By Stu Upson
USA PICKLEBALL CEO
USA PICKLEBALL IS RAMPING UP FOR WHAT ’ S TO COME
Spring is upon us and the 2021 pickleball season is rocking ! What a joy it is to have so many pickleball enthusiasts back out on the courts . I said in my letter in the January / February issue that it is difficult to predict what the pickleball landscape will look like this year , but the picture is becoming clearer as more and more tournaments are being scheduled and sanctioned , and our USA Pickleball membership count is back to its pre-COVID level — and continuing to increase . Having said that , the pandemic is not over , and we urge you to maintain all of the protocols needed to keep you and everyone around you safe and healthy .
We are very excited that the USA Pickleball National Indoor Championships will be taking place in June in Hoover , Alabama , after being canceled last year . Interest has been very high , with over 700 players registered at the time of this writing . The Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships will go on later this year in Indian Wells , California . On top of that , we are rolling out the USA Pickleball National Championships Series this summer and fall , consisting of multiple tournaments leading up to the Nationals . Details of the series are provided later in this issue .
Also later in this issue , you will read about our new membership plan , which will take effect on June 1 . We have added significant value to our membership by providing everyone with a welcome kit that includes a USA Pickleball bag tag and decals as well as a $ 25 voucher that can be used for any hotel reservation booked through our partner ,
HotelPlanner . com . Annual dues will be $ 35 ($ 95 for 3 years or $ 150 for 5 years ). It should be noted that USA Pickleball has never had a dues increase since its inception in 2005 . But most importantly , the additional dues revenue will help us fund important initiatives such as youth and recreational programs that are essential to continue growing the sport .
Finally , I plan to be at a variety of tournaments and events in the coming months . Not only am I greatly Iooking forward to getting out of my office , but I am hopeful that I will get to meet a lot of you in person along the way . Have a great spring and summer . •
MAY / JUNE 2021 | MAGAZINE 11