Pickleball Hall of Fame Announces Formal Unification with USA Pickleball
PHOENIX — The Pickleball Hall of Fame today announced a formal unification with USA Pickleball, the National Governing Body of the sport. The organization welcomes new board members, officers, and bylaws as it continues to recognize individuals who have achieved exceptional results in pickleball play over the course of their career, as well as those who have made exceptional contributions to the growth, development and leadership of the game.
Nominations for the Class of 2023 are now open. Individuals can submit nominations on the Pickleball Hall of Fame website through July 8, 2023 here. Nominees will be announced at the 2023 Tournament of Champions tournament in late August.
“We are thrilled to be announcing this unification of the Pickleball Hall of Fame with our sport’s governing body, which is truly critical as we continue to build a sustainable organization that honors and celebrates the legends of our sport who have contributed so much to the growth of pickleball,” said Stu Upson, Pickleball Hall of Fame President. “I look forward to working with the Pickleball Hall of Fame officers and board, as well as USA Pickleball, and am eager to observe what this group is able to achieve.”
The new officers are as follows:
Stu Upson, President
Kim Jagd, Vice President
Joe Santoro, Treasurer
Suzanne Guerin, Secretary
Other board members include:
Hilary Marold
Steve Paranto
Randy Stafford
Seymour Rifkind, the founder of the Pickleball Hall of Fame, remains as Past President and an Advisor.
The 2022 Pickleball Hall of Fame inductees included Norm Davis, Pat Kane, Larry Moon, and Wes Gabrielsen. They were honored at the 2022 USA Pickleball Margaritaville National Championships in Indian Wells, California.
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About the Pickleball Hall of Fame
The Pickleball Hall of Fame was established in 2017 as an independent not for profit corporation. Original tier 1 sponsors of the PHOF were IPTPA, USAPA, Pickleball Central, Pickleball Magazine, and Pickleball Channel. The inaugural class of 6 inductees took place in November 2017. PHOF considers nominees from around the world, and currently inducts four members each year consisting of three in the Competitor category and one in the Contributor category.
About USA Pickleball
USA Pickleball is the National Governing Body for the sport of pickleball in the U.S. and provides players with official rules, tournaments, rankings and promotional materials. The mission of USA Pickleball is to promote the development and growth of pickleball in the United States and its territories. The association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation and governed by a board of directors and professional staff who provide the guidance and infrastructure for the continued growth and development of the sport.
USA Pickleball Media Contact:
Melissa Zhang, Director of Communications & Content
mzhang@usapickleball.org
Chuck Menke, Chief Marketing Officer
cmenke@usapickleball.org
Pickleball Hall of Fame Media Contact:
Kim Jagd, Vice President
kimjagd@gmail.com
