Indoor Pickleball Concept to Take Over Vacant Mall Spaces, Backed by Billionaire Financier Steve Kuhn
TEMPE, Ariz. /PRNewswire/ — Picklemall, an innovative modular indoor pickleball concept, will debut its first U.S. location in Tempe, Arizona in July 2023.
Picklemall, an innovative indoor pickleball concept, will open 50 U.S. locations in 24 months, including Tempe in July.Tweet
The Arizona Mills location will be the first of dozens for the rapidly-expanding concept, which anticipates opening 50 nationwide locations in the next 24 months.
Picklemall Interior Mock Up
Led by CEO West Shaw and backed by pickleball enthusiast, billionaire financier and Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn, Picklemall will pop up in several additional U.S. communities in the coming months, including Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Madison and Bentonville, Arkansas.
Picklemall’s ambitious expansion plan, combined with the tremendous capital backing of Kuhn and a roster of notable investors, aims to dramatically reduce game wait times while quickly increasing the standard for championship-style pickleball courts in the U.S.
Picklemall will be driven by technology to improve efficiency of the player experience. Available on Android and iOS in the coming months, Picklemall will launch an app to make scheduling a pickleball game, recording your performance and enhancing your skills as easy as possible.
Players will use the Picklemall app to reserve their court, set a playtime and unlock the door to the Picklemall experience. Inside the court, gameplay will be recorded by a camera, giving players the ability to watch, analyze and learn from their game footage in real time.
Picklemall will strictly focus on the reuse of existing indoor mall and strip mall properties, bringing new life into vacant spaces. Picklemall will provide convenience, climate control and consistent competition for amateur and professional pickleballers to take their game to the next level, no matter the season.
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Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., experiencing 35% growth from August 2022 to March 2023, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals. With demand outpacing current pickleball infrastructure growth, pickleball-obsessed players are consistently displaced and experience long wait times for a limited number of courts.
Once popular at retirement communities and with 55+ demographics, today 72% of avid pickleball players are between the ages of 18 and 44.
“Pickleball is truly the Benjamin Button of sports,” Kuhn said. “Every year, the demographics for the sport get younger and younger. Pickleball has the opportunity to cross the barriers that divide us — age, race, class — to foster togetherness and spread joy to the communities in which Picklemall will reside. That starts with getting creative about location, and the future of pickleball is indoors.”
Picklemall’s facilities will be open to leagues, clinics, open play, tournaments and drop-in games. The Picklemall Pro Shop, available inside each Picklemall location, will feature Picklemall-branded merchandise and professional pickleball equipment from premier facility partner JOOLA USA. The facility will also include options for equipment rental.
To stay up to date on Picklemall’s progress at Arizona Mills and the concept’s rapid U.S. expansion, like the business on Instagram or visit www.thepicklemall.com.
About Picklemall We know firsthand the hunger, dedication, and love that pickleball players have for the game. That’s why we’ve created a welcoming, high-quality indoor facility that offers a consistent and unparalleled experience for avid players across the nation. With best-in-class facilities featuring climate control, thoughtfully spaced courts, professional surfaces, and automated content capture at every court, we offer everything that serious competitive players and social rec regulars alike need to improve their skills, stay active, build community and have fun. To learn more, visit www.thepicklemall.com.
SOURCE Picklemall
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Get the latest updates and information on the rapidly growing sport of pickleball, specifically designed for the senior community aged 50+. Check out Sleeve’s Senior Pickleball Report on YouTube to stay informed and up-to-date with the ever-changing world of pickleball. Join the community and stay ahead of the game. https://stmdailynews.com/sleeves-senior-pickleball-report/
(Family Features) For many people who wish to work toward a healthier weight, one of the greatest obstacles is figuring out where to begin.
These tips from SlimFast consultant and registered dietitian Maryann Walsh show it doesn’t take a drastic lifestyle overhaul to make an impact.
Eat Mindfully Many people who struggle with their weight benefit from being more conscious about what they’re eating and why. For example, consider your eating habits, such as eating even when you’re not hungry whether that’s because it’s mealtime and you think you should eat, you’re satisfying a craving or using a tasty snack to cope with stress.
