pickleballmagazine. com MARCH / APRIL 2026
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PUBLISHER’ S PLAYBOOK
Pickleball loves its stars. We follow the rankings, debate paddle choices, watch the pro matches and celebrate the players who make the game look effortless. They define what excellence looks like and set the standard for the sport.
But the future of the sport is being shaped just as much by the millions of people who play for fun, fitness, competition and connection.
The latest Sports & Fitness Industry Association( SFIA) participation data offers a revealing snapshot. In 2025, 24.3 million Americans played pickleball. Of those, 16.8 million were casual players, participating one to seven times during the year. The other 7.48 million were core players, playing eight or more times.
This shows that casual players aren’ t the fringe of pickleball— they are the majority. And that changes the conversation.
The future of the sport won’ t be determined solely by how many people watch professional pickleball. It will be determined by how many first-timers come back, how many occasional players find a regular group, and how easily someone can go from“ I played once” to“ Where are we playing Saturday?”
Every casual player represents a possibility: a future league member, tournament player, club member, equipment buyer, volunteer— or simply someone who brings three more people onto a court. The pros may inspire us. But the casual player sustains us. If we want pickleball’ s future to be strong, we shouldn’ t focus only on creating better players or bigger tournaments. We should focus on giving everyday players more reasons to come back, bring a friend, and make pickleball part of their lives.
Wayne Dollard Publisher
A Publication of Dollard Publishing Co., Inc. 33 Mayview Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317 pickleballmagazine. com
PUBLISHER Wayne Dollard
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Julie Talerico j. talerico @ pickleballmagazine. com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Michael Miller
SOCIAL MEDIA Vossberg Gainor
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Jack Bandel Laura Gainor Brandi Givens Glenn Jordan Erin Mantz Kyle McMakin
Debbie Mountain
CONTRIBUTORS
Kate Mohns Noe Sariban Matthew Schwartz Alice Tym Drew Wathey
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Will Bucquoy Paul Currie Alice Tym
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Launched in 2016, Pickleball Magazine is the official publication of the sport. Published eight times a year, the magazine delivers in-depth tournament coverage, expert instruction, updates to the official rules, and exclusive interviews with top professionals. Readers also get guidance on injury prevention and recovery, nutrition to fuel peak performance, news on club openings, luxury pickleball destinations, the latest equipment, and much more.
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