Team Insight

TEAM PICKLEBALL players — especially mixed doubles, which lends itself to a team element. e sport is driven by clubs and enthusiasts from the grassroots up, rather than from organizations down." Webb continues: "ere is a huge oppor- tunity coming to retailers who embrace the pickleball market because there are millions of players who want to play in well-organized and well-structured pickleball leagues and competitions." For example, he mentions that in Louisville, KY, a pickleball hot spot, there are 240 courts for 600,000 players. "If I was a retailer in the area, it tells me there's a huge audience to play the sport. e caveat is that you have to know the sport and understand what pickleball players want and need." Even three years ago, pickleball products were tough to find, Webb recounts. "Now, there are dedicated pickleball sections in all sorts of retailers and the sport is being em- braced by retailers of all sizes. e sheer force of numbers – 20 percent of Americans – is driving demand." Getting In On the Action at demand is translating into the team market as well, where interest in pickleball is picking up. And as more dealers get exposed to the sport – through the buying group shows, trade shows, via vendor partners or simply through personal experience or customer demand – they are realizing that the category is worth the investment of time and money. Nation's Best Sports (NBS), for instance, featured pickleball at its most recent buying show. "We wanted to take the edge off of the sport," explains Kendall Whitley, VP of team-retail athletics at NBS. "Pickleball is the first new sport that's impacted the market in years and it demands an educational compo- nent and a nuanced approach." NBS had a pickleball court surrounded by vendors who offered info, advice and insights. "Showcasing different types of paddles and balls in that setting was the best way to give dealers and buyers the opportunity to talk to vendors and allow for hands-on interaction," he adds. "e true team dealer can tell you everything you want to know about baseballs and gloves, but it's hard to sell something you have no experience with." Whitley reports that the dealers had a very positive reaction. "For us, it was seed planting. It added energy to the floor and gave the show a different experience and vibe. We were very pleased with the outcome. Pickleball attracts a wide spectrum of customers and helping dealers serve new customers is an added bonus." Whitley suggests that dealers widen their scope and rearrange their floor a bit to ac- commodate pickleball. "It's a sport with no season," he points out. "When something's this hot, learn about it, and if you have it, people will find it. e more you learn about it, the better the chances for doing business. I don't remember a sport having such a groundswell of enthusiasm — ever! I hope in 10 years, pick- leball is looked upon as a mainstream sport." From a vendor perspective, Lucia DiGiacomo, general manager of Vulcan Pickleball, is high on the sport. "It's a su- per-exciting time and the growth is almost difficult to keep up with," DiGiacomo says. "A year or two ago, pickleball wasn't even a part of the team dealer space, but now, because there are lots of crossover and multi-sport facilities being built, dealers are realizing how easy and accessible it is to plug into the sport." e challenge, DiGiacomo believes, is for dealers to understand which brands make the most sense to carry: "You need to find the sweet spot," DiGiacomo says, while advising dealers and their roadmen to try the sport for themselves. "People need to pick up and feel the equipment they'll be playing with, so it makes sense to have paddles in stock. e ability to convey the nuances of pickleball is an important asset." While a few dealers have been early adopters of the pickleball category, others are now ready to swing into action. One of them, Andrew Bouchard, co-owner of Bike Board and Ski in Presque Isle, ME, is preparing to open a team store in mid-September — and it will include pickleball. "We are expanding the business into the team sports market. e addition will be in the same building as our original store, but it will have its own section. We used to have a general sporting goods store in town but it closed. Now there's only Walmart, so there's a need for a team sports dealer here," he explains. "Pickleball is brand new for us," Bouchard admits, "but hopefully we'll get product into rec departments and school programs. We've started reaching out to schools to let them know we can service their team sports needs." With pickleball, he plans to start by carrying paddles, balls and home sets. e challenge is to figure out which brands to carry. "We want to differentiate ourselves from mass market retailers by carrying higher-end product. And since we'll be getting into footwear for team sports, if there's a need for pickleball shoes, we'll add them," he says. On the other side of the country, in Indio, CA, Jernigan's Yellow Mart is seeing strong demand for pickleball goods. "Pickleball is a fast-growing sport here and there's now a new pro team in Palm Desert that adds to the inter- est and demand," says owner Mark Jernigan. (e Coachella Valley Scorpions came on the scene earlier this year and are California's first age 50-plus pro pickleball team.) "We've been carrying pickleball for about two-and-a-half years and the majority of our clientele are beginners ranging in age from upper-20s to seniors. We primarily carry paddles and balls." He adds, "ere are a lot of places to play around here and it's very trendy — hopefully it will continue to grow." Pickleball is even gaining a foothold among purveyors beyond (but not too far removed 24 • Team Insight ~ September/October 2024 teaminsightmag.com That demand is translating into the team market as well, where interest in pickleball is picking up. And as more dealers get exposed to the sport they are realizing that the category is worth the investment of time and money.

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