PickleballMEXICO
YOUTH PROGRAMS : THE FUTURE OF PICKLEBALL
One of the most important goals of any national federation is to promote and create the growth of pickleball . It is a continuous challenge to innovate and generate any rate of growth , even more so with the fastestgrowing sport in North America . To keep up this rate of growth , national programs must focus on introducing and promoting youth programs in public and private spaces .
Mexico ’ s demographics are a great opportunity for pickleball . Approximately 40 percent of Mexico ’ s 130 million population is under 20 years old . We are a young country , with a median age of 29 . We have the potential of large growth for the next two decades .
The challenge is to make young people fall in love with pickleball . We need to understand how the post-pandemic world has changed their habits , so that we can take pickleball to them and lure them into playing . Schools will continue to be a great place where kids can learn and practice pickleball . But we also need to work with local governments and communities to accommodate public spaces to facilitate the practice of the sport .
Recently , I visited Puerto Morelos , Quintana Roo , a local community just a 15-minute drive south of Cancun airport . Puerto Morelos has a large expat community from the USA , Canada and Europe . Led by Glenn Mair and Chelo Ramirez , they have grown their pickleball group to more than 100 players . They have been playing in a fast soccer court , fitting four pickleball courts .
We had a meeting with local government staff , and talked about implementing a program to teach young kids , expand the public spaces for more courts , and certifying local P . E . teachers for pickleball instruction .
The local government also loved the idea to introduce the sport in the public elementary schools . Glenn , Chelo and their expat group immediately started working with local residents by organizing clinics and helping them with equipment . Thank you , Glenn , and the Puerto Morelos pickleball gang for all you ’ re doing !
We find similar amazing work in San Miguel de Allende ( Natalia , Gloria , Paul , and Peter , to name a few ); Los Cabos and Tres Palapas ( Sally and Paul , Jonathan , Mari Fer , Sammy , Fabiola , Jorge and Adriana ); Mazatlán ( Jorge , Daniel , CJ , Alfonso , Bill ); Puerto Vallarta ( Sam , Carlos ); San Carlos ( James , Mariana , Belem , Alan and Ramon ); Ixtapa /
Kids playing pickleball in public school in Mexico .
By Javier Regalado
PRESIDENT , LPPM
Zihuatanejo ( Emanuel , Adrian , Ana , Moises and Juan ); Riviera Maya ( Jeffrey , Angela , Susan and Theresa ); and Tijuana ( Fernando , Daniel , Emanuel , Favio and Monica ).
I want to take this opportunity to ask for your help . In coordination with the International Federation of Pickleball ( IFP ), Pickleball for the World ( PFTW ) was created . It is a 501 ( c )( 3 ) nonprofit organization created to raise funds to buy equipment ( pickleball kits with a net , paddles and balls ) for underprivileged communities and public schools . Your donations would be very helpful to accomplish our endeavor . You may contact Mike McCown , Director of Grants for the IFP , for donations and information about PFTW . Visit
pickleballfortheworld . com .
Finally , I want to invite you to watch the video at
https :// youtu . be / mxAVNnfKTa8 . We had a great time doing it , and it was a very touching experience . We met incredible , brave people who struggle to survive in the post-pandemic world . We introduced pickleball to these amazing tennis pros as a way to help them find other opportunities . The video is an example of things we are doing in Mexico to promote pickleball .