Opportunities in Pickleball?

[MJ DeMarco]

If you haven't noticed, Pickeball has picking up steam and is growing as a sport. It looks like it won't be a trend, and more of an emerging industry that will be here to stay.

Tom Brady and Lebron recently bought into pro teams.

In my state, local cities are rushing to convert tennis courts and/or add pickleball courts to meet increasing demand.
Indoor pickleball arenas are popping up all over the place here in my county, S of SLC.


Via the DailyUpside



What opportunities could present itself in this space?

I would think the overhead on indoor court rentals would be pretty low and not capital intense other than commercial space, like the self-storage industry.

Your thoughts?

I've played pickleball and enjoy it. It's a great workout, and generally better for the joints than tennis.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MetalGear]

If you haven't noticed, Pickeball has picking up steam and is growing as a sport. It looks like it won't be a trend, and more of an emerging industry that will be here to stay.

Tom Brady and Lebron recently bought into pro teams.

In my state, local cities are rushing to convert tennis courts and/or add pickleball courts to meet increasing demand.
Indoor pickleball arenas are popping up all over the place here in my county, S of SLC.


Via the DailyUpside

View attachment 45492

What opportunities could present itself in this space?

I would think the overhead on indoor court rentals would be pretty low and not capital intense other than commercial space, like the self-storage industry.

Your thoughts?

I've played pickleball and enjoy it. It's a great workout, and generally better for the joints than tennis.

Pickleball is not a fad. At the very least there is a huge community around it in retirement communities because like you said, it is much better for your joints than tennis.

 

[Antifragile]

Your thoughts?

On our largest parcel of industrial land, we plan to introduce indoor pickleball courts. We will not be operators, but think it will enhance our industrial park. Think of it as both an amenity and an income producing property. Amenity because people working in our business park will have access to this recreational facility, and we'll be collecting rent from the operator.

I agree with your view MJ, it is here to stay and a lot of fun.

There are many opportunities to start a pickleball business. For example, you could start a pickleball club, tournament organization, or supply retail through a store. You could also offer pickleball lessons or create a pickleball video tutorial.

 

[DarkZero]

Definitely a pickleball local league. Rent out a large warehouse, convert to pickleball courts. And host local leagues there. Give opportunities for local businesses to advertise. Have local vendors supply food/drinks. Value add with a vending machine business.

Get pickleball aficionados to run the league voluntarily and charge fees to enter. If you don't want to profit from the league then just take what's needed from the league to rent the space. It's actually fairly easy to find volunteers and passionate individuals. They will do it just to be a part of it all.

Or if you wanted to really go big, you could expand the league throughout your city. Get multiple locations. Host the tournaments.

Also, can profit from membership fees.

Think of what indoor soccer did to many suburban communities and cities 10 years ago. This can be the same.

And don't forget:

- Accessories
- Clothing brands
- Basically anything that is sold in the tennis community can be sold to the pickleball community

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Runum]

I was playing a lot before my illness. Some cites are far more organized then others. SLC is the hotbed for pickleball. We played a lot in San Antonio. On our trip, I would join pickleball FB groups of the next area we were visiting to get hooked up to the local pickleball communities. Chicken and Pickle is a franchise in Texas that seems to be growing.

 

[ZCP]

@MJ DeMarco is officially old

 

[Private Witt]

@MJ DeMarco is officially old

I just turned 50 and there are a lot of 50+ pickleball tournaments. At first I had dreams of domination but I guess some of these 80 year dudes are pretty awesome at it and I would get demolished by gramps.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

@MJ DeMarco is officially old

But hey, I'm in better shape, and look younger than you!

 

[Fox]

But hey, I'm in better shape, and look younger than you!

This kinda smack talk calls for a @ZCP versus @MJ DeMarco Pickleball tournament.

Host it online, and you have your first ticket buyer right here.

 

[ZCP]

This kinda smack talk calls for a @ZCP versus @MJ DeMarco Pickleball tournament.

Host it online, and you have your first ticket buyer right here.

F*ck that, we'll do it in his driveway during the poker tney weekend.....

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Private Witt]

F*ck that, we'll do it in his driveway during the poker tney weekend.....

After done with pickleball can you than please make a video of MJ dunking on you in the indoor basketball court.

 

[ZCP]

After done with pickleball can you than please make a video of MJ dunking on you in the indoor basketball court.

I'm posting him up. Twice.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Kevin Durant is the latest athlete to buy a Major League Pickleball team

Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman are the latest athletes to buy a Major League Pickleball team.

www.cnbc.com

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

Bump. We could debate if this is a trend that will fade, or is here to stay.

I think it is here to stay due to popularity with all age groups, as well their ability to play against each other.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I would imagine the upkeep on facilities would have to be pretty inexpensive, aside from the building.

And it is repeat business that keeps coming.

An indoor facility might have qualities that are likened to RV parking, or self-storage facilities.

 

[ZCP]

we are building an 8 court basketball gym for the area. 4 courts will have volleyball lines.
the other side will have pickleball for midday rentals.
think it is here to stay in our area FOR SURE. tennis is massively huge around here and people are getting older and switching to pickleball

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[WillHurtDontCare]

What opportunities could present itself in this space?

Clothing is the first thing that comes to my mind. Killcrew has basically been riding the UFC / MMA hype train to sell millions in hoodies & fitness clothing.

People like to buy things that show that they're part of a community / culture.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

People like to buy things that show that they're part of a community / culture.

Definitely!

