Pickleball Magazine 9-4 | Page 60

USA Pickleball Serves Highlights
Community Highlights

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USA Pickleball Serves , the new charitable arm of USA Pickleball , is making a lasting mark on the pickleball community just a few short months after launching .
USA Pickleball Serves aims to make a positive national impact through the sport by supporting community initiatives like court enhancements , educational youth programming and inclusive play . Through three USA Pickleball Golden Ticket events and additional projects , USA Pickleball Serves has already benefited more than 10,000 individuals .
“ Over the past few months , USA Pickleball Serves supplied more than 300 pickleball paddles to students and community members ,” said Brenda Puga , USA Pickleball ’ s director of community relations . “ It ’ s been extraordinary to see so many youth step on a court and pick up a paddle for the first time — there is no shortage of smiles . We ’ re gaining momentum and look forward to introducing more initiatives and growing this inclusive sport to even more kids nationwide .”
USA Pickleball Serves Highlights
Scottsdale / Paradise Valley Family YMCA
USA Pickleball staff and USA Pickleball Serves recently hosted an introductory clinic for more than 70 local youth between the ages of 5 and 12 in Scottsdale , Arizona . Attendees rotated through a series of pickleball drills aimed at improving ball and paddle coordination . The YMCA also received a donation of Franklin pickleball equipment to encourage continued engagement with the game .
Camp Catanese

A GAME THAT GIVES BACK

USA Pickleball Serves demonstrates early community impact .
USA Pickleball Serves recently partnered with Camp Catanese , an Arizona nonprofit , to host an introductory pickleball clinic for 60 underserved 7th- 12th grade students . Students learned fundamentals of the game during a one-hour session with USA Pickleball Ambassadors and received a Franklin Activator paddle and Franklin X-26 indoor ball to take home .
The partnership with USA Pickleball Serves aligned with Camp Catanese ’ s approach to engage students in new experiences , build belief in their abilities , and broaden individual horizons through an activity they may not have tried before .
Golden Ticket Events
In conjunction with the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket Mesa event , USA Pickleball Serves hosted a clinic in partnership with Mesa Public Schools . A group of 125 sixth-graders from two schools also received a swag bag that included a Franklin Activator paddle and Franklin X-26 pickleballs .
During the Las Vegas Golden Ticket event at Sunset Park , USA Pickleball Serves hosted a clinic with 28 adults and 20 youth from Las Vegas community organizations . Each participant received a swag bag with a Franklin Activator paddle and Franklin X-26 indoor pickleballs .
At the Rockwall ( Texas ) Golden Ticket event , USA Pickleball Serves donated equipment to the Rockwall Independent School District , surprising a sixth grade PE class with the news . More than 10,000 students — from 16 elementary and three middle schools — will benefit from the donation , which included 90 Franklin Activator paddles and 100 Franklin X-26 indoor pickleballs .
Total impact numbers to date in 2024 :
• $ 21,350 in grant funds awarded
• 10,233 individuals served
• 21 schools supported
• 966 pickleballs provided
• 323 paddles donated
Visit usapickleball . org / serves to learn more or get involved . •
USA PICKLEBALL / YEUNG PHOTOGRAPHY
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