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Pickleball in the United States

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Pickleball in the United States
Pickleball courts in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Governing bodyUSA Pickleball
Nickname(s)Pukaball
First played1965

Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis,[1] was invented in the United States in 1965, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Since its introduction the sport has steadily increased in popularity, and in 2021, 2022, and 2023, the sport was named the fastest-growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.[2] In 2022, pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington.[3]

College level pickleball

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Pickleball has not been sanctioned by the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). USA Pickleball and other organizations are pursuing the possibility of NCAA recognition. Meanwhile, numerous college campuses have independently formed pickleball clubs.[4] As of October 2024 USA Pickleball lists 150 colleges and universities with active pickleball clubs. [5]

In January 2023 Noah Suemnick, a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, formed the National Collegiate Pickleball Association (NCPA). NCPA's inaugural national championships was held in March 2016 at The Hub in Spring Valley, San Diego, California. Nearly 40 colleges and universities competed in the event. The NCPA states that it now has over 200 colleges and universities participating in 2024/2025 NCPA events across the United States.[6] This includes five regional championships, with a national championship to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in February 2025.

Professional pickleball

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The popularity of pickleball has spurred the growth of investors and sponsors. As a result, two pro pickleball tours were independently formed in the United States in 2019, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP, now the Association of Pickleball Players), and the Pickleball Professionals Association (PPA). A professional pickleball league, Major League Pickleball (MLP), was formed in 2021,[7] and a senior professional league, the National Pickleball League of Champions Pros (NPL), was formed in 2022. In 2023 the PPA and MLP merged under one umbrella organization, the United Pickleball Association (UPA).[8]

Association of Pickleball Players

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The APP was formed by Ken Herrmann, who aligned his tour with USA Pickleball (USAP), the original governing body of pickleball in the United States. All games are sanctioned by USAP and must abide by USAP rules.[7] The 2022 APP Tour includes 32 tournaments in five countries and has attracted an average of 800 players in each tournament. Total prize money is expected to be $2 million.[9] Originally the APP was named the Association of Pickleball Professionals, but was changed to the Association of Pickleball Players in 2023 to reflect the organizations support of both amateur and professional players.[10]

United Pickleball Association

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Professional Pickleball Association: The PPA was formed by Connor Pardoe and based in Draper, Utah. Desiring independence to shape the tour to his liking, Pardoe did not align with USAP. Initially, the PPA required all players to sign a one–year exclusivity contract, preventing PPA players from participating in any non-PPA tours. In late 2021, Thomas Dundon purchased the PPA and extended the exclusivity contracts to 3 years. Pardoe remained CEO of the PPA Tour.[7] The 2022 PPA Tour is expected to include 20 tournaments with total prize money of $2.5 million.[11]
Major League Pickleball: The MLP was formed in 2021 by Steve Kuhn in Dripping Springs, Texas.[7] In its first year, the League consisted of 8 teams and included both APP and PPA players. The second year expanded to 12 teams, but the PPA no longer allowed their players to participate in the League. Each team consists of two men and two women. Team members are chosen by a dual snake draft designed to make teams as competitive as possible.[12] Three separate competitions are scheduled for 2022, and the winning team at each competition will win $25,000 for each team member. The winning team is also awarded the Pritchard Cup. The league will expand to 16 teams in 2023, with NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, tennis player Naomi Osaka,[13] and NBA players LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love buying expansion teams.[14][15][16]

National Pickleball League

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The NPL is a professional pickleball league established in the United States whose members are over the age of 50. The league was established in 2022. As of 2024 the league had twelve teams with eight men and eight women on each team.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "The Essential Rules of Pickleball: A Quick Overview". Team Pickleball. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  2. ^ Definition, Beyond. "Pickleball Sees Unprecedented Growth: Will Require 25,000 Courts Built, $900 Million Investment to Keep Up With Demand". Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  3. ^ "Pickleball is now the official state sport of the U.S. state of Washington". KXLY. March 29, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  4. ^ Pierce, Drew (April 24, 2023). "College Pickleball: Is NCAA Pickleball on the Horizon?". Pickleball Rookie. Nice Life Media LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Campus Pickleball Clubs". USA Pickleball. March 23, 2022. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Our Story". NCPA. National Collegiate Pickleball Association. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d Walters, John (May 24, 2022). "'Pickleball Is the Wild, Wild West': Inside the Fight Over the Fastest-Growing Sport in America". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  8. ^ Daughton, Will. "United Pickleball Association unveiled as holding company for newly merged PPA, MLP". Pickleball.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  9. ^ Mogan, Luke Carberry (June 5, 2022). "Pickleball fever rises in America: 'Everybody we know now plays'". yahoo!finance. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  10. ^ "APP Enters New Era, Rebranding as Association of Pickleball Players". APP. Association of Pickleball Players. May 24, 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  11. ^ Nathan, Giri (January 21, 2022). "Is the Next Great Pastime … Pickleball?". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  12. ^ McDermott, Grace (May 31, 2022). "Get ready for hot pickleball action!". Deadspin. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Knight, Brett (December 14, 2022). "Naomi Osaka And Patrick Mahomes Join Wave Of Celebrities Investing In Pickleball". Forbes. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  14. ^ Greenberg, Doug (October 12, 2022). "Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters Buy Major League Pickleball Team". Front Office Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  15. ^ Poindexter, Owen (September 28, 2022). "LeBron James, NBA Stars Buying Major League Pickleball Team". Front Office Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  16. ^ Golden, Jessica. "Kevin Durant is the latest athlete to buy a Major League Pickleball team". Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  17. ^ "This is NPL". National Pickleball League. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
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