It isn't often that we get to live through the invention and ascension of a sport into popular culture. The Civil War era saw the birth of American football. James Naismith invented basketball. The world's first soccer organization was founded in 1904. The birth of a new major sport may be possible thanks to a man named Joel Pritchard who tried to entertain his kids in the summer of 1965,
Over the past couple of years, it has taken off in popularity due to its widespread appeal throughout age groups, as well as its socially-distanced nature that made it a popular option during the Pandemic. A sport that used to be thought of as a way to pass the time and stay active for retirees is making its way to the big leagues. Stephen Colbert is hosting a celebrity special later this year, produced by CBS Sports, and celebs including Leonardo DiCaprio, Drew Brees, and Larry David are already pickling aficionados.
In January of last year, the Economist named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, and that may have been more prescient than anyone knew. The average annual growth rate for the sport over the past five years has been 11.5 percent. It's not just in your neighborhoods that pickleball is going pro. With the humble beginnings of many a popular sport, no one can agree on anything, so the only question is which direction it is headed.
Major League Pickleball will expand from eight teams in 2021 to twelve teams in 2022. During the Memorial Day weekend, several clubs, including the Florida Smash and Mad Drops, drafted players for mixed doubles, men's and women's doubles, and singles teams. Some of the team owners include a famous author and lecturer, a Milwaukee Bucks owner, and a retired tennis pro.
Don't get it twisted, there are other pro pickleball league in the picture. There are some high-profile feuds that make the future of the sport seem pretty uncertain.
There are two tours, the Association of Pickleball Professionals and the Professional Pickleball Association, which are not the same thing. The APP is allied with the PPA, which forbids its athletes from competing in outside tours or leagues. There are two international governing bodies for the sport. If one gets in on the ground floor, they're all grappling against each other for power, which may prove to be an incredibly lucrative venture.
The unifying goal is to get the sport to the Olympics, which would help grow the sport's popularity beyond the pro league. 75 countries need to be involved in order for that to happen.
The USAP helped to found the IFP, but then left the IFP over irreconcilable differences just a few months ago, removing 90 percent of membership. They may end up in the WPF, where they have been on a mission to recruit as many countries as possible into their respective federations. The first to reach 75 countries will likely be the one that lasts, and the one that gets the most revenue from governing a major sport.
There are personal feuds between executives at USAP and WPF, as they have different visions for the future of pickleball, and refuse to compromise or concede. It seems like there are two too many Halls of Fame for pickleball.
One appreciates the settled nature of the NBA, MLB, and NFL in the construction of what they hope will be a new sensation. They are debating over salary caps and not trying to outdo each other. They come with their drawbacks, but they teach the pickleball powers that you can't have two separate professional leagues. If you want to have as many divisions and conferences as you want, they have to fall under one umbrella.
The American League and National League combined under one umbrella, and the APP andPPA are likely facing the same fate. The fighting will take the sport down with them.
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