It’s a Wrap!

The 2019 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships is in the books.  There was an undeniable buzz in the air from this year’s national championships.  Another year of 2000+ participants and fans alike gathered for an event like no other.  From world-class courts, flavorful dining and majestic scenery surrounding the venue, there’s simply nothing like Nationals in Indian Wells.

We are very grateful to our volunteers and all the hard work and time that they put in each day making sure that an enjoyable experience was had by all.  More smiles were seen this year because of your volunteer efforts during this year’s national championships.  We will never forget your hard work and we are thankful for your generosity.

I cannot say enough about our USAPA referees.  We had 134 referees with 106 USAPA certified referees led by referee coordinators, Terry and Sandy Brown for this year’s event.  Countless hours are spent each day on and off the court preparing for nationals each year.  From the professional demeanor on the courts highlighted by the dress code that was implemented this year, there was no shortage of compliments given out thanking each of you for your diligence, self-motivation as well as dedication in making our referee program the gold medal standard.

I cannot thank our Nationals Committee and tournament team enough for all the innumerable hours that were spent year-round in making this our best National Championships to date.  I would like to personally thank David Jordan, Anne Reynolds and Kyle Klein for their attention to detail and a job well done.

We would like to Congratulate the 2019 Hall of Fame inductees: Dan Gabanek, Enrique Ruiz, Jennifer Lucore and Steve Paranto. Your exceptional contribution to the growth and development of this sport will be forever remembered.

It was another fantastic year of firsts!  During the kick-off party this year we had our first wheelchair exhibition.  The court was covered with spectators wanting to see what the buzz was all about.  The players were happy to introduce them to another avenue for pickleball.  Although this was an exhibition, we will have a wheelchair division at next year’s nationals and I’m sure it’s going to be packed.

We are filled with gratitude to each participant, spectator, sponsor and pickleball lover alike.  We would also like to thank the Sick Trx Crew for coming out and playing some fun, exciting games with our juniors on the last Thursday night of the tournament.  This means so much to the kids.  The joy that it brings to them is immeasurable.

As we look forward to 2020, the tournament team has already started planning for next year’s event.  A tournament of such magnitude cannot be accomplished without a great team.  A big thank you goes out to our event desk staff of pickleballtournaments.com for all their hard work and dedication to keeping us on track and ahead of schedule.  Last and certainly not least thank you does not seem to be enough recognition to our host Desert Champions. The spectacular venue at Indian Wells is unmatched along with the commitment that your team puts in all year long to guarantee a state-of-the-art experience.  I would personally like to thank Fred Hartman as well as the entire Desert Champions team for their hard work and dedication in making this year’s event unforgettable.

To see daily recaps including photos and highlight videos, click here

To watch over 100+ hours of live streamed matches from this year’s National Championships, click here

Save the Date for next year’s NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!  Oct 31 – Nov 8, 2020!!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Karen Parrish

USAPA Managing Director of Competition

Co-Tournament Director