PICKLEBALL
HEATS UP
in the Atlantic South
Karen Parrish has been the
Atlantic South Regional Director
for the past 3 years. Originally
signing up to be an Ambassador
the USAPA seen her passion and
determination and new she was a
perfect fit for the Director's chair.
I am blessed to be a part of the
Atlantic South Regional Pickleball
family and look forward to great
things to come.
USAPA Atlantic South Regional Director Karen
Parrish with USAPA Vice President Jack Thomas
BY KAREN PARRISH AND JOE BORRELLI
P
ickleball is hotter than ever in the USAPA’s
Atlantic South Region. The Villages continues
to be a major destination for snowbirds escaping
winter’s grip in the north, and Florida was host
to the recent U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in
Naples and a delayed broadcast of some of the championship
matches through CBS Sports. Even with all of this activity
in the Sunshine State, thanks to a core group of USAPA
Ambassadors, pickleball is growing leaps and bounds a few
hundred miles away in North Carolina.
The USAPA’s Atlantic South Region is coordinated by
Karen Parrish and consists of five states: Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina. This
group of states alone accounts for nearly 13% of all
USAPA members. Out of the 1,383 ambassadors in the
United States, more than 240 of them reside in the
Atlantic South. At the recent U.S. Open Pickleball
Championships, the Atlantic South Region players
brought home 33 Gold medals, 41 Silver medals and
37 Bronze medals. When it comes to pickleball, the
Atlantic South is a powerhouse.
And while there are more than 670 places to play
in the region, in North Carolina alone the number
is nearing 200 with new courts constantly opening.
As Chris Thomas, USAPA Ratings Chair, recently
noted in an interview, “the strength of this sport
is at the local level and the great work of our
local ambassadors and tournament directors.”
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That is definitely the case in North Carolina. As with most
places that have a lot of players, the state is broken up into
three districts with their own directors. USAPA Coastal
District Ambassador Joe Borrelli represents the Coastal
Plains, Calvin Vaughn is in the Piedmont District, and
JoAnnah Michael is in the Mountain District. At this
year’s Atlantic South Regional Tournament,
Borrelli was named the 2015-2016 Pioneer
of the Year award winner. Both Parrish
and Borrelli are quick to give credit to the
ambassadors in North Carolina for helping
the sport grow.
Borrelli has done a wonderful job of
organizing the ambassadors in his district [and
beyond] to grow pickleball throughout North
Carolina.
“Joe is one of the best ambassadors in all of
pickleball. His hard work and dedication to our sport
clearly show the success he has achieved in his district.
The Atlantic South Region would not be the same
without him.”
According to Borrelli, organized pickleball in North
Carolina started in 2010 with groups popping up around
Raleigh, and in High Point, just outside of Winston-Salem.
Cary, NC, was the first community to run a successful
pickleball tournament in 2012 and has now become an annual
event with players from around the state and farther. Cary also
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