The Future of Pickleball

Welcome to Episode 60 of The Future of Pickleball show! In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes Amitabh Jain, founder and managing partner of Rally Sports Venture and Pickleball Minds, and Steve Kuhn, founder of Major League Pickleball and DUPR, to discuss the growth of pickleball in Asia, the launch of World Pickleball Ventures, and the potential for pickleball to unite communities globally. Plus, how investment and technology will be important worldwide for the growth of pickleball. Jain and Kuhn also share their insights on how pickleball can foster connections across cultures and demographics, making it a truly global phenomenon.

Welcome to Episode 59 of The Future of Pickleball show! In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes Karen Mitchell, co-founder of Pickleball England. Karen talks about the early days of pickleball in England and how it has evolved over the years, growing from a few thousand in the early days to more than 35,000 today. She also highlights the success of the English Open, which saw an impressive increase in participation, and the challenges of organizing such a large tournament. Pickleball England has a goal of gaining recognition from Sport England and potentially making pickleball a professional sport.

Welcome to Episode 57 of the Future of Pickleball show! In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes Ace Rodrigues, founder & CEO of Pickleball Kingdom. Ace shares his journey of discovering pickleball and turning it into a successful franchise business with more than 350 locations. Pickleball Kingdom is run by five value statements: that life is better with pickleball; competition is fun; playing pickleball is good for physical, social, and spiritual well-being; community is pickleball's greatest asset; and pickleball players should respect their teammates and everyone they come into contact with. Pickleball Kingdom focuses on both open play and reservations to accommodate different player preferences. The franchise is expanding internationally, with plans to enter the Middle East, Canada, and Australia.

Welcome to Episode 57 of The Future of Pickleball show! In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes Todd Boss, a writer for the Forbes Sports Money blog. Todd has a background as a database specialist and specializes in analyzing pickleball data, which has helped him understand the importance of technology in the sport of pickleball, including: match statistics, line challenges, and court management systems. Todd also talks about his racquetball background and how that prepared him for writing about pickleball, as well as the future of professional pickleball and the potential for global rankings and tournaments.

Welcome to Episode 56 of the Future of Pickleball podcast! In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes Pranav Kohli, CEO of Pickleball United. Kohli discusses the growth of pickleball in Asia, and especially India, and the growing popularity among many demographic groups, including tennis pros, juniors, and the 40+ age group. Kohli mentions the growth of pickleball in other Asian countries, such as China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Pickleball United has been converting tennis courts into pickleball courts all across the world, which is helping Kohli achieve his mission of making pickleball the most-played racquet sport in the world (and potentially being accepted as an Olympic sport). Kohli also discusses the Pickleball World Ranking and the Pickleball World Tour, which aim to create a ranking system and organize major events with significant prize money.

Welcome to Episode 55 of The Future of Pickleball show! In this episode, Paul Olson chats with Chandler Carney, board member at the Global Pickleball Federation and founder of KONDOR Pickleball, an international pickleball sporting goods company. They discuss the growth of pickleball in South America, as well as the role of the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) in governing the sport globally. Chandler explains the importance of governance and compliance with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), inclusivity and gender equality in pickleball, and the potential of pickleball being added to the Olympics.

Welcome to Episode 54 of The Future of Pickleball podcast! In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Ratings), a scale to measure pickleball skills and rankings. Machado talks about not having an age variant in DUPR, the evolution of the DUPR algorithm, and their growing partnerships with associations and pickleball governing bodies across the world. Olson and Machado also talk about growing pickleball internationally and how that will happen only through collaboration.

Welcome to Episode 53 of The Future of Pickleball Show! In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes Aman Grover with Fansplay to talk about the role of technology in enhancing the sport of pickleball. Fansplay is a pickleball fantasy game that allows players to play virtually and watch pickleball tournaments from anywhere in the world. Plus, will AI technology be the future of pickleball? And why the World Pickleball Rankings & Tour may be what helps get pickleball accepted as an Olympic sport.

Welcome to Episode 52 of The Future of Pickleball show. In this episode, Paul Olson talks about the new partnership between Selkirk and Swimply for pickleball courts. Swimply is a backyard pool rental app that now includes pickleball courts as well. Learn more about Swimply's marketplace that serves hosts who have backyard pickleball courts with guests who want to access them. The partnership between Swimply and Selkirk aims to provide a seamless experience for people new to pickleball, offering access to courts and equipment.

Welcome to Episode 51 of the Future of Pickleball podcast. In this episode, Paul Olson welcomes guest Noah Suemnick, founder of the National Collegiate Pickleball Association (NCPA). Noah talks about starting his first pickleball club and how that evolved into a national organization. He also discusses colleges who are adding pickleball as an official sport, now and in the future, and how they are dealing with challenges like funding and creating a welcoming and competitive environment for pickleball players!