PHOENIX — USA Pickleball, the National Governing Body for the sport, today concluded the celebrations and activations for National Pickleball Month throughout April. Established in 2018, National Pickleball Month is designed to connect everyone within the sport while, at the same time, introduce pickleball to new audiences by highlighting its inclusive, fun and healthy qualities.
“What a fun month it’s been—from members nationwide sharing their love of pickleball, to our valued partners contributing prizes and helping us spread the word, we saw an incredible level of participation,” said Chuck Menke, USA Pickleball Chief Marketing Officer. “At USA Pickleball, we’d like to thank our entire community for celebrating the sport and everyone in it. National Pickleball Month may be over, but we look forward to continuing to share player stories and help drive pickleball’s growth through the rest of the year.”
USA Pickleball showcased people, places and events across the sport using weekly themes during the month of April that focused on different topics. Some highlights from the month included:
- USA Pickleball, Pickleball Canada, and La Liga Profesional de Pickleball Mexico announced the formation of the Pickleball Federation of the Americas—a new continental governing body for pickleball in the Americas.
- In collaboration with its partners at SportCourt, USA Pickleball donated a SportCourt pickleball court to Special Olympics Michigan.
- HotelPlanner and USA Pickleball launched sweepstakes for one lucky USA Pickleball member to win over $2,500 in free hotel accommodation for the APP Newport Beach Open.
- The pickleball community got to know two of the most active collegiate pickleball club teams in the country: Utah Tech University and North Carolina State University, as the two teams engaged with USA Pickleball’s audience in an Instagram takeover.
- USA Pickleball gifted 10 individuals a free USA Pickleball annual membership during the month of April—five people at the APP Mesa Open won a membership and five people won after participating in a membership giveaway during Member Appreciation Week.
- Several members of the pickleball community were highlighted in feature stories, including:
- Alice “Jo” Hancock, who joined USA Pickleball as the National Governing Body’s very first member – and led the way for the community of now 73,000 and counting!
- Earl and Beverly Schalin, a 95- and 90-year-old couple who have been teaching pickleball to hundreds of beginners across the country and sharing their love of the sport everywhere they travel.
- Mitch and Sidney Elofson, who have successfully built a pickleball facility in Minnesota that has raised over $60,000 through hosting charity pickleball tournaments.
- Anna Garwood, who has been putting together makeshift places to play pickleball in Brooklyn and working with the Durant Family Foundation to build pickleball courts for the community.
- Stephen Conger, Michele Dabal and Tracie Holmes—a trio of friends—who have created and begun running the first statewide pickleball league for the average player: the All State Pickleball League in New Jersey uses public parks and private facilities to bring the sport to those interested in weekly league play.
- Skechers gifted a free jacket and pair of sneakers to a lucky winner, and provided an exclusive 20% discount on pickleball footwear to newly registered USA Pickleball members in April.
You can find more information about National Pickleball Month here.