PUBLISHER ’ S PLAYBOOK
As a former collegiate tennis player ,
I entered my first major pickleball tournament ( the US Open ) in 2017 and was blown away by the size and scope of the sport . I watched former
Olympian table tennis players , current tennis tour athletes , platform tennis hall of famers , a former # 1 world-ranked racquetball player , and visiting Asian badminton veterans . Since then , as a tournament player and instructor , I have played against and coached current and former NFL , MLB , NHL and PGA athletes . One of the beautiful things about pickleball is that you don ’ t need a racket-sports background — you can come from any sport and utilize universal athletic skills , such as patience , communication , hand-eye coordination , and footwork .
As the largest of the western racket sports , tennis still provides the dominant breeding ground for pickleballers . The sport ’ s governing body , the United States Tennis Association ( USTA ), recognizes the pickleball boom and is embracing our sport . A few months ago , permanent pickleball courts were added to the world ’ s largest tennis facility — the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona , Florida . Last month , the USTA hosted LevelUp Pickleball Camps for a grand opening pickleball training event . The sold-out camp was just another step the tennis world has taken in the marathon of joint sport growth and cooperation . The USTA is now in the process of hiring a full-time pickleball director at the Campus to organize adult activities and to supplement their youth tennis programs .
Pickleball will not replace tennis and tennis will not replace pickleball . Together , both sports will continue to learn and grow from each other . For those of you who are new to pickleball , know that you and your talents and sports background are all welcome . We look forward to teaching you and we look forward to learning from you .
PUBLISHER Wayne Dollard
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
ART DIRECTOR Michael Miller
Jack Bandel Rick Cipes Joe Dinoffer Morgan Evans Laura Gainor Brandi Givens Alex Hamner Ryan Hanes Collin Johns Jennifer Lucore Craig Laughlin Karen Mitchell Bob Nibarger Dick Osman Dr . Noe Sariban Steve Taylor Alice Tym Bob Unetich Bruce Yeung
Dollard Publishing Co ., Inc . publishes six issues of Pickleball Magazine per year . Subscriptions are $ 24 per year .
Wayne Dollard Publisher
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED . REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IS PROHIBITED . © 2021
Please recycle this magazine when you are through enjoying it .
In February , the United States Tennis Association ( USTA ) hosted LevelUp Pickleball Camps for a grand opening pickleball training event in Lake Nona , Florida !
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