Why Tennis is Struggling in America, Whereas Pickleball is Thriving by Steve Bellamy

By Steve Bellamy

25 years in the past, I began The Tennis Channel. I used to be a tennis professional who’d gotten a bunch of youngsters into faculties they wouldn’t have gotten into if not for his or her potential to faucet a tennis ball. I noticed the worth of tennis and knew it wanted a channel.

I had no cash and didn’t assume I’d get any tennis event rights, so I researched the ancillary racket sports activities. The one individuals who’d meet with me at first had been on Baimbridge Island the place I met two of the founders (grandparents on the time) of Pickleball.

It was raining so we went to a college gymnasium and performed on a makeshift courtroom the place their canine Mr. Pickles stored stealing our whiffle ball. I acquired them to signal a one-page contract for the TV rights to the US Open of Pickleball which didn’t exist on the time (I simply made it up and they’d have signed something.) After that, I acquired the rights to The Clydesdale Open, a doubles event for groups weighing at the least 425LBs who drank beer on the changeovers.

And third, I pitched the Nudist Colony Tennis Championships, however they didn’t purchase into Stevie B’s dream. After I turn into considerably substantial in tennis, I made an impassioned presentation to the tennis business telling them that if we didn’t shrink the dimensions of the tennis courtroom (120 X 60) we had been going to get killed by smaller courtroom video games.

Bought laughed out of the room. I’ve dabbled in pickleball, however this weekend was the first time I actually performed, attempting out the wonderful new @calabasaspickleballclub . 7 courts, rising to 32 w/ each amenity. The workers is wonderful, the setting idyllic, the members are fantastic, & the place was packed. HIGHLY suggest attempting it for those who’re in LA. I’m now hooked on pickle.

This isn’t an ‘I advised you so’ as I don’t do these, and I would like tennis to succeed. However the leaders of tennis are abominably failing the game.

Billions of {dollars} are flooding into the pickle, and shortly padel… the passion has skyrocketed, and the leaders of tennis are doing nothing to stem the pattern. Tennis is extra artisan and 100% is the one finest professionally performed sport proper now.

It doesn’t change the truth that pickleball is extra enjoyable. Be happy to argue within the feedback. #pickleball #tennis

Editor’s Word: We had been with Steve Bellamy’s at his launch launch celebration for his idea known as “the tennis channel.” We had been thrilled! Tennis having its personal channel.
Steve actually gave each potential likelihood it wanted to develop and flourish. However after awhile it grew to become obvious. Tennis didn’t need his management. Nor did it need to be clear and alter with the instances. We applaud Steve for all of his monumental efforts. And we thank him for what he completed.