Recognizing why you’re eating is an important step toward correcting destructive eating patterns, but so is paying attention to the other details of the eating experience, including what you eat and how it makes you feel. Ultimately, this may allow you to choose healthier foods that nourish your body for the long-term, rather than the brief satisfaction that comes with less nutritious choices.
Consider Intermittent Fasting One weight-loss method many people find success using is intermittent fasting, which involves abstaining from all food and beverages for a specified time period each day or week. While going too long without food can sometimes lead to excess hunger then overeating later, in shorter, controlled fasting timeframes one can often more easily achieve a caloric deficit, which is required for weight loss.
Prepare for your fasting phase by choosing foods that support satiety. Options like SlimFast’s Intermittent Fasting line of meal bars and protein shakes can help avoid a sense of deprivation with tasty flavors like the Vanilla Cupcake Snack Shake Mix and Vanilla Almond Crunch Complete Meal Bar. The shake mixes deliver 15 grams of slow-digesting protein, compared to whey protein, to help curb hunger, along with more than 20 vitamins and minerals. The meal bars clock in with 15 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber.
Manage Stress When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol, which also raises insulin and can drive hunger and trigger cravings for comfort foods. In fact, that’s the very reason people tend to overeat when they’re under pressure. Light exercise and meditative practices can help you manage your mental strain. You might also consider talk therapy with a friend or professional or spend time unwinding with a book or music.
Get Proper Sleep Poor sleep habits affect your weight in numerous ways. One is that when you’re feeling tired, your hunger and satiety hormones, ghrelin and leptin, can be affected, leading to an increase in caloric intake and subsequent weight gain. Additionally, when you’re tired, you’re more likely to take shortcuts like skipping workouts or opting for unhealthy convenience foods. All are reasons to make better rest a bigger priority.
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Track Eating and Exercise When you’re not paying attention to what you eat and how you move, you may not even realize how your habits are affecting your health. Logging what you eat, especially if you use a tool like an app that helps you see the nutrition breakdown, may give you a clearer idea of the quality and quantity of your intake. Similarly, when you’re specifically writing down the time you’re committing to physical activity, you’ll find it easier to identify patterns and pinpoint where you can make adjustments to increase your exercise.
Visit SlimFast.com to find more resources on weight management and intermittent fasting.
3 Tips for Intermittent Fasting
If you’re new to the idea of intermittent fasting, these tips can help you find greater success so you can see results.
Pace yourself. Make a gradual transition so your body gets used to going without food for shorter periods of time before you work up to extended fasting periods.
Stay hydrated. Avoid confusing thirst for hunger by upping your fluid intake. Staying hydrated and energized while you fast helps keep fatigue and brain fog at bay. Options like fruit-flavored SlimFast Intermittent Fasting Energizing Hydration Supplement Drink Mix won’t break your fast and can help you add variety as a flavorful alternative to water. They can provide the energy and focus you need between meals and are perfect for those who feel groggy or run-down while fasting.
Set goals. Know what you want to achieve and why, so your “why” can keep motivating you to follow your intermittent fasting plan even when you’re tempted to quit.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman and man exercising)
Get Fit: Tackle goals with fitness-friendly tech gadgets
Committing to getting fit and actually doing it aren’t always one and the same but relying on tech devices can be an effective way to tackle your fitness goals.
(Family Features) Committing to getting fit and actually doing it aren’t always one and the same but relying on tech devices can be an effective way to tackle your fitness goals.
From watches and phones to earbuds and virtual reality headsets, technology can make it easier to track your progress and create a more enjoyable workout experience. See how some of the latest technology is fueling new devices ideal for amping up your workouts this winter with these trendy ideas.
Find more inspiration to energize your fitness regimen at Qualcomm.com.
