Yesterday, USA Pickleball announced their new expanded sanctioning partnership with National Pickleball, a subsidiary of Advanced Sports Media Group (ASM). The continued sanctioning support from USAPA will allow National Pickleball to host 21 tournaments across the nation in 2023.
This partnership is a huge win for the ever-growing amateur pickleball scene. According to the SFIA 2022 Sports, Fitness & Leisure Activities Topline Participation Report, pickleball has seen a 39.3% growth in its player base in just the last two years. With such exponential growth, serious players need support from groups like National Pickleball in order to participate in high-level tournament play.
National Pickleball gives amateur players a platform to experience real, USAPA-sanctioned tournaments, many of which offer considerable prize money. Their partnership with USAPA ensures that each of these tournaments will be facilitated in a highly professional manner, following the sport’s official rules and tournament guidelines.
Seth Burleigh, the Chief Operating Officer of ASM, recognizes that National Pickleball’s relationship with USAPA is invaluable for supporting its community of players. Collaborating with the sport’s “National Governing Body” both validates and enhances all of the tournaments that National Pickleball hosts.
“Partnering with USA Pickleball creates another (very large) channel for marketing and amateur exposure. Our goal is to have as many players as possible at our tournaments as that creates the best environment for players with healthy brackets, more competition, and an overall electric atmosphere. We also plan to create content from our tournaments (videos, highlights, etc.) and with USA Pickleball as a distribution and marketing partner, more attention will be on the amateur players.”
Seth Burleigh, Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Sports Media Group
Beyond the 21 USAPA-sanctioned tournaments that are expected to serve nearly 8,500 amateur players, National Pickleball offers further player support through its Amateur Champions Series (ACS).
The ACS is a player reward system that awards points to players who participate and earn medals in National Pickleball tournaments throughout the year. The top three females and males will receive prizes, including cash payouts and free entry to their 2023 amateur payout tournaments.
The next big tournament hosted by National Pickleball will be the NP Sin City Classic this weekend at Sunset Park in Las Vegas, NV. Nearly 300 players will compete in USAPA-sanctioned singles and doubles brackets for $15,000 in prize money.
While we’ve seen incredible growth for pickleball’s professional players through the many new pro leagues and tournaments, the sport will need even more support at the amateur level to give its players a chance to propel their pickleball careers.
“Amateurs form the foundation of the sport – they are the entire pyramid, minus the tip – and should be championed harder and wider than they have been. We understand that we can’t cover all amateurs, everywhere, but hopefully the combined efforts of National Pickleball and USA Pickleball to provide more amateur media exposure will be a catalyst to something bigger.”
Seth Burleigh, Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Sports Media Group
USAPA’s continued partnership with National Pickleball is a step in the right direction for supporting pickleball’s amateur players. National Pickleball’s well-regulated events that focus on cultivating a pro-level experience for players of all skill levels will continue encouraging the sport’s rapid growth.
Check out National Pickleball’s website for a schedule of all of their upcoming events for the 2023 season!
