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FRANKLIN PICKLEBALL’S X-40 NAMED THE
OFFICIAL BALL OF THE US OPEN PICKLEBALL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
F
ranklin Pickleball’s industry-leading “X-40” pickleball will be used
as the official ball of the week-long event, dubbed “The Biggest
Pickleball Party in the World!” Franklin Pickleball’s X-40 is considered
an industry-leader for its precise production and seamless
construction that allows for consistent playability and in-game flight. The X-40
features 40 machine-drilled holes to create a balanced flight pattern, as well as
a high-quality texture that plays well on any outdoor surface.
“We are ecstatic to see Franklin Pickleball’s X-40 in action at this world-
class event,” says Adam Franklin, President of Franklin Sports. “Each year the
tournament draws top players in the world, who are ready to compete with the
X-40. There is no doubt this partnership solidifies the X-40 as the best ball in
the game, and we are looking forward to seeing the high quality of play across
each match at the US Open.”
PICKLEBALL IS NOW ON THE COURSE LIST AT
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE
A
s the popularity of the sport of pickleball continues to rise
throughout the United States, its presence is being felt more and
more on college campuses. Brigham Young University introduced
the game to its students last year and now Lipscomb University,
a private, liberal arts school in Nashville, is offering pickleball as part of its
curriculum in 2020.
Dr. Lynne Griffith, professor of Kinesiology at Lipscomb, will be overseeing
the new class. She explained that initially, “As teacher of the course, I was living
off of tennis teaching skills. I knew that was not the best scenario because,
while the sports have their similarities, they are also very different. To improve
my teaching ability, I was able to take the IPTPA Teaching the Teacher course.
It helped me tremendously in understanding some of the differences between
tennis skills and pickleball skills. I have found the teaching manual given
during the course to be of great value already.“
The pickleball course will be offered each semester at Lipscomb and will
carry with it one credit hour. Due to its indoor gym space, the course allows
12 students per class. “This is a very manageable student/teacher ratio,” said
Griffith. “In the fall, two sections of the course were offered, and both filled up.
This spring, we are again offering two sections, and both are already filled.”
In the not-too-distant future, more and more colleges and universities will
be offering pickleball as an integral addition to their physical education classes.
Lipscomb and its early attraction to the sport is a clear indication of higher
education’s affinity for pickleball.
For those looking for teaching and instructor certification, the Professional
Pickleball Registry (PPR) also educates, certifies and serves teaching
professionals and is the official partner of USAPA.
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TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM
NEWFIT SPORTS
SPREADS THE JOY OF
PICKLEBALL
F
or the founders of
NewFit Sports, donating
pickleball paddles was a
way of giving back to the
sport they love.
“We’re a small, family-owned
business and we wanted to do
whatever we could to broaden
the reach of the sport,” said
Richard Roberts, NewFit Sports
co-founder. The Larkspur,
California-based company donated
327 pickleball paddles to NAEIR
(www.NAEIR.org), a gifts-in-
kind organization.
Gifts-in-kind organizations
accept unsold merchandise from
corporations and small businesses
and then make it available to
member schools, churches and
nonprofits. The members pay a
small annual membership fee and,
in return, can request as many
products as they want, paying only
for handling and shipping costs.
The corporate donors receive tax
documentation for their donations.
For the NewFit founders, their
donation meant that they could
spread the joy of pickleball all
across the country. And all they
had to do was make one shipment
to one organization to make that
happen. •