PickleballMEXICO
By Javier Regalado
PRESIDENT , LPPM
PICKLEBALL FOR THE WORLD
All of us who play , or are part of the international pickleball community , understand the wonderful attributes the sport has to offer . It transforms lives and communities . But we need to find ways to expand the growth of pickleball to segments of the population that would not get “ organic growth .” I have always said that we could have much success in educating and promoting awareness of the sport , but if courts and equipment are not accessible , there will be no growth in these places .
I have spent the last six months in Los Cabos , Mexico , working in partnership with the amazing and beautiful Solaz Resort in operating an “ open for the public ” pickleball center , which we called the National Pickleball Center ( NPC ). There are a lot of pickleball courts in Los Cabos but very few open to the public — 98 percent of the courts are private . Solaz Resort , headed by GM Giuliana Torres , has been very gracious in allowing its tennis center to be turned into a pickleball open center . Although Solaz Resort is offering guests a great attraction of entertainment with pickleball and tennis events , it is very much committed to giving back to the community . This has allowed us to expand the local pickleball community to people who wouldn ’ t have access to courts otherwise .
A case example is a group of 30 players showing up on Monday nights . This is a group of various Los Cabos hotel employees who gather to play after work . The group started with six players , and three months later ended up with 30 . Many were beginners who had never played a racket sport before . The availability of courts and equipment provided by Solaz Luxury Resort made it possible for the local pickleball community to expand to different segments of the population . Thank you , Solaz Luxury Resort , for your tremendous support .
But we need to do much more . It is certainly true that “ if you build it , they will come .”
Three years ago , along with a group of pickleball friends from the Houston , Texas , area , we started a 501 ( c )( 3 ) nonprofit organization called Pickleball for the World ( PFTW ). PFTW ’ s purpose is to raise funds for equipment as well as service support , to make pickleball accessible to underprivileged communities around the world .
The Pickleball Federation of the Americas ( PFA ), created by USA Pickleball , Pickleball Canada and LPP Mexico , is growing . Peru , Caribbean Federation , Colombia , Dominican Republic and Uruguay have joined , and others will follow very soon . I am presenting to the PFA board in the next weeks a motion to vote and make PFTW the “ grants arm ” of the federation .
For those of us who have grown up in emerging market countries , we know and understand how difficult it is for resources to reach certain segments of the population through government funding . That ’ s why many sports remain “ elite ” sports . We will change that . We are building a private nonprofit organization with PFTW that will take the resources directly to where they ’ re needed . Public schools , local recreational spaces and orphanages are among specific places where we will bring pickleball .
I had a great political science college professor , Richard Bath , who urged students to get involved in all kinds of organizations — political or non-political — as a way of expanding and strengthening democracy . He was right . It doesn ’ t have to be limited to your country ; let ’ s go international .
We need your talent and donations for the cause . If you ’ d like to help , please contact me at javier . regalado @ lppm . mx or visit pickleballfortheworld . com for donations and pickleballfederationamericas . org for information . •
Any question or comment , please email me at javier . regalado @ lppm . mx .
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