Pickleball Magazine 2-6 | Page 5

PUBLISHER’S PLAYBOOK A Publication of Dollard Publishing Co., Inc. 11 Mayview Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317 www.thepickleballmag.com If there was a theme for this year, it would be growth. I know we talk about it in every issue, but now, as 2017 PUBLISHER comes to a close, some of that growth Wayne Dollard [email protected] 412.833.8805 can be quantified to show exactly what ART DIRECTOR we’ve been seeing all year long. This past year, the USAPA’s Michael Miller membership has grown significantly ADVISORY BOARD from 16,000 to 22,000 members. The Dennis Dacey A.J. Fraties Irene Fraties Alex Hamner Rusty Howes Lynn Laymon Jennifer Lucore Bob Nibarger Steve Paranto INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF Sarah Ansboury Christine Barksdale Rob Davidson Rob Elliott Wes Gabrielsen Jim Hackenberg Jennifer Lucore Christine McGrath Tyson McGuffin Steve Paranto CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Christine Barksdale Rob Davidson Joe Dinoffer Linda Chen Einsiedler Tom Gottfried Alex Hamner Michael Hess Rusty Howes David Jordan Jennifer Lucore Dean Mangione Bob Nibarger Keith Ori Danny Ortega Steve Paranto Audrey Teren Phillips Seymour Rifkin Dollard Publishing Co., Inc. publishes six issues of Pickleball Magazine per year. Subscriptions are $24 per year. To subscribe, go to www.thepickleballmag.com. US Open was held in Naples in April and boasted the largest pickleball tournament ever recorded. Participation at this year’s Nationals nearly doubled from 744 to 1,334 players—reestablishing itself as the largest pickleball event. Then, we have the newly established Pickleball Hall of Fame, a major milestone for the sport. Those are just a few examples of the growth we’ve experienced during the 2017 pickleball tsunami. My wife Lisa and I have had the privilege of traveling across this beautiful country, playing pickleball together and meeting hundreds of terrific people. We began our 2017 “tour” at the US Open, then headed back to our hometown of Pittsburgh, and on to Idaho for the Coeur d’Alene Classic. We then traveled to St. George for The Fall Brawl and The Huntsman Games. Finally, we ended our year at Nationals in Arizona where we competed well and had experiences we’ll treasure forever. What a fun and exciting year it has been! The past two years in pickleball have blown away my expectations, they have been life changing. I am excited to see what 2018 will bring. I imagine more players, more great products, greater competition, awesome tournaments, and meeting more amazing people. I hope that Nationals again doubles in size. And, of course, I hope that you will always have a place in your heart for pickleball. Happy Holidays from everyone at Pickleball Magazine. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IS PROHIBITED. © 2017 Please recycle this magazine when you are through enjoying it. Wayne Dollard, Publisher Dollard Publishing Company, Inc., 11 Mayview Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317 412.833.8805 (cell) | [email protected] | www.ThePickleballMag.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | MAGAZINE 3