10 Big Pickleball Headlines Going Into the Holiday Weekend
Happy Friday! We're rolling into a holiday weekend and there was a lot happening in the world of pickleball this week with Pickleball in the Sun being featured in Sports Business Journal and Forbes, two pro sports leagues announcing their upcoming "Pickleball Days" to attract pickleball fanatics to their games, the Major League Pickleball draft coming up, and other fun headlines.
I'm excited to be spending time with my family next week for the holiday and I hope you get to do the same. There won't be a newsletter next week, but be sure to follow @PickleballintheSun on Instagram as Brian Gainor and I head down to Miami for the Marlins Pickleball Day.
In today's newsletter I give you the Top 10 Pickleball Headlines Going into the Holiday Weekend. Here's a quick video intro from me while playing pickleball during last night's sunset at one of my favorite venues, the Pickle Garden at The Yards at home in Ponte Vedra, Florida...
Top 10 Pickleball Headlines Going Into the Holiday Weekend:
Sports Business Journal Features U.S. Boom in Paddle Sports’ Facilities
Forbes talks with Pickleball In The Sun about turning your next trip into a pickleball vacation
Miami Marlins hosting Pickleball Day on July 9th with #1 player in the world, Anna Leigh Waters throwing the first pitch
My Top 10 pro picks for the upcoming Major League Pickleball Draft
Jacksonville Jaguars Open Ticket Sales for their October 15th Pickleball Day
The APP Tour and Universal Tennis establish landmark partnership agreement
Ad Age quotes Ted Danson as playing “Pickleball In The Sun” in latest Consumer Cellular ad
Pickleball injuries could cost U.S. nearly $400 million per year
Tennis Resorts Online hires former Cliff Drysdale CEO Scott Colebourne
The Golden Ticket Chase is underway at APP’s Newport Beach Open
Read about all of these headlines below!
Sports Business Journal Features U.S. Boom in Paddle Sports’ Facilities
You’ve seen the pickleball social club and entertainment concept all over the media headlines over the last year and it’s just getting started! I recently spoke with Sports Business Journal’s Bret McCormick about the boom of paddle sports’ facilities across the U.S. and introduced him to some of the leaders in the game about to open their clubs nationwide!
In the latest issue, Bret features Swing, Real Dill Pickleball Clubs, Rally Pickleball, The Pickleball Club, and others. I’m incredibly excited for all of these, and many more, to open and watch them help to continue to grow the sport by providing the social space we need to have access to more courts and have an incredible time playing our favorite sport with our family and friends.
Forbes Talks with Pickleball In The Sun About Turning Your Next Trip Into a Pickleball Vacation
Pickleball Tourism has been a hot topic and Pickleball in the Sun is here for it all! I recently spoke with Forbes’ Lois Alter Mark about turning your next trip into a pickleball vacation and shared some of my recommended resorts to make sure you put on your travel bucket list!
“With nearly 9 million players nationwide, pickleball has become a must-have amenity for hotels, resorts and even cruise ships,” said Laura Gainor, founder of Pickleball In The Sun. “Travelers are looking to enjoy this healthy and social sport in unique destinations like Carneros Resort and Spa in Napa, Hammock Cove Antigua, and The Boca Raton in Florida. They’re even using apps like PicklePlay to find places to play while on vacation.”
Visit our @PickleballintheSun Instagram channel to view these recommended resorts and CLICK HERE to read the full Forbes feature.
Miami Marlins Pickleball Day with #1 Player in the World, Anna Leigh Waters, Throwing First Pitch
Next Sunday, July 9th, the Miami Marlins will host their Pickleball Day and they will welcome Anna Leigh Waters to the pitchers mound to throw the first pitch! Each player that purchased the special ticket package will be receiving a custom Miami Marlins Pickleball Paddle.
Juliana Furey has done an incredible job to create a unique game experience by hosting onsite clinics with PPA Pros, vendor booths with local brands and other activations that Brian and I will be onsite to share!
Follow @PickleballintheSun and @LauraGainor as we head to Miami next week and visit Marlins.com/Pickleball for more info.
My Top 10 Pro Picks for the Upcoming Major League Pickleball Draft
The 2023 Season Two Major League Pickleball Draft order has been announced! Happening on July 12th, the Premier Level and Challenger Level teams have swapped and the current MLP players will either be drafted into new teams, or we'll see players dropped and new ones coming in!
The Chicago Slice, Utah Black Diamonds and Orlando Squeeze will be the first three Premier Level teams to pick their players.
Players had the opportunity to put their name in for the draft and it will be exciting to see who gets drafted first and which teams will come out with the strongest players, both on skill of their play and their sponsorship strength.
I've provided my top 10 picks below and some thoughts on why their a valuable player to sponsor.
Anna Leigh Waters - the #1 player in the world and at just 16-years-old, one of the best interviewers to represent her sponsors. She's always on point in her interviews, well-spoken, is a positive influence for young players coming into the game, and obviously, wins all of the time.
Ben Johns - At the last MLP event there was a homemade sign that read, "Ben, let someone else win," and Ben is just a hard one to beat. He's quiet on the court, but he wins all of the time, so he's one of the most known names in the game as professional pickleball grows and more recreational players start following the pro tours to create a larger fanbase.
Parris Todd - Parris wasn't playing in Major League Pickleball last season and there is word she has thrown her name in the draft this season. Parris has her personal brand figured out and is valuable to sponsors to get recognized in national media headlines. If she's in, it will be fun to watch her this season!
