PickleballMEXICO
By Javier Regalado
PRESIDENT , LPPM
PICKLEBALL FEDERATION OF THE AMERICAS
I am happy to report that after some months of hard work , USAP , Pickleball Canada and the LPP Mexico have teamed up to register the Pickleball Federation of the Americas ( PFA ).
Pickleball needs a global effort to bring together a unified global governing body to take the sport to the next level . We are looking at the tremendous speed at which the sport is growing , and so we need a common democratic framework that would help all countries to homologate rules , ratings and rankings , equipment and certifications .
When we look at the list of the top 10 most popular sports of the world , every sport on the list has well-organized , strong global governing bodies . That is one of the reasons those sports have grown globally ; they are not simple regional sports .
When we analyze the origin of those sports , they are all from
Image by Eduardo Martinez different geographical locations — some European , some Asian and some American . But their evolution to a global sport is the result of a unified process , not always easy , that helped them get where they are .
Without a doubt , soccer is the king of the sports . It is said that FIFA , its global governing body , has more country members than the UN . FIFA has managed to establish a set of rules that are followed everywhere . There are variants of soccer ( indoor soccer , 7-team matches , etc ., all with common rules ) but international competition has a common rules framework that applies to everyone . Why ? To have fairness and opportunity for all .
Our three countries have a strong connection in pickleball because of our geographical location ( it is also true for other sports — the next FIFA soccer World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada , USA and Mexico ). We have players from the three countries moving across borders . A very large population of northern players come down to Mexico for the winter ( pickleball snowbirds ), and many Mexican players travel north to participate in tournaments and events . And that ’ s only to grow in the future .
Our three governing bodies understand that we need to work together and organize a continental governing body that will address the needs of our players . We need to expand a common set of rules and values of the game , broadening the solutions that affect not only a certain regional area . We need to work on a common rating and ranking system . We need to improve the quality of the experience of sanctioned tournaments and events . We need to standardize equipment and certifications of instruction and referees . We need to build programs to facilitate the implementation and growth of the sport , especially in underprivileged communities .
Again , we need to homologate our sport , no matter what language you speak or geographic location you play . We need to specify a common set of values that will help the sport become an equal and inclusive activity for all , no matter your physical condition , race , gender , age , location or origin .
Although the PFA has been founded by our three countries , it has an open invitation to other continental countries ’ governing bodies to join , from Argentina to Canada . The more we are , the richer and stronger our organization will be . The guidelines and application process are on the PFA website for other countries to follow .
This is the beginning of a major effort because , like the PFA , other continental federations are being put into place in parallel and with the same legal democratic framework . These federations will be the base of a global pickleball federation . We need to be leaders and good examples within our communities so that pickleball flourishes and grows to become one of the top sports of the world . That is its destiny . •
Any question or comment , please email me at javier . regalado @ lppm . com .
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