Strategic Alliance Between AAU, USA Pickleball Association Aims to Grow the Sport of Pickleball
05/24/2018
The rapidly-growing sport of pickleball is coming to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), as the AAU and USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) announced a strategic alliance that will provide both youth and adult programming for athletes across the country.
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 24, 2018) – The rapidly-growing sport of pickleball is coming to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), as the AAU and USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) announced a strategic alliance that will provide both youth and adult programming for athletes across the country.
Pickleball is a court sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The game is played both indoor and outdoor on a surface one-third the size of a regulation tennis court and a net lowered to 34 inches. Players use a paddle and polymer ball, similar to a Wiffle ball. The game has grown exponentially across North America in recent years.
“USAPA has done an exceptional job building their adult membership base across the country and making pickleball one of the fastest growing sports in America,” said Dr. Roger J. Goudy, President and CEO of the AAU. “This strategic alliance allows us to utilize our combined expertise and resources to provide athletes of all ages with first-class competition experiences in the sport of pickleball.”
The two organizations will create new co-branded AAU/USAPA recreational leagues and tournaments under the direction of AAU National Pickleball Chair Yvonne Devlin and USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof. These recreational programs are designed to broaden pickleball awareness among youth and adults and increase general participation. USAPA will offer a special $5.00 recreational membership through the AAU website which will allow AAU members to compete in the new co-branded AAU/USAPA programs.
“As pickleball continues to flourish, USAPA is establishing a number of strategic partnerships designed to effectively position the sport on both the national and international stage,” Maloof said. “AAU has a storied sports background here in the US and their existing infrastructure extends coast to coast. Our partnership with AAU will expand recreational and youth pickleball opportunities in ways not yet imagined.”
Visit www.aausports.org for any future updates on pickleball programming at the AAU.
ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest- non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 35 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts.
ABOUT THE USA PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION:
The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) is the United State national governing body for the sport of pickleball. Since its inception in 2005, USAPA has established standardized rules for the sport, created a membership program and established a tournament sanctioning program. While still in its infancy, USAPA membership has increased 480% over the past five years and is projected to surpass 30,000 paid members this year.
Pickleball is a court sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The game is played both indoor and outdoor on a surface one-third the size of a regulation tennis court and a net lowered to 34 inches. Players use a paddle and polymer ball, similar to a Wiffle ball. The game has grown exponentially across North America in recent years.
“USAPA has done an exceptional job building their adult membership base across the country and making pickleball one of the fastest growing sports in America,” said Dr. Roger J. Goudy, President and CEO of the AAU. “This strategic alliance allows us to utilize our combined expertise and resources to provide athletes of all ages with first-class competition experiences in the sport of pickleball.”
The two organizations will create new co-branded AAU/USAPA recreational leagues and tournaments under the direction of AAU National Pickleball Chair Yvonne Devlin and USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof. These recreational programs are designed to broaden pickleball awareness among youth and adults and increase general participation. USAPA will offer a special $5.00 recreational membership through the AAU website which will allow AAU members to compete in the new co-branded AAU/USAPA programs.
“As pickleball continues to flourish, USAPA is establishing a number of strategic partnerships designed to effectively position the sport on both the national and international stage,” Maloof said. “AAU has a storied sports background here in the US and their existing infrastructure extends coast to coast. Our partnership with AAU will expand recreational and youth pickleball opportunities in ways not yet imagined.”
Visit www.aausports.org for any future updates on pickleball programming at the AAU.
###
ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest- non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 35 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts.
ABOUT THE USA PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION:
The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) is the United State national governing body for the sport of pickleball. Since its inception in 2005, USAPA has established standardized rules for the sport, created a membership program and established a tournament sanctioning program. While still in its infancy, USAPA membership has increased 480% over the past five years and is projected to surpass 30,000 paid members this year.
Email
Print
