Pickleball Magazine 2-2 Courtesy of PickleballTournaments.com | Page 12

FROM THE USAPA USAPA MEMBER PROFILE W hen Chad Cromwell, founder of the Atlanta Pickleball Association (ATLPBA) and Sugar Hill USAPA Ambassador, first played pickleball in Sugar Hill, Ga., he had a vision to grow pickleball throughout the Atlanta area. Starting with a local church league, he then asked friend and neighbor Sue Morton to join in. Sue thought, “Of course, with a name like pickleball, how can this NOT be fun?!” Soon after, Chad met Chris Wolfe, an avid pickleballer who had just moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chad’s vision and innovation, along with Chris’ enthusiasm and dedication to developing skilled players, mixed with Sue’s desire to make pickleball easy and accessible to everyone of all ages and abilities, has created a fresh and vibrant pickleball association that is contagious. The ATLPBA membership has grown from 40 players in February 2016 to 400 players in February 2017. Along with round robin and ladder league play, members really enjoy a 5-line league, which consists of teams of 5 lines of mixed doubles playing against other teams where most advanced players are Line 1 moving down to least advanced at Line 5. Chris describes this as “a relaxing Sunday night with music, food, adult drinks and pickleball. The perfect way to forget that a work day is right around the corner.” Chad Cromwell Atlanta, Georgia Sugar Hill USAPA Ambassador NOMINATE A PICKLEBALL PROFILE Do you know someone who should be profiled in the magazine? Send us 50-100 words as to why he/she should be featured and we’ll consider for an upcoming issue. Send to [email protected]. 10 May 20-21 will be ATLPBA’s 2nd annual tournament and the group is very excited to host pros Kyle Yates, Stephanie Lane, Marcus Luke, Aspen Kern, Christine McGrath, Frank Anthony Davis and Robert and Jodi Elliott. These top-level players are not only going to instruct clinics but also compete on a stadium court and show Atlanta how the game is really played. ATLPBA has reserved a beautiful facility at Lifetime Fitness that boasts 20+ courts, a stadium court and the use of 8+ indoor courts in case of inclement weather. In keeping with the association’s zest for innovation, the tournament also features a 3-on-3 team event. This is a new concept where teams of 6 players (3 lines) compete against other teams. Coming up with a team name, creating matching shirts, and cheering on fellow teammates is a recipe for great competitive fun. Follow ATLPBA on Facebook at http://facebook.com/atlpba Instagram @atlpba Website: http://atlpba.org • TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM