual disabilities) and unified teams (made up of one player with an intellectual disability and another without). Teams winning two out of three games would then advance through the tournament, which featured about 80 contestants. Robert Weigel from Fulton said “It was really…

About three months ago, we brought you a story about Thaddea Lock, the number one-ranked English female pickleball player, going to the Isle of Wight to run some pickleball coaching sessions. All Skill Levels In that article, we also mentioned the West Wight Sports and Community Centre, where Thaddea was holding her pickleball masterclass, was going to host the upcoming inaugural Isle of Wight Pickleball Festival. The festival took place at the end of June and was a great success. It catered to all skill levels, and participants won points as part of a league-style structure with games played up…

The second half of the year has officially begun for the PPA Tour! At last weekend’s Denver Open, the PPA resumed after a month-long break in style with another Double-Triple Crown performance from Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns. As we anticipated in our preview, thanks to many pros being absent from this tournament, the narrow main draws allowed Johns and Waters to sweep through their brackets easily. However, we did see some top players break through and make their first Championship Sunday appearances for this year – let’s check it out! View this post on Instagram A post shared…

Pickleball America, the 80,000 square-foot facility at the Stamford Town Center, has been described as the largest indoor pickleball venue in the U.S. and will feature 28 indoor pickleball courts, lockers, showers, a café, a lounge area, and a childcare center. “Unforeseen Delays” The ribbon cutting was originally scheduled to open on July 10 in Stamford, but the soft launch was put back due to “unforeseen delays.” Pickleball America released an email last Monday informing us to: “Stay tuned for new dates & time. We look forward to welcoming you to our space soon.” A splash on their website states: “Update. Due…

Southbury, CT, cut the ribbon last week for the grand opening of its first town-owned pickleball courts. The inauguration took place on Tuesday at Ballantine Park, 611 Old Field Road. A “Strategic Plan” First Selectman Jeffrey Manville said, “Part of our strategic plan was to increase recreational opportunities for people in Southbury,” he said. “Pickleball is a growing sport among young and old at every level.” Manville added that the four pickleball courts cost around $158,000, with the American Rescue Plan Act supporting funding for the development. He also commented, “This is great for our residents. Pickleball is ageless. From youth to seniors,…

Pickleball England has just announced Skechers as the official footwear sponsor for the highly anticipated 2023 English Open and English Nationals pickleball tournaments. Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau Skechers is no stranger to the pickleball scene. It’s been investing heavily in sponsoring pickleball events, and this latest collaboration is a testament to the sport’s growth and Skechers’ commitment to being a part of the action. Just last year, Skechers made a splash by signing Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau, two elite pickleball athletes from the United States and Canada. These pros now proudly sport Skechers pickleball footwear and rock Skechers-branded…