WASHINGTON, July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — D.C. Pickleball Team (DCPT), an expansion team of Major League Pickleball (MLP) and D.C.’s newest professional sports team, announced the addition of Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion Cliff Avril to its ownership group.

Avril joins an already high-profile group of investors with DCPT that includes Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Rip Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Odell Beckham Jr. and Mesut Ozil.

“Cliff’s passion for playing and growing the sport of pickleball aligns perfectly with the ethos of our team,” said Adam Behnke, Chief Operating Officer of D.C. Pickleball Team. “We’re looking forward to working together to continue to bring positivity to our community through pickleball.”

Avril recently started playing pickleball and quickly fell in love with the sport for all the reasons pickleball is adored by so many – the community, the camaraderie, the competition, the fitness, and the pure fun and joy it brings to all who play.

“Since I stepped foot on the pickleball court I knew there was something special about it,” said Avril. “I was immediately curious about how I could get involved and was thrilled to learn of the opportunity to join D.C. Pickleball Team’s ownership group. I love nothing more than making a positive impact through sport and I appreciate that our group shares that passion.”

Avril is a former NFL Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion. He played for the Detroit Lions (2008-2012) and Seattle Seahawks (2013-2017) during his ten year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the 2008 NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Purdue University.

For more information about D.C. Pickleball Team, visit dcpickleballteam.com and follow them on social media:

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Twitter – @dcpickleball_tm
Instagram – @dcpickleballteam
Facebook – @dcpickleballteam
TikTok – @d.c.pickleballteam

About D.C. Pickleball Team:

D.C. Pickleball Team (DCPT) is DC’s first professional pickleball team in Major League Pickleball (MLP) that joined MLP ahead of the 2023 season that began January 26th. DCPT’s ownership group includes Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Rip Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Odell Beckham Jr., Cliff Avril and Mesut Ozil.

DCPT played in the MLP Challenger Level in season one and will play in the Premier Level in season two. The year is divided into two “seasons” of three events — in the first season, 12 teams will compete in the MLP Premier Level (the first 48 drafted players) and 12 will compete in the MLP Challenger Level (the next 48 drafted players), with rosters consisting of two men and two women. The teams will then flip levels and re-draft players for the second season that starts September 21st. Season one’s Challenger Level roster included Sam Querrey, 10-time ATP Tour titleist and ranked 11th in the world in 2018; Stefan Auvergne, an exciting new player from France and a former competitive tennis player, competitive gamer and race car driver; Shelby Bates, former D1 tennis player at Coastal Carolina University; and Judit Castillo, former D1 tennis player at Northwestern State University. Season two’s Premier Level roster includes Riley Newman, world ranked #2 in pickleball; twin sisters, Jackie and Jade Kawamoto, former D1 tennis players at the University of Dayton; and Christian Alshon, former University of Chicago tennis champion where he was team captain and undefeated in singles.

About Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville)

Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) is the premier team-based professional pickleball league and the standard-bearer for the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Founded by Steve Kuhn in 2021, MLP has since expanded from eight to 24 teams and is committed to growing the sport’s role in society and impacting every facet of pickleball’s business.

MLP features nearly 100 of the best athletes in the sport spread across 24 teams – 12 in the Premier Level, home to the top 48 players drafted and 12 in the Challenger Level, featuring 48 draftees looking to make their ascension to the top of the league – a unique coed format, iconic team owners, the introduction of promotion and relegation to American pro sports, an innovative draft format, easy to understand scoring, and the largest payouts in prize money across all of pro pickleball.

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In December 2022, MLP named its first-ever title sponsor, Margaritaville, branding the league MLP by Margaritaville. A global lifestyle brand inspired by Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, has served more than 20 million travelers and consumers every year to change their latitude and attitude with Margaritaville. For more information, visit www.margaritaville.com.

For more information on Major League Pickleball, visit the official website and follow MLP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE D.C. Pickleball Team