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Strategic Alliance
Between USA
Pickleball Association & AAU Aims to Grow the Sport of
Pickleball
Last month , the USAPA and the Amateur Athletic Union ( AAU ) completed an agreement that had been over a year in the making . Earlier this year , AAU announced that the sport of pickleball had been added as one of AAU ’ s official sports , with play opportunities soon being offered through its 55 U . S . districts . As an extension of AAU pickleball programs , USAPA and AAU are working to cobrand recreational pickleball leagues and tournaments designed to grow the game among junior and adult players . In addition , adult AAU membership includes a background check for no additional fee . This is a tremendous perk for USAPA ambassadors who elect to get involved in AAU development programs .
Just before the new programs roll out , a special USAPA “ recreational membership ” will be available through the AAU pickleball website . This membership , combined with the full AAU membership , will allow participants to compete in the new co-branded programs . USAPA and AAU representatives are currently working together to finalize league concepts for both junior and adult play . USAPA Training Chair Pat Murphy and the following fellow USAPA ambassadors / members will contribute their knowledge and expertise to develop a corresponding Program Handbook :
• Dave Vander Weide
• Steve Manolis
• Stephanie Lane
• Steve Sidwell
• Ernie Medina Jr .
• Joshua Elliott
AAU is one of the largest nonprofit volunteer sports organizations in the country . As a multi-sport organization , AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs . Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports , the AAU philosophy of “ Sports For All , Forever ” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 35 sports programs and 55 U . S . districts . The secondlargest sport in the AAU , volleyball , had more than 120,000 members in 2015 with more than 300 licensed AAU indoor and beach volleyball events across the nation .
“ USAPA has done an exceptional job building their adult membership base across the country and making pickleball one of the fastest growing sports in America ,” said Dr . Roger J . Goudy , President and CEO of the AAU . “ This strategic alliance allows us to utilize our combined expertise and resources to provide athletes of all ages with first-class competition experiences in the sport of pickleball .”
“ As pickleball continues to flourish , USAPA is establishing a number of strategic partnerships designed to effectively position the sport on both the national and international stage ,” explained USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof . “ AAU has a storied sports background here in the U . S . and their existing infrastructure extends coast to coast . Our partnership with AAU will expand recreational and youth pickleball opportunities in ways not yet imagined .”
Visit www . usapa . org for future updates on co-branded USAPA and AAU pickleball programming .
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