Pickleball Magazine 5-1 WD | Page 36

“Our Ambassadors come in contact with so many people on a daily basis. Who doesn’t love to talk about the sport? Without our Ambassadors we wouldn’t be where we are today.” There are many facets to the role of being a USAPA Ambassador but according to Fontana, the common denominator has always been the social aspect of pickleball. “There are so many ways that our ambassadors share and promote the USAPA and pickleball,” she explained, “from the handshakes on the court, to pickleball parties and the inviting enthusiasm that an Ambassador displays, which continue to bring the curious onlooker off the couch to the playing court. Our biggest population of players is the local recreational player, who is not playing for a medal but to be out on the court for what pickleball is known for, the socialization. We truly believe that pickleball is bringing communities together like no other sport is, or has done in decades. People who never played a sport in their lives are coming because they are socializing and creating ‘Pickleball Communities.’ It’s amazing how it works, and we continue to hear it, time after time.” CJ Jermstad, now a USAPA Vice Chairman, led the Ambassador charge for the organization for many years and continues to this day to be one of the more recognizable faces in the sport. Starting out as a local Ambassador in Grand Haven, Michigan, Jermstad—who never met a day she didn’t like—quickly became the Great Lakes Regional Director, followed by her appointment on the USAPA Board of Directors as Ambassadors Chair. She has seen firsthand how pickleball can touch the hearts of its players, some after just one game. “I once had a conversation with a gentleman in a rural community. He explained to me he was a dairy farmer and had learned the game while on vacation,” recalled Jermstad. “He wanted to introduce pickleball to others in his community, so we discussed ways for him to grow the sport in his area. He had marked off one court at a nearby church and invited a few people in his community to join him so he could show them how to play. He called me a month later saying he had outgrown the church and was trying to find creative ways to have more playing time. He had so many people wanting to play.” From a church parking lot to an abandoned concrete pad where basketballs once bounced, pickleball is gaining considerable momentum, thanks largely in part to the loyal work of its ambassadors. “As a volunteer organization we depend on the people who give of themselves. We continue to work to inspire, educate and encourage our Ambassadors to be positive 34 TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM and renew their commitment to why they became Ambassadors for the USAPA,” said Fontana. “We continually gather information from them to find out what they do in their neck of the woods. We have implemented an annual survey that helps us gather that information so we can determine what is working and what the challenges are around the nation. This important information will continue to help us grow and learn as an organization.” “Our Ambassadors come in contact with so many people on a daily basis. Who doesn’t love to talk about the sport? Without our Ambassadors we wouldn’t be where we are today,” added Jermstad. Fontana concurs: “We don’t have actual numbers, but I know that every one of our pioneer Ambassadors to the current corps has each touched hundreds of players, if not more. The web of extension is so incomprehensible to me. Logic tells us that if one Ambassador invites two people to the courts, those two players invite two or more players and so on and so on—the legs of growth are almost countless. Directly or not, it was most likely an Ambassador who started the pickleball excitement rolling.” And the excitement surrounding the sport continues to roll on. The USAPA receives more than 30 applicants a month seeking to become an Ambassador. “All you need to do is fill out an application online. Simple and easy,” said Jermstad. Not all individuals can be placed due to existing Ambassadors in their area, but the organization works to place qualified people in areas that are in need. Fontana added, “Now with our new USAPA Recreation Program, which is helping develop youth, college and recreational programs, local Ambassadors will have even more tools to help promote and share with the communities and clubs they work with.” Coinciding with the continual growth of the USAPA Ambassador Program is the meteoric rise in participatory numbers in pickleball. Where does Fontana see the next wave in the sport’s popularity? “Our next level of growth, as we are already starting to see, is in the youth programs—working hand in hand with our Recreation Department and getting the sport into more schools and intramural programs at all education levels. From the schoolyard playground, to Parks and Rec summer programs, to the ever-growing adult clubs and nonprofit organizations around the country, I don’t see it slowing down; if anything, it’s speeding up and we are working to stay ahead of the growth.” •