Wellness You Can Watch
Powered by the Snapdragon 4100+ Wear Platform, the Fossil 6 Wellness Edition watch provides the speed, power and performance you need to efficiently track your health, all with extended battery life, Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity, rapid charging and more features to elevate your experience. The watch detects movement and starts a workout for you. In addition, not only does it allow you to monitor how hard your heart is working and provide estimated blood oxygen measurements so you can see how well your body is circulating oxygen, but it also measures your cardiorespiratory fitness, allowing you to track the amount of oxygen your body utilizes during exercise. In addition to keeping tabs on your active hours, the watch also helps you understand more about your sleep habits, including sleep quality and history, restfulness and progress against sleep goals.
A Smart Workout Buddy
If he’s like most golfers, chances are your dad spends a few minutes each round searching for his ball after a wayward tee shot. Save him some precious time on the course with the extra golf balls he needs so he doesn’t have to worry about leaving one (or two or three) in the woods. Even amateur players sometimes prefer a certain ball, so don’t be afraid to sneak to the garage and check his current supply so you can put his favorite brand in your cart.
Sound to Motivate More Movement
An energizing workout requires a soundtrack to get you pumped up and moving. Enhance your listening experience with LG Tone Free T90 wireless earbuds, which feature Dolby Head Tracking and Snapdragon Sound. These earbuds identify the location of sound as you turn your head, recalibrating to enable a more natural sound experience so you’re always in the center of the scene. The speaker driver is made of a strong, lightweight material that delivers better overall audio clarity and reduced vibration so you can hear every sound come alive. Exceptional audio combines with superior connectivity for music, movies, crystal-clear voice calls, gaming and a low latency fit for aptX Adaptive compatible devices.
Play Your Way to Fitness
If your workout regimen needs an infusion of playful fun, the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset may be just the ticket. This VR headset is your ticket to the metaverse (and so much more), whether you’re working out, gaming, meeting up with friends or going on a virtual field trip. Industry-leading graphics and immersive audio put you in the middle of the action. The portable device is ideal for workouts on the go, and you’ll find a wide range of apps that let you work out amid stunning scenery, compete against friends and participate in challenges. The immersive experiences break up the monotony of a boring, basic workout, making exercise fun and playful.
Music to Power Your Workout
Enjoy stereo-quality sound wherever your workout takes you with a state-of-the-art smartphone like the Motorola Edge+ Gen 2, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform. Giving you up to two full days of power, lightning-fast speeds and pro-quality features for doing more of what you love, this smartphone can provide music that motivates you regardless of your exercise style. When it’s time to rest and recover, you can enjoy days of entertainment on a beautiful display that wraps around the edges.
Track Your Progress
Setting fitness goals starts with a plan and achieving them requires strong work ethic and, just as importantly, the ability to track progress so you can enjoy the success. The ultimate expression of ultra-portability and versatility, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is powered by the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform. Slim and sleek, this 2-in-1 features a detachable keyboard to transform from a tablet to a laptop so you can keep an eye on your fitness goals whether you’re working out at home or on the go, and 15 hours of battery life means you can enjoy usage from day to night.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman on treadmill)
Callie Maddox, Miami University
For most baseball fans, hope springs eternal on Opening Day.
Many of those fans – more than you might think – are women.
A 2024 survey found that women made up 39% of those who attended or watched Major League Baseball games, and franchises have taken notice. The Philadelphia Phillies offer behind-the-scenes tours and clinics for their female fans, while the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees offer fantasy camps that are geared to women.
The number of women working professionally in baseball has also grown. Kim Ng made history in 2020 when she became the first woman general manager of an MLB team, the Miami Marlins. As of 2023, women made up 30% of central office professional staff and 27% of team senior administration jobs. In addition, 43 women held coaching and managerial jobs across the major and minor league levels – a 95% increase in just two years.
As a fan and scholar of the game, I’m happy to see more women watching baseball and working in the industry. But it still nags at me that the girls and women who play baseball don’t get much recognition, particularly in the U.S.
Women take the field
In the U.S., baseball is seen as a sport for boys and men. Girls and women, on the other hand, are supposed to play softball, which uses a bigger ball and has a smaller field.
It wasn’t always this way.
Women have been playing baseball in the U.S. since at least the 1860s. At women’s colleges such as Smith and Vassar, students organized baseball teams as early as 1866. The first professional women’s baseball team was known as the Dolly Vardens, a team of Black players formed in Philadelphia in 1867. Barnstorming teams, known as Bloomer Girls, traveled across the country to play against men’s teams from the 1890s to the 1930s, providing the players with independence and the means to make a living.
