Strategic Alliance Between USA Pickleball Association & AAU Aims to Grow the Sport of Pickleball
Last month, the USAPA and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), completed an agreement that had been over a year in the making. Earlier this year, AAU announced that the sport of pickleball had been added as one of AAU’s official sports with play opportunities soon being offered through their 55 U.S. districts. As an extension of AAU pickleball programs, USAPA and AAU are working to co-brand recreational pickleball leagues and tournaments designed to grow the game among junior and adult players. In addition, adult AAU membership includes a background check for no additional fee. This is a tremendous perk for USAPA ambassadors who elect to get involved in AAU development programs.
Just before the new programs roll out, a special USAPA “recreational membership” will be available through the AAU pickleball website. These memberships, combined with the full AAU membership will allow participants to compete in the new co-branded programs. USAPA and AAU representatives are currently working together to finalize league concepts for both junior and adult play. USAPA training chair, Pat Murphy and the following fellow USAPA ambassadors/members will all contribute their knowledge and expertise to develop a corresponding Program Handbook:
- Dave Vander Weide
- Steve Manolis
- Stephanie Lane
- Steve Sidwell
- Ernie Medina Jr
- Joshua Elliott
AAU is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 35 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. The second-largest sport in the AAU, volleyball, had more than 120,000 members in 2015 with more than 300 licensed AAU indoor and beach volleyball events across the nation.
USAPA has done an exceptional job building their adult membership base across the country and making pickleball one of the fastest growing sports in America,” said Dr. Roger J. Goudy, President and CEO of the AAU. “This strategic alliance allows us to utilize our combined expertise and resources to provide athletes of all ages with first-class competition experiences in the sport of pickleball.”
As pickleball continues to flourish, USAPA is establishing a number of strategic partnerships designed to effectively position the sport on both the national and international stage,” Maloof said. “AAU has a storied sports background here in the US and their existing infrastructure extends coast to coast. Our partnership with AAU will expand recreational and youth pickleball opportunities in ways not yet imagined.”
Visit www.usapickleball.org for any future updates on co-branded USAPA and AAU pickleball programming.
