USA Pickleball, or USAP, is the

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

governing body A governing body is a group of people that has the authority to exercise governance over an organization or political entity. The most formal is a government, a body whose sole responsibility and authority is to make binding decisions in a taken ge ...

for the sport of

pickleball Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two players (singles), or four players (doubles), hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a net using solid-faced paddles. Opponents on either side of the net hit the ball back and ...

in the United States. It was the world's first national pickleball organization established when it was formed in 1984 as the United States Amateur Pickleball Association. It reorganized as the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) in 2005. The organization adopted the name USA Pickleball in 2020. As the USAPA, the organization published the first official pickleball rule book in 1984 and published the ''USA Pickleball Association Official Tournament Rulebook'' in 2008. Since 2005 the organization has operated as a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of t ...

History

The ''United States Amateur Pickleball Association'', originally abbreviated U.S.A.P.A., was founded by Bryon Olson, Sid Williams and a few other Washington state pickleball enthusiasts in 1984 in

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...

. A few years later Williams changed the name of the organization to the ''United States of America Pickleball Association''. Their objective was to perpetuate the growth and advancement of pickleball within the United States. To help promote the game the first honorary member of the organization, number 00001, was President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. A complimentary pickleball set was sent to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

, but it's not known whether Reagan ever played the game. The Nalley Fine Foods Company, also based in Tacoma, was acquired as the organization's first sponsor. The sponsorship helped cover costs of exhibitions, clinics, and the rulebook. In 1999 Frank Candelario took over as the USAPA president. Candelario owned the Ultra-Lite Paddle Company, which also became a sponsor.

Tournaments

USA Pickleball National Championships: The National Championships are held at the

Indian Wells Tennis Garden The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is a tennis facility in Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, California, in the Coachella Valley. The 16,100-capacity Stadium 1 is the largest stadium at the tennis complex, and the second largest outdoor tennis stad ...

Indian Wells, California Indian Wells is a city in Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley. Incorporated in 1967, it lies in between the cities of Palm Desert and La Quinta, California, La Quinta. As of the 2010 Census, the c ...

in November. ''Golden Tickets'' that allow participation in the National Championships can be earned by winning events in one of the following: *National Championship Series: The National Championship Series consists of six regional championships held in various locations throughout the United States. *Diamond Amateur Championship: A series of amateur competitions called the ''USA Pickleball Diamond Regionals'' allows regional winners to compete in the USA Diamond Amateur Championship held at Pictona in

Holly Hill, Florida Holly Hill is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,659 at the 2010 census. Holly Hill's city limits lie entirely on the Florida mainland, unlike the larger cities on either side of it, Daytona Beach and Ormond ...

in December. Gold medal winners of the Diamond Amateur Championship are automatically eligible to enter the National Championships the following year. *National Indoor Championships: Held in

Hoover, Alabama Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in north central Alabama, United States. Hoover is the largest suburban city in Alabama and the 6th largest city in Alabama. The city had a population of 92,606 as of the 2020 US Census. Hoove ...

References

Bibliography

External links

* USA Pickleball {{Sports governing bodies of the United States Pickleball organizations

1984 establishments in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Arizona

History

Tournaments

See also

References

Bibliography

External links