American women have been playing baseball since at least the 1860s.Ullstein Bild/Getty Images
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, founded by Philip K. Wrigley in 1943, also offered women the chance to play professionally. The league, which inspired the 1992 film “A League of Their Own,” enforced rigid norms of femininity expected at the time. Players were required to wear skirts and makeup while playing and were fined if they engaged in any behavior deemed “unladylike.” Teams were open only to white women and light-skinned Latinas. Black women were not allowed to play, a policy that reflected the segregation of the Jim Crow era.
Three Black women – Connie Morgan, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson and Toni Stone – did play in the otherwise male Negro Leagues in the early 1950s. However, their skills were often downplayed by claims that they’d been signed to generate ticket sales and boost interest in the struggling league.
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954, and by the late-1950s women’s participation in baseball had dwindled.
Girls funneled into softball
Softball was invented in Chicago in 1887 as an indoor alternative to baseball.
Originally aimed at both men and women, it eventually became the accepted sport for girls and women due to its smaller field, larger ball and underhand pitching style – aspects deemed suitable for the supposedly weaker and more delicate female body.
The passage of Title IX in 1972 further pushed the popularization of fast-pitch softball, as participation in high school and college increased markedly. In 1974, the National Organization for Women filed a lawsuit against Little League Baseball because the league’s charter excluded girls from playing. The lawsuit was successful, and girls were permitted to join teams.
In response, Little League created Little League Softball as a way to funnel girls into softball instead of baseball. As political scientist Jennifer Ring has pointed out, this decision reinforced the gendered division of each sport and “cemented the post-Title IX segregated masculinity of baseball.”
Girls can still play baseball, but most are encouraged to eventually switch to softball if they want to pursue college scholarships. If they want to keep playing baseball, they have to constantly confront stubborn cultural beliefs and assumptions that they should be playing softball instead.
Instead of encouraging girls to play baseball, Little League launched Little League Softball to direct girls away from the sport.Chris Ryan/Corbis via Getty Images
A global game
You might be surprised to learn that the U.S. fields a national women’s baseball team that competes in the Women’s Baseball World Cup. But they receive scant media attention and remain unknown to most baseball fans.
In a 2019 article published in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, I argued that the U.S. has experienced inconsistent success on the global stage because of a lack of infrastructure, limited resources and persistent gendered assumptions that hamper the development of women’s baseball. Other countries such as Japan, Canada and Australia have established solid pathways that allow girls and women to pursue baseball from the youth level through high school and beyond.
That being said, opportunities for girls to play baseball are increasing in the U.S. thanks to the efforts of organizations such as Baseball for All and DC Girls Baseball.
Approximately 1,300 girls play high school baseball, and a handful of young women play on men’s college baseball teams each year. In recent years, numerous women’s collegiate club baseball teams have been established; there’s even an annual tournament to crown a national champion.
Japanese pitcher Yukari Isozaki competes during the 2010 Women’s Baseball World Cup in Venezuela.AP Photo/Fernando Llano
Pro league in the works
Momentum continues to build.
MLB recently appointed Veronica Alvarez as its first girls baseball ambassador, who will oversee development programs such as the Trailblazers Series and the Elite Development Invitational. A new documentary film, “See Her Be Her,” is touring the country to celebrate the growth of women’s baseball and raise awareness of the challenges these athletes face.
Perhaps most significantly, the Women’s Pro Baseball League announced that it is planning to start play in summer 2026 with six teams located in the northeastern U.S. Over 500 players from 11 countries have registered with the league, with a scouting camp and player draft scheduled for later this year.
Should the league have success, it will mark a revitalization of women’s professional baseball in the U.S., a nod to the rich history of the women’s game and a commitment to securing opportunities for the girls and women who continue to defy cultural norms to play the game they love.Callie Maddox, Associate Professor of Sport Leadership and Management, Miami University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Callie Maddox, Associate Professor of Sport Leadership and Management, Miami University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
