Starting a Pickleball Program — Pickleball University

Building a pickleball program from the ground up seems like a daunting task, but passion, dedication, planning, and perseverance can make it happen faster than you think. Being a pickleball ambassador means caring about the sport enough to make your own passion contagious - that’s how you get support, funding, and people interested in playing.

USA Pickleball offers a general community guidebook for those interested in starting a pickleball program. We will cover the most important points of the book and share personal success stories of how this type of plan can be put into action.

Pickleball Physical Facilities and Equipment

One of the best things to do is to get the city you live in to build dedicated pickleball courts. This may take meeting with the parks and recreation committee in the city and presenting the idea to them.

If you aren’t able to build dedicated courts, it may be worth looking into converting existing tennis court facilities into pickleball courts using portable pickleball nets and court line kits.

Ensure that there is enough pickleball equipment for as many players as can be accommodated at either a dedicated or temporary pickleball court. The equipment doesn’t have to be top-of-the-line, standard pickleball paddles and balls will do. Pickleball Central offers those in pickleball clubs an exclusive 5% off all equipment and will send an additional 5% of all purchases back to the club in the form of a gift card. It is worth into other pickleball stores and organizations to see what they may be able to offer to members to help you get the equipment you need.

Pickleball Club Organization

Once you have a place to play, it’s time to get the club organized! Place flyers at the physical location of the pickleball courts and organize a meeting. Select officers, set membership dues for the club, and plan a weekly agenda. Set goals and milestones that you hope to accomplish and figure out how to reach those goals.

Appoint someone to social media and outreach to build community momentum, and have another in charge of tracking membership and organizing paperwork for the club. A few talented people can make a lot happen in a short amount of time!

Also, ensure you have a legal entity or LLC to represent the club in dealings with the city as this is usually required. Check with your city and state for the best way to be compliant.

Tournaments and Fundraising

Offering tournaments is the perfect way to build community interest and support, which will attract donors for fundraising efforts. Offering pickleball clinics or open play with professional instruction can be a great way to build interest in an amateur tournament.

Marketing efforts will be vital to attract local businesses, professionals, and pickleball enthusiasts.

Some marketing tips from the USAPA include:

Add sponsor logo to all materials alongside your club logo
Consider offering a gold medal to all sponsors after each tournament as a gift
Have a dedicated website and ensure the program is listed on web search pages
Offer complimentary tickets to donors to social events
Offer personalized thank you letters to all sponsors in person for each event they sponsor
Posting event signage at all events advertising the program
Sponsors should have VIP seating at medal rounds during tournaments

Pickleball Program Community Event Ideas

Special events attract sponsors and boost community interest in pickleball programs. Here are some ideas for increasing engagement.

Have a local pickleball instructor offer pickleball lessons (open, semi-private, or private lessons) for members and non-members
Have a quarterly pancake breakfast at the local community center or recreation center
Offer Pickleball 101 intro classes for beginners to teach fundamentals
Offer round-robin and ladder-style tournaments to attract all levels of pickleball players
Offer skill level assessments one day a month
Offer women’s only, mixed doubles, and play times for intermediate players and advanced players

Personal Success for Building a Pickleball Program

We started our pickleball journey with three specific goals. We wanted to increase participation at the drop-in play to at least 30 regular participants, offer regular clinics to help grow the game, and build dedicated pickleball courts. Related to these three primary goals was the development of a YMCA-wide pickleball league, an annual county-wide tournament, and a dedicated YMCA pickleball club.

There has been a lot of trial and error along the way, but we have achieved these three main goals ahead of schedule. We have over 50 regular participants during the season, have held over 20 clinics (10 different types) throughout the nine months since we began, and because of the generous donation of a few members and commitment from the YMCA, have three new pickleball courts.

A summary of some of what has been implemented, some successful and others before their time.

A bimonthly pickleball party with skills contests and prizes

Cardio pickleball class started off slow but has gained momentum.

Members can now play pickleball six days a week on the new courts, with both morning and evening play available.
The YPC (YMCA Pickleball Club) has a growing membership. Some member benefits include a YPC t-shirt, first access to sign up for clinics (they get filled up quickly), a skills rating by the coach, and a monthly newsletter with skills tips and tournament information.

Two other YMCAs in the area have also started various pickleball-related activities, including a tournament and investing in nets, lines on the tennis court, and open play.

Personal Lessons Learned While Building a Pickleball Program

There were many lessons learned throughout this process, many of which I have included throughout the series. I would argue that the three most important are:

Obtain institutional (county, non-profit, etc.) support through a clearly thought out, factually supported argument for why they should care about what you are proposing. In this project’s context, it was a community demand, an identified need, and to the benefit of all.
Establish clearly defined and agreed-upon goals with timelines and plans for how you intend to achieve them.
Nurture the project throughout its lifecycle. Building a team and supporting it together as it grows is essential to have any success.

Final Thoughts

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America thanks to the efforts of passionate players everywhere. To continue growing, pickleball needs ambassadors and people willing to organize pickleball programs throughout the country. If you don’t have a program in your area, it isn’t difficult to start one as long as you have a plan, passion, and the right people around you to support your efforts.