USAPA Grant Program
U
SAPA Community Grant Program was developed to
assist members in establishing new playing locations
within the United States. The Community Grants are made
possible by USAPA’s mission to grow the sport of pickleball.
These grants will provide current USAPA members a
maximum of $250 reimbursement for the purchase of
qualified pickleball equipment dedicated to a specific
location.
Grants funds have been used to begin elementary,
middle and high school afterschool programs, programs
in churches, and Parks & Rec Community Centers; and in
one city in western Oregon, the program brought success
in motivating teens and “building a community of students
who normally drop out of school. The spirit of pickleball
brought students and staff close together to help give them
the confidence to finish!“ Members from all walks of life
have been awarded USAPA Community Grants to establish
new pickleball playing locations.
To date in 2017, USAPA has awarded 79 grants totaling
over $19,000 in funds for members in more than 30 states.
We invite members who wish to establish a new
pickleball playing location to apply for a USAPA
Community Grant. To learn more about the USAPA
Community Grant Program and grant eligibility
requirements, please go to the USAPA web site
(http://www.usapa.org/) and click on the “Training
& Court Info” drop-down menu or go directly to
http://www.usapa.org/usapa-grant-program-rules/.
In March, the USAPA board approved a High School
Grant Program proposal. The objective of the new School
Grant Program is the following: “USAPA School Grant
program will help high school physical education teachers
acquire start-up pickleball equipment for regular PE
and afterschool programs to begin to teach the sport
of pickleball within the physical education curriculum.”
Recently we completed the High School Grant Program
guidelines and policies, and we are ready to begin a
“prototype” in an effort to finalize the program. If you
are interested in participating, please send an email to
Ray Pereyra, USAPA Grants, to receive more information
about the new USAPA High School Grant Program at
[email protected]. •
Social Media Key to Future
USAPA Growth
BY BOB NIBARGER, USAPA COMMUNICATIONS
T
he landscape is rapidly changing
as to how our pickleball
community connects. Email lists
have been, and still are, the single
most effective tool to connect with
pickleball players. Email lists provide
a direct and inexpensive way for
the pickleball community to share
pickleball news and information.
Social media, mainly Facebook, is
rapidly becoming the media of choice
and will only continue to expand its
reach. How do we as USAPA members
stay connected? The simple answer
is: through media. Here are some tips
on how you can expand your media
reach for your local club or pickleball
organization:
12
• Appoint a social media
coordinator for your club;
• Consider developing a Facebook
page or pickleball blog;
• Web pages should also be
considered as your media
program grows;
• Use email to direct members and
the public to your social media;
• Volunteer to develop news and
articles to support your media.
USAPA members can assist with
our membership growth by following
a few simple tips. For example, on
Facebook you will notice several tabs
at the bottom of the post. Usually you
will see LIKE-SHARE-COMMENT.
Whenever possible, select and utilize
TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM
all three of these tabs. By doing so,
the original post gets shared with
friends and guests.
Finally, you can also assist the
USAPA media efforts by becoming
a volunteer news contributor. We
are always looking for stories and
articles on pickleball for Pickleball
Magazine and our newsletter.
Interested parties simply need
to send a memo of interest to
[email protected].
In closing, as the landscape
constantly changes, we as an
organization must also change. Keep
current and remember: “Keep your
paddle up.” •