I was watching a tournament yesterday and there was a 16 year old girl playing against an adult man. The announcers said the teenager has been playing pro since 12 and already has $1M+ in earnings. It was odd to watch, but very cool.

That's incredible, not only that she's killing it, but she's in a sport were she can compete against men or people 4X her age.

 

[Runum]

as has been mentioned. Older people, boomers, are switching from tennis. Gen X is continuing the trend. We watched a couple of matches on the Tennis channel the other day. They are also hosting wheelchair pickleball events in north Texas. I might even be able to return to the courts one day myself.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[biophase]

Played here in Mesa, AZ. Was like $40 to rent a court.

Awesome complex but it’s already in default. They just went too big!

• 8 Baseball and Softball Fields
• 19 Basketball Courts
• 35 Soccer, Football and Lacrosse Fields
• 57 Indoor Volleyball Courts
• 12 Beach Volleyball Courts including a 1,500 Seat Stadium
• 41 Pickleball Courts with a 2,000 seat Stadium
• 22 Futsal Courts

 

[biophase]

Bump. We could debate if this is a trend that will fade, or is here to stay.

I think it is here to stay due to popularity with all age groups, as well their ability to play against each other.

Places like Chicago could use some indoor courts for winter time. They could charge so much per hour just due to the demographic.

If 4 people wanted to get in 2 hours of fun exercise when it’s 5° outside, what would we pay? $200 easy. Maybe $300?

 

[Rabby]

Sports performance in ahem "modern times" is often driven by equipment. People intuitively know this. They will buy the lightest, gear-iest bike, the lightest bounciest racquet, the most high-fantasy shoes; all for an edge. Of course, they'll go all out on supplements, nutrition, etc too.

Let's just say you could design and build, and market, a better racquet, or a better shoe, watch, training [thing], or whatever item is, that's perfect for the sport. You would be rowing with the inevitable currents of future history.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Rabby]

Played here in Mesa, AZ. Was like $40 to rent a court.

Awesome complex but it’s already in default. They just went too big!

• 8 Baseball and Softball Fields
• 19 Basketball Courts
• 35 Soccer, Football and Lacrosse Fields
• 57 Indoor Volleyball Courts
• 12 Beach Volleyball Courts including a 1,500 Seat Stadium
• 41 Pickleball Courts with a 2,000 seat Stadium
• 22 Futsal Courts

View attachment 49455

View attachment 49456

Looking ate photos... imagine the same place, but half the size, and with shade screens over the courts. Am I the only person who would get a whanging headache from playing outside in the 100 degree heat, full sun, all day? Surely not? An extra dose of humanity in the design of outdoor sports fixtures could go a long way, no?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Played here in Mesa, AZ. Was like $40 to rent a court.

Mesa doesn't strike me as a good city for pickleball, not to mention those courts have to be worthless in the summer. How are the courts not covered?

 

[Private Witt]

Been seeing many articles lately on how pickleball is causing 500 million in medical bills but yet 23 million people are playing so will guess the amount of medical costs saved from a lot of inactive people actually doing some sort of exercising and the psychological benefits are not factored in.

Pickleball injuries could cause $500 million in medical costs, analysts say

Analysts say one of the fastest growing sports in the country could also come with a great cost for Americans.

www.fox13news.com

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

Been seeing many articles lately on how pickleball is causing 500 million in medical bills but yet 23 million people are playing so will guess the amount of medical costs saved from a lot of inactive people actually doing some sort of exercising and the psychological benefits are not factored in.

Pickleball injuries could cause $500 million in medical costs, analysts say

Analysts say one of the fastest growing sports in the country could also come with a great cost for Americans.

www.fox13news.com

If you're out playing pickleball, you aren't home consuming mass media while shoving food in your face. We all know the latter is what drives the economy on multiple fronts.

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

Been seeing many articles lately on how pickleball is causing 500 million in medical bills but yet 23 million people are playing so will guess the amount of medical costs saved from a lot of inactive people actually doing some sort of exercising and the psychological benefits are not factored in.

Pickleball injuries could cause $500 million in medical costs, analysts say

Analysts say one of the fastest growing sports in the country could also come with a great cost for Americans.

www.fox13news.com

$500M is a meaningless number in the scope of American healthcare.

 

[Rabby]

Been seeing many articles lately on how pickleball is causing 500 million in medical bills but yet 23 million people are playing so will guess the amount of medical costs saved from a lot of inactive people actually doing some sort of exercising and the psychological benefits are not factored in.

Pickleball injuries could cause $500 million in medical costs, analysts say

Analysts say one of the fastest growing sports in the country could also come with a great cost for Americans.

www.fox13news.com

It's amazing how casually these bs mills we call "the news" can take your personal activities and spin then as some sort of national issue. Like you're really imposing costs on other people by playing ping pong tennis. These analysts who come up with bs to publish... who are they? Investigate their links to obesity and blood pressure medication, metformin sales, insulin delivery patents, and DaVita dialysis centers... that's where the money is, yeahhh buddy. Definitely don't want people out there exercising, "imposing costs" on those wonderful Americans who operate businesses to serve the sedentary and chronically ill population.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[ZackerySprague]

I wouldn't mind learning. I picked up Tennis, I still keep hitting the ball to hard learned on the fly, still am. I don't have any friends who play, but found out there was a club that plays on Mondays at the college close by.

 

[Kirby73]

Clothing is the first thing that comes to my mind. Killcrew has basically been riding the UFC / MMA hype train to sell millions in hoodies & fitness clothing.

People like to buy things that show that they're part of a community / culture.

Very true, good equipment and athlesuire opportunities