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A new era in pro pickleball
From Whole Foods to pickleball -- we had John Mackey on our podcast
Earlier this week we got our hands on a memo sent to pro pickleball players that outlines the future of the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball.
There’s a lot to unpack (and we do so below) but here’s the gist: The premier pro pickleball tours will soon be offering big-money tournament purses instead of guaranteed contracts where players get paid for simply showing up.
Our take: This is a good day for pro pickleball. The tours are committing to millions of dollars in prize money with this move, which further legitimizes the sport and rewards the players who perform the best. That’s how sports should be.
Also in this issue:
JOOLA video crew hits the road to find up-and-coming players 🎥
Take a pickleball trip with legends of the sport ✈️
Huge Pickleball Central sale ends soon ⏰
From Whole Foods to pickleball -- John Mackey joins PICKLEBALLERS 🎧
Let’s cook. 🧑🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Anna Bright answers a good shot with a better shot
We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw this shot in person last week at the Orange County Cup.
Rachel Rohrabacher hits one of the best dinks you’ll ever see, seemingly catching Anna Bright and everybody watching off guard. But Bright says “not so fast,” and scrambles to hit a perfect ATP winner.
And it had to be perfect — there was no other shot available.
PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST
Whole Foods founder John Mackey shares secrets to building a business
On this week’s episode of PICKLEBALLERS, Whole Foods founder John Mackey joins hosts Jared Paul and Roscoe Bellamy to talk about building a billion-dollar brand, pioneering conscious capitalism, redefining love and life in his next chapter — and why he’s all-in on pickleball.
If you are an entrepreneur or are intrigued by business stories, you're going to love this episode.
FEATURED STORY
Pickleball Trips hosts one-of-a-kind international travel experiences
Scott Moore and his family have had two core passions over the past decade: Pickleball and travel.
In the mid-2010s, Scott and his son Daniel were hoovering up national championships and winning pro tournaments across the country. They were Ben and Collin Johns before the Johns brothers had ever picked up a paddle.
As they were building a name for themselves at the pro level, pickleball was starting to really take off in places like Arizona, Utah and Florida. People wanted to learn from them, and they liked teaching the game, so eventually they began traveling the U.S. to host clinics as well as play in tournaments.
After one particularly successful clinic trip, Daniel had an idea: Why don’t we take people on a trip to Japan and teach them pickleball while we’re there?
“It was an interesting idea,” Scott says now. “I raised the kids in Japan and my wife and I spent 16 years there, so we knew the language and the culture.”
So they went for it, and their first pickleball trip to Japan hosted 13 adventurous pickleballers. Using their extensive knowledge of the country and experience in the region, the Moores provided a behind-the-scenes, one-of-a-kind pickleball trip.
When they got back to the states, the travelers raved about their experience. All of a sudden, a business was born.
Today, that business is known as Pickleball Trips. The family operation includes Scott and his three sons – Jon, Daniel and Stephen – along with a small support staff. They offer guided, private group trips to various destinations around the world for enthusiasts who want to combine pickleball, travel and cultural immersion.
🔗 Learn more about Pickleball Trips or book a Tour Consultation today
THE PROS
PPA Tour, MLP ushering in new prize money era
The PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball said in a memo to players earlier this week that they will begin renegotiating contracts beginning July 1 as the leagues move toward a new prize money model for player compensation.
You can find all the details on the different contract negotiation windows and the prize money structure here.
We think this is a big step in the right direction for pro pickleball, for a few reasons:
The new model rewards performance, plain and simple. And it especially rewards consistent performance. If you're in the mix week in and week out, you're going to make a good living. That's the way it should be.
This move creates big money events that should result in more interest from fans and TV partners. Purses that vary depending on the event is an easy way to communicate to fans what the biggest tournaments are, similar to the way majors in golf or tennis are a much bigger deal than the regular events on those tours. It should also help from a TV partner perspective. The MLP Championship has a huge payout under this new prize money model, which means the league can go to the executives at places like ESPN or CBS Sports and say, "Hey, we're gonna play this pickleball match for $1 million. Is that something you'd be interested in showing to your audience?" We think the answer to that would be yes.
The new model creates a more defined pathway for up-and-coming players and will have a trickle down effect for junior pickleball. The payouts are public now for everybody to see — so if you want to pursue a pro pickleball career and think you can be among the best players in the world, the money is out there for you.
Are you in favor of the proposed PPA Tour/MLP prize money structure? |
BEHIND THE SCENES
New JOOLA video series follows PPA Challenger Series
A new JOOLA video series called "Two Zeroes and a pro" is highlighting the players and stories from PPA Challenger events.
The PPA Challenger Series, which launched earlier this year, is designed to give lower level pros and aspiring amateur players a shot at earning PPA Tour rankings points and cash prizes.
There are more than a dozen stops nationwide, and JOOLA is going behind the scenes at the tournaments to document the stories of up-and-coming pros as they grind for cash and get all-important reps away from the spotlight.
The first episode of the show debuted last month. It follows two "pickleball newbs" -- Corey and Isang (DUPR: 0.0) -- on the road with JOOLA pickleball pro and trainer Josh Jenkins (DUPR: 5.7). They visit Portland, Maine, for a Challenger Series event and dive headfirst into the world of pro pickleball.
What follows is a blend of unfiltered, candid and fun takes with a seasoned pickleball lifer and two guys just trying to understand it all.
TRENDING
After a couple weeks off, Major League Pickleball is back in action this week from San Clemente, California.
The event will be played at the same venue where the PPA Tour just hosted the Orange County Cup last week -- the Life Time Rancho San Clemente, which is a favorite among players and fans.
Six Premier Level teams and all six Challenger Level teams will be participating.
PRODUCT(S) OF THE WEEK
Last chance to take advantage of massive Pickleball Central sale
Time is running out on one of Pickleball Central’s biggest sales ever. More than 1,000 products have been marked down to sell and make room for new inventory! Find pickleball paddles, balls, shoes, apparel and accessories at their lowest ever prices.
The sale runs through JUNE 30, so this is the last reminder you’ll get from us.
NATIONAL PICKLEBALL LEAGUE
NPL to host 2nd event weekend of season
The National Pickleball League will host its second event weekend of the season outside of Denver starting Saturday.
If you don’t already know, the NPL is a team-based league for Champions Pro (age 50+) players. The 2025 NPL season includes 12 teams representing cities across the country. Each team has a roster of at least 14 players, and more than 200 Champions Pros total will compete in the league this season.
QUICK HITS
What did you think of this week's newsletter? |