For players, finding a place to play pickleball should be simple. But as the industry grows and becomes more sophisticated, the path from wanting to play to actually getting on the court can involve multiple websites, apps, social groups and registration systems.
That same fragmentation affects the businesses serving those players.
Play Pickleball is looking to change that by bringing more of the pickleball experience into one connected ecosystem.
“Play Pickleball began as a consumer destination, helping players discover courts, facilities, coaches and lessons, events, tournaments, pickleball content and resources,” said Matt Jarvis, the CEO of Play Pickleball. “As the sport grew, it became clear the overall experience remained highly fragmented.”
That is particularly noticeable for facility operators, who can find themselves relying on different systems for scheduling, registration, marketing, communication and payments. For players, the challenge is often finding the right opportunity at the right skill level and then staying connected to the facility and community.
Play Pickleball’s strategy centers partly on its acquisition of Pickleball Manager, a tournament and league management platform founded by Kurtis Campbell. Campbell, a former professional pickleball player who began competing in 2014, joined Play Pickleball as its chief technology officer following the acquisition.
Pickleball Manager gave Campbell experience building technology for the operational side of the sport, but he saw a gap.
“With building Pickleball Manager, I was building something that was really powerful for facilitating events and running events as an organizer,” said Campbell. “But what I found I was lacking was the ability to have those events be spread and seen by a lot of people.”
Combining the two platforms gives Play Pickleball an opportunity to connect event operations with player discovery. That could be valuable as more facilities look to tournaments and leagues as ways to engage members and generate revenue.
Campbell said one challenge has been that newer facility operators may not have experience organizing tournaments. When software is difficult to use or operators are unsure of the process, a poor first experience can discourage them from offering tournaments altogether.
Play Pickleball is looking to remove some of that friction through automation and simpler tournament-management experiences. Campbell said the platform is designed to allow tournaments to be run efficiently with fewer staff resources, giving facility owners and tournament directors more confidence in organized play.
However, that opportunity goes beyond tournaments.
“One of the biggest things we’ve seen with facilities is they can get people in the door, but then they sometimes can struggle to retain those players,” said Campbell.
That makes the experience after a player’s first visit important. Instead of just providing court access, facilities can create pathways into leagues, lessons, tournaments and other programming that keeps players engaged.
Jarvis sees that shift happening throughout the industry as facilities become more than a place to rent a court. Leading operators are adding food and beverage, retail, events and other social experiences.
“The facility itself is becoming a community and entertainment destination, which I love to see,” said Jarvis.
That evolution also creates a greater need for technology that can make the experience feel seamless. Players are accustomed to simple digital experiences in other areas of their lives and Jarvis believes pickleball operators are expected to deliver the same level of experience.
“Players expect simple, mobile-friendly and connected digital experiences,” said Jarvis. “They want to discover, communicate and participate without repeatedly moving from all these fragmented systems.”
AI could be another part of that effort. Campbell said Play Pickleball is approaching product development with an “AI-first mentality,” exploring ways the technology can make its software easier for customers to use.
The company’s larger ambition is to become the connective layer between the different parts of the pickleball ecosystem.
“We’re just trying to be that digital home for pickleball,” said Jarvis. “That one place for a connected experience between players, coaches and facilities to bring that all together.”
For operators, the goal is not simply to make technology more convenient. Play Pickleball wants to help businesses reach more players, operate more efficiently and develop sustainable revenue streams.
“We don’t want to see these facilities pop up everywhere, and then all of a sudden have to close down because the business model isn’t working,” said Jarvis. Instead, the company wants to help prevent that scenario.
The next phase will focus on bringing Play Pickleball and Pickleball Manager together into a single user experience while expanding the platform’s capabilities around organized play and coaching.
For Campbell, the effort is also an opportunity to address a problem he has seen firsthand. As both a software engineer and longtime player, he has spent years seeing where technology could better support the sport.
As facilities take on the community and entertainment role Jarvis described, the vision is to make it easier for players to find the right games and opportunities while giving the businesses behind those experiences better tools to operate and grow.
For more information visit playpickleball.com or contact Matt Jarvis at matt@playpickleball.com.
Prefer to listen? The full interview can be found on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Gain a competitive advantage
Subscribe to Pickleball Innovators for insider tips, expert insight and the latest trends to help your pickleball business thrive.
Jordan Meek is a staff writer for Pickleball Innovators, where she covers the rapidly evolving business of pickleball — from facility growth and technology to player experience and industry strategy. A graduate of Denison University with a degree in Journalism, she joined Peake Media in 2025 and brings a passion for storytelling and curiosity to every piece. Jordan is driven to spotlight the leaders shaping the sport and uncover insights that help operators thrive in the fastest-growing game in America. Reach her at jordan@peakemedia.com.
