PUBLISHER ’ S PLAYBOOK
Every now and then I wonder when the pickleball craze will begin to plateau . Again and again , major new developments in the sport push my leveling-off perspective to many years down the road . Here are some recent news items that we should all celebrate in the pickleball community .
First , it seems like every major sport manufacturer can now be found in pickleball some way or another . Sporting giants Skechers , Adidas , Joola , Babolat , and K-Swiss have recently thrown their hats onto the pickleball court . They bring new technologies and enthusiasm that will continue to elevate the sport .
Second , we all watch the NHL , MLB , NBA and NFL , but now there ’ s a developing MLP ( Major League Pickleball ). The seven-team league ’ s owners include celebrities and well-known businessmen such as Gary Vaynerchuk , Bryan Sheffield , Charles Attal , Wes Hurt and James Blake . The 2022 player draft will be held on May 28 . The verdict is still out but this could become the next big thing in the sport .
Next , the pro money tour events are growing . USA Pickleball has its Regional Qualifiers and of course the sport ’ s most prestigious event , the National Championships . From there , we have the APP and PPA tours providing millions of dollars of prize money for players looking to earn a living by competing . This month , the APP is raising the bar by hosting the first-ever pickleball tournament at Flushing Meadows , home of the tennis US Open . These are big times for sure .
Speaking of the US Open , let ’ s look back at the 2022 Minto US Open Pickleball Championships held last month in Naples , Florida . Close to 3,000 people competed and 25,000 attended the weeklong festivities . Congratulations to big winners Ben Johns and Catherine Parenteau . Ben took the triple crown , winning men ’ s singles , men ’ s doubles and mixed , confirming his undeniable status as the # 1 player in the world . Catherine dominated the women ’ s field , winning gold in singles and doubles but fell short with bronze in the mixed after losing to Ben Johns and Simone Jardim in the semifinals .
Pickleball is undeniably still in its infancy stages . I have no idea what the future holds but we should all be excited to be here for the journey .
Wayne Dollard Publisher
Launched in 2016 , Pickleball Magazine is recognized by USA Pickleball as the “ Official Magazine ” of pickleball . USA Pickleball is the national governing body for the sport of pickleball in the U . S . Pickleball Magazine offers tournament coverage , expert instruction written by professional players , rules , profiles of top pros , the latest equipment and more !
PUBLISHER Wayne Dollard
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
ART DIRECTOR Michael Miller
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Laura Gainor
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jack Bandel Jennifer Brozak Rick Cipes Joe Dinoffer Laura Gainor Alex Hamner Patrick Houston Collin Johns Wayne Kerr Craig Laughlin Jennifer Lucore Deirdre Michalski Karen Mitchell Hana Papaco Javier Regalado Dr . Noe Sariban Alice Tym Bob Unetich Drew Wathey
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Michael Gauthier Kerry Pittenger Scott H . Shook , Coastal Breeze News Bruce Yeung
Dollard Publishing Co ., Inc . publishes six issues of Pickleball Magazine per year . Subscriptions are $ 24 per year .
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