Racket sports founder says “there’s no reason for rivalry. We should be building one community” in exclusive interview

A Lifetime in Racket Sports

Will Parton has been playing tennis for as long as he can remember. “It’s one of my passions,” he says. Born in Colorado, he has lived in Connecticut, Chicago, and now Ottawa, Canada. His move north was primarily for family reasons—his wife is Canadian—but it also meant starting over.

“I had to rebuild my networks professionally, personally, and with racket sports. That’s when I realized there wasn’t a great option for finding players nearby quickly and affordably. Usually, you have to join a club or a league, but with two small kids, that wasn’t an option. I have a background in building apps for companies like ESPN and Wells Fargo, so I decided to make my own.”

A Passion Project With Big Potential

Parton explains that Hitch started as a passion project but has the potential to grow into much more.

“It combines everything I love. My mission is to help people connect. If I do that well, it should also be possible to make it a real business. Right now, it’s both—part project, part business dream.”

Hitch is unique in that it focuses primarily on finding players. “We built it like a dating app. You swipe through player cards—not to find love, but to find a doubles partner. We think that proven model can work really well in racket sports.”

Tennis, Pickleball, and Paddle

When asked about other businesses in the space, Parton points to pickleball apps like Pickleheads, which are gaining traction. “Pickleball is emerging, so there’s tons of opportunity. Tennis is more established, which makes it trickier.”

He sees Hitch’s strength in embracing all three sports: tennis, pickleball, and paddle.

“You don’t have to pick one and stay there. Hitch is breaking down those silos. Some people in the pickleball world still see me as a tennis guy and vice versa, but really, we’re building one community. Most apps only focus on a single sport. Hitch is different because it brings them together.”

The Cost of Building an App

Parton is open about the challenges of launching a tech platform.

“If you’re just trying to make money, I wouldn’t recommend it. Developers are expensive. I’ve probably spent $30,000 to $40,000 so far. And that’s just development—you still need promotion and advertising. The hardest part is building the network. You need enough players before the app becomes valuable, so it’s the chicken-and-egg problem.”

He has invested in App Store Optimization, Facebook ads, and growth strategies, but he also does all his own design work to save costs. “If I had to pay a designer on top of the developer, it would be even more. The truth is, you need a lot of patience and resources to get an app like this off the ground.”

Growth and Market Trends

Currently, Hitch is focused on English-speaking countries: the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.

“The U.S. is our biggest market, but Canada is growing fast. Australia has been huge recently—it’s the opposite season, so demand spikes. What’s interesting is that the same keywords work across these countries, so we don’t need to localize marketing too much.”

As for pickleball, he sees explosive growth but warns of oversaturation in some U.S. regions. “In places like Texas, Florida, and Chicago, courts have been built so fast that in some cases supply is starting to exceed demand. But overall, the sport is still on the rise, especially internationally.”

The Industry: Tensions and Opportunities

Coming into racket sports from outside the industry, Parton has noticed both positives and challenges.

“I don’t like the tension between sports. Tennis, pickleball, paddle—they’re very similar. There’s no reason for rivalry. We should be building one community. That’s the future.”

On the other hand, he is excited about the renewed energy. “It feels like a resurgence. Tennis was huge in the 80s and 90s, then it declined, but now it’s coming back with pickleball and paddle driving momentum. It’s not always easy to make money or partnerships in this space, but it’s definitely exciting.”

What’s Next for Hitch

Looking ahead, Hitch is doubling down on its unique identity.

“We even changed our logo to represent both tennis and pickleball. Hitch is a strong brand because it’s catchy—it’s about connection. People sometimes confuse it with Hinge, which makes me laugh because it’s intentional in a way. We’re the only app that focuses primarily on player-finding. Yes, we have court finders and tournaments, but those are secondary. The core is helping you connect with the right partner.”

For Parton, the vision is clear: Hitch is building not just an app, but a multi-racket sport community where players everywhere can find their next match.

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