DALLAS, TX - The PPA Tour recently announced the official launch of the Junior PPA Tour beginning in 2024.

The move reflects the changing pickleball landscape with an influx of talented youngsters who will undoubtedly take the sport to even greater heights in the future.

Now, take a few minutes to learn more about the new addition to the PPA Tour family.

Junior PPA Tour

The Junior PPA Tour is essentially the PPA Tour for kids aged 8-16.

It offers everything that the PPA Tour offers, including clinics, camps, tournaments with age and event divisions, and, of course, medal ceremonies.

Click here to view the Junior PPA 2024 Handbook for further information.

The Mission

The Junior PPA’s mission is to promote, encourage, and advance youth pickleball by creating a space for competition, while facilitating opportunities for players to strengthen their skill set, health, and character, and fostering the development of pickleball culture, too.

Given the PPA’s platform and resources, the Junior PPA team hopes to inspire the next generation of pickleball players.

The bottom line is that pickleball participants are only getting younger.

 

Changing Pickleball Age Demographic

The need for a youth-centered space in pickleball reflects the aforementioned shift in demographics. It’s not just a sport for retirees anymore. With the boom in pickleball’s popularity in 2020 and beyond, youngsters aplenty have steadily continued to pick up paddles.

Parents who also play professionally are some of the best coaches out there.

Megan Fudge and Ryler DeHeart have raised their kids around the pickleball court. Their eight-year-old daughter, Lily, even became the youngest player ever to win APP gold.

 

Pro Role Models

Sixteen-year-old Anna Leigh Waters is a perfect player for kids with pro pickleball aspirations to admire. The top female player in the world is a remarkable success story. Her incredible resume shows that you can accomplish amazing things at the highest level at a young age.

And with Junior PPA events happening at the same venues as pro tournaments, children and young adults can watch the likes of Waters and Ben Johns from the stands and compete on courts alongside them as well. No other sport delivers such a unique experience.

 

Youth Development

Thanks to its low entry barrier, learning the intricacies of pickleball can begin early in life.

Pickleball is also being brought into school systems. Many physical education classes are incorporating drills and gameplay into their curriculums, which sounds like a much better time than playing dodgeball and constantly running to evade being struck.

Pickleball boosts hand-eye coordination and critical thinking skills. It’s also not as physically demanding as other playground activities like running, basketball, or swimming, so kids who might not be the most athletic can still outwit their opponents with strategic thinking and creativity. Pickleball is wonderful for overall schoolyard morale, and it can be a confidence booster, too.

 

Longevity

Pickleball is a sport you can genuinely play for life. The sooner kids get their hands on a paddle, the sooner they can begin enjoying the wonders of an activity that hooks you forever. All the positives about pickleball for adults apply to children and young adults. There’s community, camaraderie, and exercise, all of which foster healthy development.

Register for the Junior PPA tournament near you, and follow along on Instagram to stay up to date on the latest news, events, and more.