ORLANDO, Florida — Major League Pickleball (MLP) franchise the Orlando Squeeze announced a significant leadership restructuring on Wednesday, appointing Ashley Turner as the new team president. The move, confirmed by the organisation on February 11, 2026, places Turner at the helm of the team’s business operations just months before the commencement of the expanded 2026 MLP season. With a background deeply rooted in the Central Florida sports and hospitality sectors, Turner’s arrival signals a shift toward long-term commercial sustainability for the franchise.
Turner joins the Squeeze with a mandate to oversee strategic partnerships, community engagement, and general business operations. She will work in tandem with the ownership group, led by the DeVos family, to elevate the team’s profile both locally and within the broader league structure. Her resume includes serving as general manager of Hamlin House, a sport and social club launched by Squeeze co-owners Ryan and Michelle DeVos, as well as holding key roles with the Orlando Magic and the University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program.
The timing of the appointment is critical. The Squeeze are preparing for the 2026 MLP season, which kicks off in Dallas from May 22-25. The league has undergone massive structural changes, now featuring 20 teams competing in a single tier, eliminating the Challenger/Premier divide. As the franchise navigates the upcoming transfer window and the Free Agency Draft on February 27, Turner’s leadership will be expected to provide front-office stability while the general management focuses on roster construction.
The Squeeze Strategy
In hiring Ashley Turner, the Orlando Squeeze have moved to professionalise their front office with executive talent that mirrors the structure of established major league sports franchises. Ryan DeVos, the team’s owner and general manager, cited Turner’s “rare combination of strategic leadership, operational excellence, and relationship-building” as the primary drivers for her hiring.
The Squeeze are effectively separating the “sport” from the “business” of the franchise. While Ryan DeVos continues to act as General Manager handling player personnel and on-court decisions, Turner will focus on the commercial engine—ticket sales, sponsorship activation, and brand identity. This bifurcation of roles is a hallmark of mature sports organisations and suggests that MLP teams are moving past the “start-up” phase where owners often wore every hat, toward a more corporate, scalable operational model.
Turner’s background in “premium activation efforts” for the Orlando Magic is particularly relevant. MLP events are increasingly becoming hospitality-driven products, relying on VIP experiences and courtside engagement. Bringing in an executive with NBA-level experience in premium services indicates that the Squeeze intends to monetise the in-person fan experience aggressively, turning their home market into a revenue-generating hub rather than just a training ground.
What’s the Score?
The appointment of Ashley Turner transforms the Orlando Squeeze from a player-centric entity into a structured sports business. By installing a dedicated team president with deep ties to the local market and the ownership family, the Squeeze are prioritising commercial growth and brand entrenchment in Central Florida, ensuring the franchise remains viable regardless of on-court volatility.
Hit it Deeper!
This hiring reflects a wider trend across Major League Pickleball: the “localisation” of franchises. In the league’s early years, team geography was often nominal, with teams playing in tournament bubbles far from their home markets. However, with the league stabilising into a 20-team single-tier, franchises like Orlando are banking on building genuine local fanbases. Turner’s history with UCF and local hospitality ventures suggests a strategy to weave the Squeeze into the fabric of Orlando’s sports culture, alongside the Magic and Orlando City SC.
Furthermore, the integration of the DeVos family network cannot be overstated. The Squeeze are leveraging the institutional knowledge of the Orlando Magic ownership group. This gives them a distinct advantage over independent ownership groups in MLP who may lack the infrastructure, rolodex, and operational playbook of a legacy sports family. Turner serves as the bridge between the high-level resources of the DeVos sporting empire and the specific, nimble needs of a pickleball franchise.
The pressure will now be on the front office to synchronise the business side with the competitive side. With the February 15 keeper deadline and February 27 draft approaching, the “product” on the court must match the ambition in the boardroom. If Turner succeeds in building a robust business operation, the Squeeze could become one of the league’s flagship franchises in terms of valuation, independent of their win-loss record.
The World Pickleball Magazine Verdict
Ashley Turner’s appointment is a shrewd, calculated move that reinforces the Orlando Squeeze’s status as one of the most stable franchises in Major League Pickleball. It demonstrates a commitment to operational excellence that goes beyond signing the best forehand drive in the draft.
As the 2026 season approaches, the Squeeze have signaled that winning the business of pickleball is just as important as winning matches. This move sets a standard for front-office construction that other MLP franchises will likely need to emulate to survive in the league’s new single-tier era.
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Chris 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 all levels of pickleball. Chris is also an avid player, currently struggling to make the breakthrough from 4.0 to 4.5.