FROM THE USAPA
USAPA Ambassador Program
HIGHLIGHTS PLAYERS’ PASSION FOR PICKLEBALL
Pickleball has become the fastest‐growing sport in America, thanks largely to the vigorous efforts of the USA Pickleball Association Ambassador Program.
The ambassador program began shortly after the national association was formed in 2005 as a way to recruit players throughout the country. At the time, pickleball players were concentrated mostly in the state of Washington, The Villages in Florida, Happy Trails Resort in Arizona, and at a number of the Thousand Trails Campground locations throughout North America.
The USAPA Director of Ambassadors today is Jack Thomas. The Assistant Director is Earl Hill.
“ An ambassador’ s goal is to work independently to promote the sport and the USAPA in his or her local area,” says Earl Hill, 77, the program’ s assistant director.
“ We reasoned that others who also had pickleball passion would want to make local efforts to start and grow pickleball, and want to share our great game with others of all ages,” he says.“ Basically, [ ambassadors ] commit themselves to work to establish and grow pickleball in their communities.”
Within three years, the program had appointed more than 200 ambassadors. Soon after, regional ambassadors were appointed to help Hill manage nine separate regions throughout the U. S. and Canada.
The USAPA Ambassador Program currently has 1,250 ambassadors across all 50 states, plus several in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. Pickleball Canada also has an ambassador program, which is fashioned after the USAPA one, Hill states.
At first, the ambassador program was an informal one. Hill would interview potential ambassadors over the phone to discuss their plans for launching pickleball in their communities. He would appoint them, add their names to the USAPA website, and order business cards for them.
“ Within a couple of years, we had an application process established on the website, and the applications were then sent to me,” he explains.
“ Ambassadors are tasked with finding new locations to play and updating the website accordingly, and they’ ve been the impetus for adding to the nearly 4,000 venues where the game is played across the country,” says Hill. The game can be played wherever badminton or outdoor tennis is typically played, including county, city or private gyms, senior centers, or schools.
Ambassadors can be individuals, couples, or a group working together, and the USAPA Ambassador Program is open to players of all ages. The youngest recruit is 12-year-old Kyle Stoddard from Las Vegas, while 75-year-old Alice Lane just signed on as an ambassador to the Seaside, Oregon, area.
In addition to serving as USAPA spokespersons, ambassadors may also arrange and facilitate player clinics, organize tournaments, or lead the formation of pickleball clubs. To join the program, you must be a USAPA member.
Hill, who has been playing pickleball since 1985, says that ambassadors join the program for various reasons.“ Each person might be different, but essentially they feel that they want to be a part of the growth of our great game,” he explains.
For more information about becoming a USAPA Ambassador, visit usapa. org and click on the“ Ambassador” tab. From there, you can complete an online application. •
10 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG. COM
NEW AMBASSADORS ARE: Gloria Beck....... Sun City, AZ Ron Blair......... Adams County, WI Jamie Elliott....... McKinney, TX Doug Brown...... Jackson, MO Larry Carivau..... Desert Host Springs, CA Danielle Charvoz.. Friendswood, TX Sharon Conrad.... Peachtree City, GA Mike DeSlippe.... Columbus East, OH Margot Dragoo.... Palm Desert, CA Rick Dunn........ Wood County, WV William Feekin.... Council Bluff, IA Mary Gawrys..... DeKalb, IL Rob Guardino.... Clarkstown, NY Paula Handrup... Goodyear, AZ Don Hankins...... Iredell County North, NC Carolyn Harvey.... San Francisco, CA Gayle Hawbaker... Spalding County, GA Angel Hernandez.. Port St. Lucie, FL Mildred Hudson.. Gulf Breeze, FL Laurel Joakimides Klamath Falls, OR David Kerstein.... Somerset County, NJ Raymond Kidney.. Lockport, NY Amy Kirchner..... Fluvanna County, VA Richard Kirkham.. South Jordan, UT Bill Knopp........ Logan, UT Deborah Campbell-Knopp.. Logan, UT Alice Lane........ Seaside, OR Bob Leroy........ St. George, UT Tracy Lind........ Folsom, CA Phil Lindholm..... University Place, WA Alaina Lofthus.... Carmichael, CA Brendon Long.... Naples, FL Bob / Mindy Lutz... Tucson, AZ Angela Luhman... Greater Dallas, TX Stan Manous..... McDonough, GA Matt McDermott.. Papllian, NE Rissa Miller....... Kerrville, TX Gary Penn........ Athens, TX John Petrich...... Gainesville, FL Peter Phelps..... Spalding County, GA Bryan Poynter.... Evansville, IN Barb Preusker.... Norfolk, NE Sam Recinos...... Puerto Vallarta, MX Kathy Reidy....... Old Saybrook, CT Karl Reuther..... Akron, OH Scott Rexinger.... Phoenix, AZ Anne Rheins...... Augusta, GA Jeff Ross.......... Phoenix North Valley, AZ Doug Seefeld..... Prescott, AZ Jill Shehan........ West Palm Beach, FL George Silvas..... Novato, CA Cheryl Silverman.. Amsterdam, NY Bob Steinkamp... Harrisburg, PA Kyle Stoddard..... Las Vegas, NV Don Trefry........ Anthem, AZ Bob Unetich...... At-Large Russell Young..... Springville, UT
NEW AMBASSADOR AREA TEAM LEADER: Bob Klarich...... St. George, UT Steve Manolis.... Phoenix, AZ John Sloan........ Las Vegas, NV
NEW DISTRICT AMBASSADORS: Chuck Flanagan... Central & South Central
District, TX Dean Mangione... Palm Springs District, CA Addie Mattox..... Bay District, CA Derik Perez...... Sacramento District, CA Cheryl Waymack.. Central Valley, CA Kathy Thomas.... Central Coast, CA Steve Sidwell...... Central Coast, CA