FROM THE USAPA
USAPA BOARD MEMBER PROFILE
M
Mark
Friedenberg
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ark Friedenberg is a pickleball National Champion, instructor,
author (The Official Pickleball Handbook) and possibly the most
inspirational player in the state of Washington. He is also the previous
owner of the Pro-Lite Sports paddle company (now in the hands of his
son, Neil, while his daughter Julie helps with the paddle designs and
website).
In February, 2005, Mark established the “new” USAPA and its Board
of Directors. Under his guidance, the USAPA has since:
1. Developed a highly dynamic website that is viewed by 2,000 people
per day.
2. Grown to a membership base of almsot 17,000.
3. Provided player rankings and ratings, grants, referee training and
now has over 1,400 ambassadors throughout North America.
Introduced to pickleball in 1989, Mark learned the game quickly: “Of
course, the first few times that I played, I got the snot beat out of me;
but, I learned quickly what this game was all about!” Although it might
be because of his age or physical stature, both tournament partners and
opponents came to call him Yoda or the “Ancient Master.” And they’ll
tell you, “You don’t mess with the master.”
After 10 years, Mark published a book on the game, “The Official
Pickleball Handbook.” It details basic fundamentals, shots, strategies
and secrets of the master players.
Around 1998, Tournament Director Sid Williams and several other
players created the original USAPA and The Pickleball Tournament
Rulebook. Sid had run monthly tournaments since the 1980s and was
“burned out” in early 1999, so he passed the USAPA on to Mark and
Frank Candelario, owner of the Ultra-Lite Paddle Company. Frank was
President and Mark became Vice President.
In February of 2004, during the Arizona Senior Olympics in Surprise,
a meeting of about 50 players was conducted for the purpose of
taking over the USAPA to more effectively run the group and grow
the game. Mark offered the USAPA corporation to these players, but
unfortunately nothing happened at that time. In December that year,
Mark bought the Ultra-Lite Paddle Company from Frank and renamed
it Pro-Lite Sports. He also received full ownership of the USAPA. He
recalled the words on the walls of the U.S. Naval Academy: “If not you,
who? If not now, when?” Those words motivated him to start growing
pickleball.
He created the new USAPA along with Steve Wong. Under this
leadership, the USAPA and pickleball have grown to levels no one could
have imagined. Much of the future success the sport can reflect back to
the efforts of Mark Friedenberg and his friends over the past 25 years.
Today, he splits his time between Seattle, Washington, and Surprise,
Arizona, but can be seen anywhere as he continues to travel to
tournaments around the country. •
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