By Carl Schmits
MANAGING DIRECTOR , EQUIPMENT STANDARDS AND FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT
GROWING WITH THE SPORT
If you ’ ve seen parallels between pickleball ’ s explosive growth and that of tennis and racquetball in the ‘ 80s , you would be right .
Like any industry boom , there can be unprecedented growth with new entrants at every point in the value chain . Paddle manufacturers , who grew more in the past 18 months than the previous five years , introduced twice the number of paddles over last year . Player growth increased 39 percent in the past two years , and USA Pickleball membership is at an all-time high .
In addition , organized competitive events have tripled in just three years and , as of June 2022 , there will be more new venues added to
places2play . org in the past five years than existed in total prior to that , with venue growth of approximately 15 percent each year .
Note that player growth in the past two years still leaves a considerable gap in capacity , and a huge opportunity for municipalities , developers , and investor / operators to address a market that seemingly has an endless supply of Boomers and early Gen Xers .
Increased appeal to Millennials and Gen Z indicates far greater participation by all age groups looking for a club-like social atmosphere with associated amenities , etc .
For operators , the opportunity of hosting the organized competition of USA Pickleball sanctioned events can also yield a significant economic impact to supportive municipalities but requires considerable planning to ensure quality play in a safe environment and efficient use of space , as well as peaceful coexistence with the surrounding community .
What does USA Pickleball bring to this that may have been missed in the ‘ 80s racquet boom ?
• Project management , an attention to detail critical to success , and a growing network of experts in the design , planning , construction , and operation of facilities .
• Architectural expertise for site evaluation and facility design , with both presentation and functional output to help land funding and direct local contractors .
• Photo metric and shading studies to ensure best visibility across the venue at all hours .
• Acoustic engineers to ensure the lowest possible impact on the surrounding community .
• Certified court builders with years of industry experience .
• Access to a network of more than 2,000 local-market-savvy Ambassadors to help scope the opportunity and bring new players and members to your door .
There are countless professionals ready to offer opinions on how you should design , build , equip and operate your venue . USA Pickleball ’ s network has touched more facilities , suppliers , events and players than any other , and we ’ re here to provide the experience and support you need in your project . •
MARCH / APRIL 2022 | MAGAZINE 11