Pickleball may not have the same level of recognition as traditional racquet sports like tennis or badminton, but it is a rapidly growing sport. And for Kelly Stroble, it’s been a path to pro success.

Stroble didn’t come to pickleball in the typical way. Instead of years playing tennis or racquetball, she came from a softball background. But after being introduced to the sport by a friend, Stroble quickly fell in love with pickleball’s fast-paced, team-oriented gameplay.

Stroble’s commitment to the sport paid off in a big way. After only a few years of playing, she made it to the US Open, an event held annually in Naples, Florida that attracts the best pickleball players from around the world.

Part of what makes pickleball so appealing is the inclusive and supportive nature of its community. Stroble speaks highly of the other pro players, saying “we’re all friends at the end of the day.” And while it’s a relatively new sport, it’s one that’s growing quickly, with more and more players and fans joining the community every year.

Stroble has also been fortunate enough to have great partnerships with sponsors like Engage Pickleball and Civil E Apparel. These partnerships have helped her excel in the sport, providing her with the tools and support she needs to be a top player.

Overall, Stroble’s story is a testament to the power of dedication and hard work. Even without a traditional racquet sport background, she was able to become a pro player in a growing and competitive sport. And it’s clear that she’s not done yet – Stroble has already set her sights on even bigger accomplishments in the future.

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Links:

• Engage Pickleball: https://engagepickleball.com/
• Civil E Apparel: https://www.civileapparel.com/

For more news on pickleball, check out Sleeve’s Senior Pickleball Report.https://stmdailynews.com/sleeves-senior-pickleball-report/

NAPLES, Fla. /PRNewswire/ — Pickleball4America™ (“Pickle4™”), a dynamic and rapidly emerging organization committed to creating new and enhanced experiences for professional and amateur pickleball players, made a series of announcements today around their newly created Ballpark Series™ that will be held this July and August on three weekends at Fenway Park (Boston – 7/13 to 7/16), Oracle Park (San Francisco – 7/20 to 7/23) and Coors Field (Denver – 8/3 to 8/6). Combined with their existing asset – the US Open Pickleball Championships, the sports biggest event – the unveiling of the Ballpark Series establishes Pickleball4America as a leader in hosting major and iconic events at a national level.

“We started Pickleball4America with a vision to build the sport’s best ecosystem centered around operating prestigious events and creating a robust digital community that becomes the go-to destination for all who love the game,” said Mike Dee, Chairman of Pickleball4America. “The Ballpark Series builds on the recent success of the 2023 US Open Pickleball Championships which set new records for both participation and attendance.  We are excited to now expand our event portfolio in these cathedrals of baseball providing players and fans with a unique experience to enjoy all that pickleball has to offer. Our goal is to shine a bright light on this great game.”

Players will need to register for the opportunity to purchase court reservations and/or participate in the competition.Tweet

Amateur players can participate in the Ballpark Series two different ways.  The first will be to reserve court time for an 80-minute session for up to ten players.  In addition, for those amateurs who want to compete for an inaugural Ballpark Series medal, there will be doubles championships at skill levels 3.5 and up.  In anticipation of high demand, players will need to register for the opportunity to purchase court reservations and/or participate in the amateur competition.   For more details please visit redsox.com/pickleball for Boston, sfgiants.com/pickleball for San Francisco and rockies.com/pickleball for Denver.  Registration for Boston and San Francisco opens today, Thursday, June 1.  Denver registration will go live in early June. 

All sessions will be open for fans to purchase general admission tickets. 

For more details, please visit the team web sites highlighted above or Pickle4.com.

About Pickleball4America

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Pickleball4America, founded in 2022, is focused on developing an ecosystem around America’s fastest growing sport, including events and digital content, commerce and community. In 2023, Pickleball4America closed its initial round of funding, merged with the US Open Pickleball Championships® and launched the Ballpark Series, which is bringing more playing opportunities to amateurs and professionals in iconic venues across the U.S.  

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SOURCE Pickleball for America, Inc.

CLEVELAND /PRNewswire/ — Pickle and Chill, the highly successful indoor/outdoor pickleball facility in Columbus, Ohio has announced plans to expand to a second location in the Cleveland area opening by October 2023. 

The Cleveland operation will be located at the Pavilion Shopping center in the former Stein Mart building (23949 Chagrin Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122). It is expected to house 12 indoor and 6 outdoor courts. It also includes a stylish bar and lounge as well as multiple event spaces. 

Pickle and Chill is a concept that embraces all levels of pickleball and allows for both members and non-members to participate in open play, leagues, clinics, lessons, tournaments and more.

“We’re one of the very few locations in the United States in an all-weather climate to have an indoor/outdoor dedicated pickleball facility, ” owner David Kass said of Pickle and Chill. “We are uniquely situated down I-71 to bring the same knowledge and experience to the Cleveland market who we believe will embrace this concept as much or more than Columbus has.” 

Pickle and Chill, which has 9 indoor (opened November 2022) and 10 outdoor courts (opening in 2 weeks) has taught more than 1200 people how to play pickleball since opening. It runs 7 leagues a week and several clinic series; has 6 active instructors; and hosts over 120 hours of open play, special events and other programming each month. 

The ownership group also owns the only Ohio-based Major League Pickleball team, the Columbus Pickleball Club. Pickle and Chill hosted the 2nd MLP event in October 2022. 

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FOR MORE INFO: Ruth Milligan, 614-348-0760

SOURCE Pickle and Chill