A groundbreaking product development and marketing services agreement between PickleballTournaments.com and Grantstone Ventures aims to enhance services in the pickleball marketplace.
This collaboration will introduce player ratings, rankings, and other player data, benefiting tournament directors, players, and clubs.
This joint effort builds on their informal relationship since 2015 and their formal common offering in June 2018, which introduced a new pickleball player ratings system in conjunction with the USAPA.
Significant Growth
The latest phase of the USAPA Tournament Rating system was released on September 30, 2018.
As the sport experiences significant growth, having objective tools for tournament directors and organizations to match play fairly is crucial for successful events with balanced competition.
https://t.co/9NzzLZBas0 Partners with Grantstone Ventures to Provide First-Ever National Pickleball Ratings https://t.co/AguUD2mxBA
— Grantstone Ventures (@GrantstoneBiz) October 18, 2018
Kevin Richards, CEO and co-founder of Grantstone Ventures, stated, “From day one, our goal has been to provide ratings that are objective, accurate, and timely for players globally. This partnership with Pickleball Tournaments will greatly increase our ability to achieve that mission.”
A More Precise System
The USAPA Tournament Ratings introduced by PickleballTournaments.com and Grantstone Ventures bring a more precise 4-digit rating system (e.g., 3.786) compared to the commonly used 2-digit skill ratings (e.g., 3.5).
These ratings are based on statistical data, providing a more accurate representation of a player’s skill level.
Additionally, Grantstone Ventures’ Clique & Club (C&C) program, jointly marketed, allows clubs and private groups to accurately rate their members, improving competitive play in various settings.
Deep GreenTM
Both the USAPA Tournament Ratings and Clique & Club Ratings use a four-digit system for increased accuracy. These ratings are processed through Grantstone Ventures’ proprietary ratings engine, Deep GreenTM, based on the respected Elo algorithm.
The C&C Ratings, however, do not include match results from public tournaments.
David Johnson, COO of PickleballTournaments.com, said, “We are excited to work with the data scientists at Grantstone.
"The initial player rating is critical. If too low, it'll rise w/wins, but create chaos on others ratings along the way" P.Porch #pickleball pic.twitter.com/8EGAJ2VzHS
— Pickleball Ratings (@PiklBalRatings) October 12, 2017
“They have invested almost 36 months in the development of an extremely thoughtful approach to player ratings that will help pickleball tournament directors better rank and seed players at tournaments.
“Replacing human evaluation with data removes subjectivity, creating a better experience for all players as well as anyone who organizes matches.”
More Insights
In the future, the companies plan to leverage the data collected by PickleballTournaments.com to offer players more insights about their opponents and improve historical reporting of player ratings.
The agreement also encompasses product marketing and development opportunities in other segments of the pickleball marketplace, with a focus on creating additional tools and products for clubs, leagues, and social play.
About PickleballTournaments.com
Founded in 2004, PickleballTournaments.com provides software, event management, training, and consulting services to Tournament Directors worldwide.
They power some of the largest and most prestigious pickleball events globally, serving the needs of over 40,000 active players and over 500 tournament directors.
PickleballTournaments.com operates as a division of Pickleball Station, Inc. – an affiliate company of Pickleball Central.
About Grantstone Ventures
Established in 2015, Grantstone Ventures’ initial venture was PickleballRatings.com. Co-founders Kevin Richards and Brian Hendrickson are entrepreneurs based in Portland, OR, dedicated to enhancing the sporting experience through cutting-edge technology.
