Ambassador Role and Responsibilities

AMBASSADOR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Role of Ambassadors

As Ambassadors, you are volunteer representatives and unofficial spokespersons for the geographical area you represent. Your primary responsibility is to promote and grow the sport of pickleball. As an enthusiast, wherever you go, you never stop promoting the sport.

Ambassador Responsibilities

1. Support the mission of USA Pickleball, which is to promote the development and growth of pickleball in the United States and its territories. This includes supporting the goal of USA Pickleball, to grow the game for virtually everyone.
2. Organizing, conducting, or otherwise assisting with “beginner” sessions, introducing new players to the game.
3. Understand, support, and practice that pickleball is an inclusive game and sport. Knowledge of this for Ambassadors is very important. This is especially important when considering inviting “non-pickleball-players” to give the game a try.
4. Encourage and support the identification of and development of the Places2Play program (places2play.org).
5. Promote and encourage USA Pickleball memberships through our marketing brochures and by directing potential members to our website (USAPICKLEBALL.org).
6. Promote and maintain communications within your pickleball community with other pickleball players, USA Pickleball members, Ambassadors, Area Team Liaisons, District Ambassadors, Assistant Regional Directors and Regional Directors. This may include sharing significant USA Pickleball board actions, such as rules changes and other information that may affect pickleball play, with those involved or interested in pickleball in your area.
7. Become familiar with and knowledgeable of all aspects of a USA Pickleball membership, especially the overall value and benefits of membership. Fully understand how to log in to USAPICKLEBALL.org to access, navigate, and utilize the Membership Information System and take advantage of available tools, FAQ's, member-only options, and Ambassador-only materials. Review regularly and always self-edit your personal member record profile to ensure accurate and current information so you can have the ability to help, guide, and assist members to do the same. Membership FAQ'S
8. Become familiar, knowledgeable, and compliant regarding USA Pickleball standards for Ambassadorships (as well as employment). This includes the required submission of a criminal background check, protecting you, as a USA Pickleball Ambassador, while also protecting other volunteers, our partners, strategic affiliates, vendors, members, and pickleball participants.
9. Become familiar, knowledgeable, and competent with the Ambassador-only materials in the Ambassador Academy (often referred to as the Ambassador Tool Kit), which include the physical resources (documents, pdfs, videos) in the Ambassador Academy, and the supportive resources noted in our website: our USA Pickleball Staff members, and our USA Pickleball Partners and Strategic Affiliates.
10. Always remind yourself of the various USA Pickleball Partners and Strategic Affiliates when responding to questions about pickleball or for pickleball-related matters.
11. Maintain and expand “Places 2 Play” on USA Pickleball website within your designated Ambassador geographical area. All listings should be updated at least once a year, even if the information has not changed, so that the “Updated Date” is not more than one year old. An Ambassador may be the contact person for a location when appropriate, but USA Pickleball membership is NOT required to be listed as a “Contact” for a location, to post a new location, or to update any location with appropriate information. Ambassadors should be able and willing to add or update listings, as well as encourage or assist others, especially the “Contact” person, in updating the information themselves.
12. Promote goodwill with other Ambassadors, players, facility representatives, Tournament Directors, and the general public.
13. Become familiar with, support, and abide by the Official Rules of Pickleball.
14. Understand, support, and practice the USA Pickleball Sportsmanship guidelines.
15. Understand, support, and practice the USA Pickleball Ambassador Code of Conduct.
16. Become familiar with the information and resources on the USA Pickleball website and the USA Pickleball mobile app.
17. Responsible for keeping up-to-date, informed, and supportive of Ambassador and USA Pickleball related information and resources. These resources and documents are found on the USA Pickleball website and include, but are not limited to, policies, procedures, code of conduct, requirements, and conflicts of interest.
18. Refrain from publicly criticizing USA Pickleball and its rules, policies, goals, projects, officers, staff, members, or operations. Ambassadors are team players who work to promote, not oppose, USA Pickleball.
19. Refrain from signing any document, including letters, which could place USA Pickleball or themselves at risk for a legal claim for damages or a lawsuit. Ambassadors are not authorized to make agreements on behalf of USA Pickleball, give legal advice, or make guarantees.