Empower Pickleball

10/23/2026

Cancer doesn’t pause the everyday expenses of life.

After losing her younger sister, Halimah, to breast cancer and later facing her own diagnosis, Ayanna Muhammad created the goHAM Foundation to help cancer patients and their families with groceries, transportation, utilities, and other household needs.

The Georgia-based nonprofit also brings the pickleball community into its mission through Pickle in Pink, an annual tournament that turns a day on the court into direct support for families navigating cancer.

Read how Ayanna is carrying her sister’s legacy forward through goHAM: https://empowerpickleball.com/goham-foundation-pickle-in-pink/

10/21/2026

Empower Pickleball is in Antigua this week! 🇦🇬🏓

While exploring the island, Kim got to catch up with Anna Maria, the woman behind Pickleball 268.

After learning to play at a local resort during COVID, Anna Maria realized Antigua needed public courts where more people could access the game. She approached the government, secured a lease on an abandoned piece of land in Falmouth, and helped turn it into Pickleball 268.

Nearly three years later, the courts welcome locals, visitors, and yacht crews, while pickleball continues to spread across the island.

We loved hearing how Anna Maria helped get it started and seeing what she’s created firsthand. If you’re visiting Antigua, make sure Pickleball 268 is on your list.

10/20/2026

Open play is great, but some players want a team, a schedule, and a season that gives every match a little more meaning.

The Arizona Pickleball Players League has turned that idea into one of the country’s strongest statewide league models. Players compete in regional divisions based on age, gender, and skill level, with top teams advancing to the State Championships.

With manageable schedules, local competition, responsive ratings, and a strong volunteer network, APPL may have created a blueprint other states can follow.

See how the league works:

A breakdown of the APPL pickleball league and how Arizona built one of the most successful statewide pickleball league models in the country.

10/16/2026

Years ago, Sophie Chiche weighed 350 pounds and treated her body as a vehicle for her mind rather than something to care for. Sports weren’t part of how she saw herself.

Her transformation happened through thousands of small decisions. Then pickleball gave her another place to keep growing.

As a psychologist, executive coach, and author, Sophie sees the court as more than a place to improve technique. It’s where our thoughts, emotions, expectations, and past experiences show up. It’s also where we can practice beginning again after every mistake.

Read how pickleball helped Sophie develop confidence, resilience, connection, and a deeper relationship with herself: https://empowerpickleball.com/sophie-chiche-pickleball-community-spotlight/

10/13/2026

New players may not remember the score of their first pickleball game, but they’ll remember how the people around them made them feel.

A quick “nice shot,” an invitation into a game, or a little patience with someone still learning can determine whether they come back... or decide the sport isn’t for them.

Gina Cilento explains why every player helps shape the culture on their courts, and why competition and community don’t have to work against each other.

Read more:

Pickleball is growing fast, but strong communities are what keep players coming back. Here’s why culture, inclusivity, and small interactions matter more than you think on the court.

10/10/2026

Different ages. Different abilities. Different reasons for picking up a paddle.

Some come to compete. Some come to move. Some come to meet people, try something new, or have fun.

Over the past year, we’ve had the chance to meet beginners, professionals, coaches, organizers, and players using this game to do things that have very little to do with the scoreboard.

Today, we’re celebrating all of them, along with everyone who makes room for one more person on the court.

Happy World Pickleball Day. 💙

What brought you to pickleball?

10/09/2026

For two years, Shawna Grosskleg watched other people play pickleball and wondered if she was athletic, young, or coordinated enough to join them.

Then she finally picked up a paddle.

Today, Shawna is the creator behind FearlessPickleballHer, where she shares what it’s really like to learn pickleball as an adult without a racket-sport background. That means showing the missed shots, frustration, awkward moments, small victories, and everything in between.

Her message to other women is simple: you don’t have to be great at pickleball before you’re allowed to enjoy it.

Read Shawna’s story: https://empowerpickleball.com/shawna-grosskleg-fearless-pickleball-her/

10/08/2026

Marine plants in a drink? We were curious, too. 👀

OoMee partnered with us for FeistyFest, and we handed out several of its flavors throughout the weekend. The reaction was pretty consistent: people were surprised by how light, refreshing, and genuinely good they tasted.

Thank you to Oomee for keeping our team and players stocked all weekend and giving everyone something new to try between games. 💙

If a marine plant beverage with SeaBiotics has you curious, go check them out.

10/06/2026

PPA. MLP. APP. UPA. UPA-A. DUPR.

Following pickleball can start to feel like learning an entirely new alphabet.

Our 2026 pickleball acronym guide explains the organizations, tours, leagues, rating systems, governing bodies, and coaching certifications shaping the sport in the U.S. and around the world.

Keep this one handy the next time another acronym shows up in your pickleball news feed:

Confused by pickleball acronyms like DUPR, PPA, and MLP? This complete 2026 guide breaks down the most important pickleball organizations, leagues, and ranking systems around the world.

10/06/2026

We’re still smiling about our weekend at FeistyFest. 💜

We spent the weekend introducing new players to pickleball, watching plenty of first serves fly in every possible direction, and hearing a lot of people ask if they could play one more game.

Sarah Ansboury | Pickleball Pro was there with us all weekend, helping make the courts feel welcoming, fun, and far less intimidating for everyone picking up a paddle.

A huge thank-you to the partners who helped make it all possible:
OoMee 
Olyra 
GAMMA Pickleball 
SaltWrap | Therapeutic Sports Nutrition™ 
ScoreButts ScoreKeeper 
shaughnessysportsconstruction

We have a feeling a few of them are officially hooked. 😏