What’s the Score?
A historic coalition has formed to reshape the future of youth sports in New York City. The Brooklyn Pickleball Team, a Major League Pickleball (MLP) franchise, has joined forces with equipment giant JOOLA and the community platform “Conquer Kids” to launch the Official Youth Pickleball Program of NYC. The initiative’s ambition is staggering: to eventually place a pickleball paddle in the hands of every single public school student in the city—a population of over one million children.
Hit it deeper!
The partnership marks a significant milestone in the institutionalisation of pickleball, moving it from a recreational trend to a structured part of the educational curriculum in America’s largest city. The program, powered by JOOLA’s equipment infrastructure, is already operational across four of the five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, with expansion to Staten Island slated for later this year.
The initiative serves students ranging from second grade through high school, utilising a three-pronged approach: in-school physical education instruction, after-school enrichment programs, and broader community-based activations. By integrating the sport directly into the school day, the program removes the biggest barrier to entry for many urban youth: access to courts and equipment.
Several pilot schools have already begun the program, including PS 307 in DUMBO, the East Side Community School in the East Village, PS 239 in Ridgewood, and a cluster of schools in the Bronx (PS 9, PS 28X, and PS 12X).
This isn’t just a grassroots charity effort; it is backed by serious professional power. The Brooklyn Pickleball Team, which won an MLP championship in 2023, boasts an ownership group featuring global icons like Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, and Odell Beckham Jr. Their involvement brings a level of visibility and resource availability that youth pickleball has previously lacked. Adam Behnke of the Brooklyn team emphasised that youth development is “the foundation of any sport that wants to grow the right way.”
The operational arm, “Conquer Kids,” functions under the NYC-based community platform Conquer (CNQR). Their role is to facilitate the connection between the professional tier of the sport and the playground. As part of the agreement, the groups will collaborate on youth clinics and player engagement initiatives, giving NYC students a direct line of sight to professional role models.
The World Pickleball Verdict
This initiative represents the most critical stress test for the longevity of pickleball. Critics have long questioned whether the sport can transition from a pastime for retirees to a genuine multi-generational athletic institution. If this program succeeds in New York City—a notoriously difficult market due to space constraints and competing interests—it creates a blueprint for every other major city in the world.
By targeting public schools rather than private clubs, the Brooklyn Pickleball Team is democratising the sport in a way that could fundamentally change the demographics of the next generation of pros. “Growth only matters if it’s accessible,” noted the organisers. If they hit their target of one million students, the centre of the pickleball universe could shift from the retirement communities of Florida to the blacktops of the Bronx within a decade.
If you enjoyed this article, check out the February World Pickleball Magazine here.
Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…
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