Pickleball Buzz Beyond the Kitchen 6/26

The Dink - OnCourt OffCourt - Playbypoint - Fit Pickler - Pickleheads

Author

Rich Neher
May 31, 2026

Table of Contents

From The Dink Newsletter

  • so much more…..

LinkedIn GOLD

Pickleball Play Solutions
A seismic day for pickleball — and for the people running the games.

For the TDs, leagues, and facilities running organized pickleball, Pickleball Inc.'s $225M investment from Apollo Sports Capital gives Pickleball Play Solutions — the software you rely on a stronger backing than ever.

Gilberto (Tito) Machado: Quick Friday thought. Does this ever get easier? lol.

When a company is young, everything is growth, energy, vision, excitement. But nobody really talks enough about the other side of it. The ups and downs. The constant pressure. The repetition of problems in different forms.

Gordon G.G. Gebert: The Official NPL™ is proud to welcome The One Pickleball Glove as our newest sponsor—bringing a true performance edge to players across the league. Designed for serious pickleball athletes, The One Pickleball Glove enhances grip, control, and feel, helping you stay consistent and confident in every rally.


OnCourt OffCourt

Playbypoint Partner Spotlight: The Fort

Brad Tuckman, co-founder of The Fort, set out to build the most ambitious destination pickleball has ever had.

Nearly one year in, most describe The Fort as pickleball paradise: 43 courts, beach tennis, a wellness center, bocce, padel coming soon, and Florida Room, run by a James Beard nominated chef (the fried chicken alone, IYKYK 🤤). 1,500+ members and thousands of players now call it home.

Step inside the stadium and learn why Brad says the real product isn't pickleball. It's community. 

From The Fit Pickler

Ben Johns. MLP Dallas. A Limited-Edition Paddle You Need to See!


JOOLA kicked off the summer with not only the release of the JOOLA Pops Rally Rocket paddle, available right now at JOOLA.com, but also the announcement of a multi-city JOOLA Pops Summer tour. That tour kicked off this past weekend in Dallas:

World No. 1 player, Ben Johns, locks in on court during MLP's season opener in Dallas, TX — competing with the limited-edition JOOLA Rally Rocket Perseus Pro V, the pro-performance paddle reimagined for summer. The limited-edition, bold red, white, and blue drip design launched May 26 as part of the JOOLA Pops Summer Tour collection, available exclusively at JOOLA.com while supplies last.

“The Rally Rocket is still the same Perseus Pro V I use every day — same performance, same feel — just in a really fun summer colorway. We wanted to do something that felt different and nostalgic for the season. It’s limited, so once they’re gone, they’re gone.” — Ben Johns

From Pickleheads

Dream Court of the Week - The Fort, Fort Lauderdale, FL

FACT DROP

82,600+

479%


4,177,700+

Pickleball Courts in the U.S.

5-Year Pickleball Participation Growth
from 4.2M in 2020 to 24.3M in 2025

Games organized on Pickleheads

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More Pickleheads News

Big news… USA Pickleball is launching its own leagues. And they're running them on Pickleheads 🏆 

As part of our expanded partnership, we've been named an Official Technology Partner for USA Pickleball Rec Play.

What does that mean for you? You’ll soon see USAP leagues rolling out to cities across the country, built on the same league tools thousands of you already use every week.