GREAT
EXPECTATIONS
After a highly successful year , Ken Herrmann and the APP are aiming even higher for 2024 .
by DEBORAH LEW
Coming into 2023 , Ken Herrmann , founder of the Association of Pickleball Players ( APP ), had several goals in mind , including continuing to build a formidable foundation to create the best professional tour experiences for players — regardless of age and skill level — and maintaining the APP ’ s strong partnership with USA Pickleball , reflecting the APP ’ s status as the only officially sanctioned pro tour of the national governing body .
However , what ’ s transpired these past few months is more than Herrmann could have hoped for , giving one of pickleball ’ s key leaders a sense of achievement .
In January , when “ APP ” still stood for Association of Pickleball Professionals , the tour year kicked off with the APP Sunmed Punta Gorda Open in Florida . Immediately , Herrmann and the APP team saw increased interest in competing in APP events from professional players — qualifier draws were quickly filling up and wait lists were implemented .
This reflected the APP ’ s ongoing central role in pickleball ’ s pro game , and the APP Tour ’ s reputation as the best tour for amateurs and pro players alike . As the year went on , the APP continued to reap success , and decided to change the organization ’ s name to better reflect its unique position as the only pickleball entity in the world to truly represent all players — and the Association of Pickleball Players was born . From professionals to recreational players , APP ’ s new brand was the launchpad to build on what Herrmann had achieved since establishing the APP in 2019 .
“ I absolutely loved the idea of updating our name ,” says Herrmann . “ I ’ ve seen the impact the APP has had on individuals and felt it was a great move to change the name to Association of Pickleball Players because we were doing so much more than just being a tour for pros and amateurs . The new name allows us to have a much broader impact , not only on the sport domestically but internationally , and to speak to and for every pickleball player , a number that is now in the tens of millions .”
One of the many successes of 2023 has been the APP welcoming AARP on board , bringing an iconic American brand into pickleball to reflect the ongoing growth of the sport . This partnership also led to another rebranding , taking APP ’ s senior pro and super senior pro tour divisions — two central pillars of the APP — and updating them to the AARP Champions Tour and the AARP Masters Tour . Not only have those two competition platforms been updated , they are both enjoying new player rankings data on the APP website , and increased prize money for players .
“ It really warms my heart to continue to increase the attention on senior professional players . They have contributed so much to the growth of the sport , and today ’ s generation is reaping the benefits of the foundations laid by them , so it ’ s right that we spend time and energy giving them the competition stages they deserve ,” Herrmann says .
The APP Next Gen Series is another entity Herrmann was passionate about growing this year . The Next Gen circuit is a first-of-its-kind development program , designed for pickleball players between the ages of 16 and 23 . In addition to the tournament series , the APP also launched the APP Next Gen National Team , a competition and mentoring program that prepares the team ’ s participants — made up of six men and six women — to represent the United States in future international and professional APP Tour competitions . Each of the three events in the 2023 series , all held at Chicken N Pickle locations across the USA , offered
58 TO SUBSCRIBE , CALL 412.914.8294 OR GO TO PICKLEBALLMAGAZINE . COM