Tag: Pickleball

State of Pickleball

SFIA and Pickleheads Release Participation & Infrastructure Report

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association and Pickleheads have released a State of Pickleball: Participation & Infrastructure Report, which provides analysis of pickleball participation and facility and court data in the United States. SFIA conducts an annual survey of Americans ages 6 and older and tracks participation in 124 sports, fitness and outdoor activities. This […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
Association of Pickleball Players

Association of Pickleball Professionals Announces Rebranding

The Association of Pickleball Professionals has officially changed its name to the Association of Pickleball Players. The small change reflects the APP’s desire to be a catalyst of pickleball for all players, regardless of age or skill. The rebrand was unveiled May 24 at the APP’s annual Boca Raton APP New York City Open, held […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
venue_IMG_3024-2
The Association of Pickleball Professionals is one of three professional organizations that has been created for pickleball in the past four years.

Pickleball Goes Mainstream, Continues Unprecedented Growth

The sport of pickleball has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past several years, sweeping across the United States and sending host cities and destinations into a frenzy. It’s nearly impossible to avoid the sport these days, whether it be in the news, on social media or television. Pickleball is inevitable. According to USA Pickleball, […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
SportsTravel Podcast Tom Cove SFIA
Category:

From Pickleball to Team Sports: Tom Cove on the Latest in Sports Participation Trends

For years, the Sports & Fitness industry Association has studied which sports people participate in and how often. Perhaps just as important, they also track the number of people who say they don’t participate in anything at all. For professionals in the sports-event industry, there is a tremendous amount of interesting data in the SFIA’s […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
Anheuser-Busch Major League Pickleball

Anheuser-Busch Hops into Major League Pickleball

Anheuser-Busch has hopped on the pickleball craze, announcing that it has purchased a Major League Pickleball team for the 2023 season in a deal that will give the beverage giant a founding partnership with the larger MLP league and control over one of the league’s expansion teams. “We have a proud and longstanding history as […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
COGS Pickleball Groundbreaking1
The City of Gulf Shores and Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events held a groundbreaking ceremony for the highly-anticipated pickleball courts at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. From left: Michelle Russ - Vice President of Sales, Sports & Events at Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism; Beth Gendler - President/CEO of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism; Glen Kaiser - Chairman of the board for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism; Mayor Robert Craft; Mayor Pro Tempore Phillip Harris; City Councilman Gary Sinak; Grant Brown – City of Gulf Shores Recreation & Cultural Affairs Director; Seawell McKee - Architect from McKee & Associates; Jeff Nichols - President of American Tennis Courts, Inc. (Contractor).

City of Gulf Shores Breaks Ground for New Pickleball Courts at Gulf Shores Sportsplex

Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events held a groundbreaking ceremony for their long-awaited pickleball courts. “As pickleball emerges into one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, we are excited to bring these much-needed courts to our community,” said Grant Brown, recreation & cultural affairs director. “Right […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
GulfShoresPickleball

Outdoor Pickleball Courts Coming to Gulf Shores Sportsplex

The city of Gulf Shores, Alabama, will be adding 12 new outdoor lighted pickleball courts at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. The pickleball courts will be located on the east side of Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium and will share the parking lot with the varsity baseball field. The sportsplex is an 100-acre facility that encompasses a […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
Maor League Pickleball

Major League Pickleball Announces Team Expansion

Major League Pickleball, a professional pickleball league that showcases professional pickleball players in a unique team format, has announced an expansion to 12 teams for 2022 and new team owners including entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. Eight teams took part in the league’s first season in 2021. The league has also confirmed that the 2022 MLP Draft […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
APP tour

Punta Gorda Secures Three-Year Deal with APP Pickleball Tournament

The Association of Pickleball Professionals will return to the PicklePlex in Punta Gorda, Florida, with a stop on the tour at the pickleball-specific venue at Florida Southwestern State College. The event will be staged February 23–27 after being held at the complex in 2020 and 2021. The Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau is working […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :
SportsTravel Podcast Stu Upson Pickleball

Pickleball Power: Stu Upson of USA Pickleball on the Sport’s Growth, Events and Venues

The Sports and Fitness Industry Association has made it official in its latest trends report: pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country. Over the past two years, participation is up 39 percent, including an increase of more than 20 percent from 2019 to 2020 when the pandemic helped drive the sport’s appeal. Leading the […]

Continue Reading
Posted On :