JW Johnson - JW has some power! He has many times gone up against Ben Johns in singles and is a force to be reckoned with when paired with his partner, Dylan Frazier. He has become one of the strongest players in the last year and he will continue to provide opportunities for brands to get up on the medal stand this coming season on the pro tour.
Catherine Parenteau - Coming off of a Season One Championship win with Drew Brees' team, the LA Mad Drops, Catherine has built up an incredible brand over the last few years. I've enjoyed watching her and her partner, Athena Trouillot, create a great business together providing a lot of value for her current sponsors and seeing some big wins in attracting new ones.
James Ignatowich - The aggressive stepper! Sponsored by one of my favorite brands in the game, OS1st, James is one of the most exciting players to watch on the court. As more players start to recognize who the pro players are in the game, James will be one that we'll continually see in the headlines and become a MLP favorite.
Jorja Johnson - Another up-and-comer, Jorja is just 16 years old and continually improving her game to find herself on Championship court. The Johnson family is one of the most authentic and positive influences in the game and it's such a great story to watch Julie, JW and Jorja support each other when they find themselves across the net from one another.
Jay Devilliers - Seen multiple times on ESPN's SportsCenter's Top 10, Jay is a player you want to keep your eyes on! An animated player on the court, a generous family man, and one of my most recommended pro players you'd want to have host your next pickleball clinic or be a part of a celebrity event. A big win on the sponsor side.
Anna Bright - One of the strongest women on the court! Anna has been incredibly exciting to watch improve over the last year and be right up there in top competitive skill with Anna Leigh Waters. We'll continue to see her grow in the game and be one of the most desired female players for brands to sponsor. And she's dating James Ignatowich, so it's a powerhouse duo you'll want to follow.
Tyson McGuffin - Named the "Most Electrifying Man in Sports", Tyson has a strong business brand both on and off the court. As these pros are leading the way in being the first to grow professional pickleball, we'll see Tyson in the years to come continually getting the sport in the headlines and along with his wife, Megan, they provide some of the most highest value in recognition for their sponsors.
I look forward to watching the draft and Season Two of Major League Pickleball. If you ever want to chat about how to get into pickleball and which players are the best in the game to have represent your brand, send me a note at laura@pickleballinthesun.com.
Visit MajorLeaguePickleball.net for more information about the July 12th Draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars Hosting “Pickleball Day” with Limited-Edition Jaguars Pickleball Paddles
It’s Official! The Jacksonville Jaguars will be hosting their “Pickleball Day” on October 15th as they take on the Indianapolis Colts. Fans that purchase the special ticket package will receive a ticket to the game and a limited-edition Jaguars pickleball paddle.
Pickleball In The Sun will be there to capture all of the highlights and I’m sure you’ll find us planning a “Pickleball In The Sun Tailgate” if you’d like to join us.
CLICK HERE to purchase your Jaguars Pickleball Day Tickets!
Marithza Ross with Action News Jax included the Pickleball Day announcement in their “3 Big Things” this week! Check out the feature below…
The APP and Universal Tennis Establish Landmark Partnership Agreement
The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Universal Tennis, the global market-leading racket sports technology and events company. The agreement sees Universal Tennis become the APP's official and exclusive ratings partner, providing deep experience of racquet sports ratings systems and analysis to all levels of APP players and events -- from elite professionals, amateurs and recreational players, to Next Generation, seniors, and super seniors.
Consumer Cellular Brings in Ted Danson to Show How Your Cellular Plan can let you Roam Free to Enjoy more Pickleball In The Sun
Consumer Cellular's main target audience are senior citizens and they've done an incredible job utilizing pickleball in their marketing campaigns and sponsorship opportunities. Who better than to showcase how their cellular plan lets users Roam Free to be the snowbirds they want to be, than Ted Danson.
Ad Age recently featured their ad featuring Ted Danson and Phoebe Bain quoted in the article that an older couple leaves cold winters behind to become snowbirds and play "pickleball in the sun!"
Check out the full ad below and read the feature on AdAge.com.
Check out the full ad below and read the feature on AdAge.com.
Pickleball injuries Could Cost U.S. Nearly $400 Million Per Year
A new theory from investment banking company UBG Group AG links rising healthcare costs to injuries sustained by elderly people playing pickleball.
Pickleball injuries in 2023 have driven $377 million in estimated medical costs, according to UBS's findings shared with Bloomberg. UBS was driven to examine pickleball injuries because shares in big health insurance companies fell earlier this month after UnitedHealth Group Inc. said healthcare utilization rates were up amid a rising pace of hip replacements, knee surgeries, and other elective procedures.
Tennis Travel Guru Scott Colebourne Joins Tennis Resorts Online as New CEO
Pickleball in the Sun is particularly excited about this one! Scott Colebourne has joined Tennis Resorts Online as their new CEO. Scott was recently the CEO of Cliff Drysdale Tennis for more than 15 years.
This can only mean more incredible experiences ahead for both tennis and pickleball lovers, living the healthy and active lifestyle with these two social sports.
The Golden Ticket Chase is Underway at APP's Newport Beach Open
Professional and amateur players are in one of the most beautiful pickleball venues in the world at the Newport Beach Tennis & Pickleball Club in Newport Beach California as they work to earn their Golden Ticket to the USA Pickleball National Championships.
That is a lot of highlights for one newsletter! We're honored to be a part of this sport and there is still so much more to come.
Thanks for following @PickleballintheSun and join us as we travel to Boca Raton and Miami next weekend!