Tag: Stu Upson

USAPickleball

USA Pickleball Names Mike Nealy as Chief Executive Officer

USA Pickleball has named Mike Nealy as its new chief executive officer. Nealy, a longtime sports executive, will begin his position at USA Pickleball in mid-June. Nealy served for eight years as executive director of the Arizona Sports Foundation, which operates the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Nealy, who becomes the second chief executive officer in USA […]

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National Pickleball League

National Pickleball League Hires Stu Upson as Inaugural Commissioner

The National Pickleball League has announced the hiring of Stu Upson, the current chief executive officer of USA Pickleball, as the league’s inaugural commissioner. Upson will join the league on June 1 after fulfilling his remaining duties at USA Pickleball. Upson assumed the role of USA Pickleball’s inaugural chief executive officer in December 2020 and […]

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USAPickleball

USA Pickleball Annual Report Shows Growth Across the Board

USA Pickleball has published its annual growth report, containing important industry metrics recorded in 2022. As the sport continued to expand, USA Pickleball saw its membership increase nearly 30% over 2021. The national governing body currently has a membership base of nearly 69,000 compared to 53,110 in 2021. “The entire industry saw 2022 as an […]

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Pickleball Sport Court

USA Pickleball Partners with Sport Court

USA Pickleball has announced a three-year partnership with sports surface company Sport Court. The agreement, which went into effect January 1, designates Sport Court as the Official Modular Tile Surface Partner of USA Pickleball. “With the demand for pickleball facilities higher than ever, we are thrilled to partner with a sports industry leader like Sport […]

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USAPickleball

Stu Upson to Leave as CEO of USA Pickleball

USA Pickleball, the national governing body for the fastest-growing sport in the country, has announced that Stu Upson will step down as chief executive officer and will leave the organization following a transition period. Upson took on the role in December 2020 and was the first person to hold the CEO title in the organization’s history. “I have […]

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USAPickleball

USA Pickleball Announces 2023 National Championships Series Schedule

USA Pickleball has announced the schedule for the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships Series, culminating with the national championships from November 4–12 returning to Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. USA Pickleball and the Association of Pickleball Professionals will again partner to stage the NCS. “Heading into the new year, we are thrilled […]

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chuck-menke

USA Pickleball Names Chuck Menke as Chief Marketing Officer

Chuck Menke has been named chief marketing officer at USA Pickleball. As as a member of the executive leadership team he will guide the revenue, marketing and communications verticals for the organization. Menke’s career within the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic movement, NCAA Division I athletics and the National Hockey League includes more than two decades with […]

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USAPickleball

USA Pickleball National Indoor Championships Heading to Alabama

USA Pickleball will hold the second annual National Indoor Championships from June 7–11 at the Finley Center, part of the Hoover Met Complex in Hoover, Alabama, outside of Birmingham. The National Indoor Championships will feature five days of events featuring singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in skill and age brackets. Gold medalists from each division […]

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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 […]

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