This from today’s newspaper article on Black Pickleball possibilities :

You are welcome:’ A Black Charlotte pickleball club is creating inclusion and culture BY MYLES MANOR UPDATED JUNE 27, 2024 10:41 AM Kayla Brooks hosts Rally’s pick up & play pickle ball events monthly at Rally. Troyonna Adams, Zenith Creative Media A Charlotte-based pickleball organization is rethinking how Black people view the popular leisure activity. Black Pickleball & Co., founded by Kayla Brooks in 2023, aims to improve the socioeconomic mobility of Black communities by involving them in a sport that is growing in popularity. Brooks says pickleball provides opportunities for professionals to network with each other. “Societies function and people have opportunities based on loose ties,” she said. “It’s not necessarily your best friend, but you know a person enough, and they know you enough that if you need a professional service, you can ask them, and you have that connection from it [pickleball].” Pickleball, which was created in 1965, is considered the fastest-growing sport in the world, with about 13.6 million active players, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. However, only 7.3 percent of documented pickleball players in the United States are Black. Brooks was hesitant to begin playing pickleball herself because, when she was once invited to play, she told a friend, “Black people don’t play pickleball.” These days, Brooks is now directing initiatives to make Charlotte’s pickleball scene more welcoming to Black people. The group has hosted events and pickleball games at Rally and Lab City in Charlotte to engage a new demographic that was previously overlooked. “Part of bringing Black people into this space is not to assimilate to the culture,” Brooks told The Charlotte Observer. “I want them to feel community.” Black Pickleball & Co. hosts events for Charlotteans to connect and enjoy community not just play pickleball. Troyonna Adams Troyonna Adams, Zenith Creative Media REIMAGINING THE COUNTRY CLUB EXPERIENCE Now, Black Pickleball & Co. hosts matches at Rally every month, including a recent Juneteenth event held on June 19. Brooks says the partnership with Rally is a sign that the organization is heading in the right direction. “We aim to radically reimagine the country club experience for a new generation of activity-seekers, and a big part of that is opening up the racquet sport world to communities that have historically been excluded from it,” Rally co-founders Megan Charity and Barret Worthington said in a joint statement to the Observer. “We are honored to have been a launchpad for Kayla to build BPC into the huge success it is today. “We’ve been so inspired by the team and the community that Kayla has built around a genuine love of the game. They motivate us to work harder every day to make Rally the most inclusive and welcoming community possible.” BUILDING COMMUNITY COMES BEFORE PICKLEBALL Brooks hopes promoting Black participation in pickleball can create a space where people can feel comfortable with new experiences. “A lot of Black people miss their seat at the table simply because they don’t play these sports,” said Brooks about the history of Black people not participating in large numbers in sports like pickleball, golf and tennis. To date, more than 500 people have attended Black Pickleball & Co. pickleball events since last August, according to Brooks. “Everyone who comes to BPC is not Black. Everyone is not a millennial. Everyone who comes to BPC does not look or dress a certain way, and we’re very proud of that,” she said. Other pickleball organizations tend to focus on bringing together people who play pickleball, Brooks says. Black Pickleball & Co. focuses on community first and pickleball second. “A lot of people in Charlotte are looking for community, and I think that’s what makes us different from other pickleball organizations is that a lot of other groups are looking for people who like to play pickleball,” she said. “On the converse, we are just looking for people.” Black Pickleball & Co. is not just focused on Black people playing pickleball. It wants pickleball to be a catalyst for friendships, business relationships, and enrichment for participants. “Come in your bright colors, come with everything that you are, and you are welcome in this space,” said Brooks.

This taken from a 2019 blog entitled THE ENEMY AT THE GATE?

1. How many kids like the Williams sisters didn’t have a father who made that effort? Minority kids, as well as poor kids can gain access to this game.  And it will erase the feeling that “…that game is too rich for me (or mine).”
2. The issue bigger than pickleball, the USTA, or tennis, is the health of our youngsters. Public education should include embrace pickleball by lining school tennis courts for pickleball, and including it in the physical education curriculum.
3. My guess is the links between pickleball and tennis and not only many new players, but some very talented players,will emerge.