Pickleball Magazine 9-2 | Page 50

USA Pickleball Announces Mesa , Arizona , as 2024 National Championships Location
USA Pickleball Expands Competition Team
USAP COO Justin Maloof Represents USA Pickleball at the Indian Open

USA Pickleball News & Notes

The Scoop
USA Pickleball Announces Mesa , Arizona , as 2024 National Championships Location
USA Pickleball named Mesa , Arizona , as the location for the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships , the premier tournament in the sport of pickleball . Nationals will be hosted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds Nov . 10-17 , welcoming competitors from around the country to sunny Arizona .
“ The 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships will be a true destination event for the best of the best in our sport . We look forward to welcoming our community to the Valley of the Sun to enjoy this year ’ s Nationals along with the beautiful weather , outdoor activities , and tourist attractions that Arizona has to offer ,” said Mike Nealy , USA Pickleball chief executive officer .
“ Our team has been listening intently to the feedback and insights from our players , which is why this year ’ s Nationals will truly be a reimagined version with the player experience prioritized above all else from beginning to end . We are thrilled to work with the team at Arizona Athletic Grounds to host a fantastic and high-quality competition experience at a state-of-the-art pickleball venue .”
USA Pickleball Expands Competition Team
USA Pickleball named longtime referee , and chairman of the Referee Advisory Council , Tom Tadler as its new managing director of officiating . Additionally , USA Pickleball appointed Craig Haas to the role of director of tournament operations .
Tom Tadler
In his managing director role , Tadler will represent USA Pickleball as an authoritative figure on all rule and referee-related matters , with specific duties including leading all referee training , providing direction and support to the National Officiating Committee and Global Pickleball Federation Craig Haas international officials , managing the Certified Referee Evaluator Program , overseeing the officiating at the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket series and National Championships , and much more .
USAP COO Justin Maloof Represents USA Pickleball at the Indian Open
Over the past few years , pickleball has entrenched itself as the fastestgrowing sport in the United States . From Feb . 8-11 , USA Pickleball Chief Operating Officer Justin Maloof represented the organization at the 2024 Indian Open , a tournament with $ 100,000 in prize money , at the National Sports Club of India in Mumbai .
“ It certainly demonstrates just the growth of the sport , the fact that it ’ s being played now internationally ,” Maloof said prior to the event . “[ The sport there ] has a ways to go to catch up to where we are here in the U . S ., but this is the first major tournament ( in India ), certainly the largest cash prize , $ 100,000 , and they ’ ve got some pretty big sponsors . It ’ s just exciting to see , and I ’ m really looking forward to seeing it firsthand .”
Pickleball was introduced in India around 2010 , but the sport has especially taken off over the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic when people were seeking ways to remain physically active while also socially distanced . Pickleball proved to be the perfect sport . •
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