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We are proud to announce that Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour’s VIBE Pickleball League have agreed to a strategic merger to unify the sport of pickleball as a global, co-ed, team-based league featuring the greatest players, biggest events, and visionary owners. This league will continue to live under the “Major League Pickleball” brand name and format.

Pickleball is the fastest-growing and most popular participatory sport in America – and soon the world. MLP and the PPA have independently fostered this growth by supporting world class players, driving powerful marketing, and creating unbelievable live experiences. Coming together as one team league allows us to build much bigger events, offer more prize money, enhance player development, pursue larger media and sponsorship deals and, most importantly, grow the game we all love.

Our league is starting with the best professional players in the world and a group of iconic leaders from sports and business including LeBron James, Tom Brady, Kevin Durant and Kim Clijsters. Just yesterday we announced Anheuser-Busch is our newest team owner – and we are just getting started.

Today marks a real milestone in the evolution of pickleball. In a world desperate for more social connection and reasons to celebrate, we are so excited for this merger and what it means for our community and our beautiful sport.

Kind regards,

MLP & PPA

Life Time to host multiple MLP tour events during 2023 season and adopt DUPR as official rating system

Life Time

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Chanhassen, Minn., (Nov. 7, 2022) — Nearly five million people are now playing pickleball according to the latest data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association and today, Major League Pickleball (MLP) and DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) announced a strategic alliance with Life Time (NYSE: LTH) to continue elevating the sport through hosting tournaments and events at iconic Life Time locations, adopting the DUPR official rating system across all Life Time clubs, partnering on improved technology and offering shared marketing support.

“This is an exciting time for all of us involved in making pickleball a sport that everyone chooses to play – whether competitively, for fun, for physical and mental health, to be a part of a welcoming community or all the above. I’ve never seen a sport so unifying,” said Life Time Founder, Chairman and CEO Bahram Akradi. “Through this strategic alliance among our organizations, we will take pickleball to the next level through elevated events, experiences, ratings and execution with one standard in mind – being the best. We are thrilled to be working with MLP and DUPR.”

As a part of the partnership, Life Time will adopt the DUPR rating system and technology across all of its pickleball programming, making the sport even more accessible by creating even playing fields and providing best-in-class technology to run events. MLP will also be bringing at least two of its marquee team-based events to Life Time locations in 2023.

MLP has made news in recent months with its roster of new team owners including iconic professional athletes, serial entrepreneurs, best-selling authors and speakers, billionaire investors and more. As the 2023 season gets underway, the league will grow to 16 teams, double its events from three to six and surpass the $2M mark in player prize money and payouts.  

“We could not be more excited to create this strategic alliance with Life Time,” said MLP and DUPR Founder Steve Kuhn. “Life Time owns and operates the most pickleball courts of any company in the U.S., located within the most beautiful athletic country clubs in prime locations creating the perfect environment to host MLP events. Additionally, aligning with DUPR to provide the most accurate global rating system will provide immense benefit to players, regardless of which Life Time club they’re playing at across the country. Together we’ll see the sport continue to explode in growth as we aim to hit our goal of 40 million players by 2030.”

Further details of the deal were not disclosed. For more information visit: MLP, Life Time and DUPR.

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About Major League Pickleball

Major League Pickleball (MLP) is the first of its kind professional team league and the standard-bearer for the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Led by Founder & CEO Steve Kuhn, MLP is committed to perpetuating the sport's larger role in society and permeating every facet of pickleball's business, marketing, and community relations. With iconic team owners, a co-ed team format, an innovative draft, easy to understand scoring, groundbreaking broadcast quality, and the highest prize money events in pro pickleball, MLP's goal is to elevate and grow the sport in everything it does. For more information on Major League Pickleball, visit MajorLeaguePickleball.net and follow Major League Pickleball on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

About DUPR

DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the most accurate and only global pickleball rating system trusted by the world’s premier Pickleball clubs, tours, and professionals. All players, regardless of their age, gender, location, or skill, are rated on the same scale between 2.00-8.00 based on their match results. DUPR is free and anyone can have a rating.

About Life Time®

Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of nearly 160 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada. The company’s healthy way of life communities and ecosystem address all aspects of healthy living, healthy aging, and healthy entertainment for people 90 days to 90+ years old. Supported by a team of more than 30,000 dedicated professionals, Life Time is committed to providing the best programs and experiences through its clubs, iconic athletic events, and comprehensive digital platform.

Collin Johns (above left), top 10 pickleball player in the world by DUPR and Sonny Tannan (above right), have joined forces to introduce their proprietary rating assessment clinic to get players rated with DUPR in a fast, fun format.  

What to expect:

Collin and Sonny’s assessment uses the objective DUPR algorithm to evaluate the maximum number of players in the shortest amount of time while removing the subjectivity of human opinion. Participants receive a provisional DUPR by competing against a variety of players. Players of all levels are welcome to participate.

Benefits:

• Find a starting point for brand new players.
• Playing your first tournament? Find out which bracket to enter.
• Play against a variety of different opponents.
• Everyone leaves with a provisional DUPR rating.

Use the link below to learn more about Collin and Sonny's rating assessment clinic.

Learn more

DUPR is pickleball’s most accurate global rating system trusted by world premier pickleball clubs, professional tours, and recreational players alike. Learn more at mydupr.com.

If you haven't heard about Zane Navratil and his infamous spin serve, you haven't been paying attention.

Zane Navratil, 26, started playing pickleball in 2013 after claiming three high school tennis State Championships in Wisconsin. Zane continued his tennis career playing Division III tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he earned a Master's Degree in Accounting and achieved Academic All-American status. Upon graduation, Zane moved to Milwaukee, WI and took a position as an auditor for Deloitte & Touche, an internationally recognized public accounting firm. Pickleball, however, was calling his name, and he left his auditor position in 2020 to play and teach pickleball full time. Zane is currently rated #7 in Doubles (6.57) and #5 in Singles (7.03) by DUPR. He competes in multiple tournaments a month and rarely walks away without a medal. He also offers pickleball clinics across the country and is known for a teaching style that is both efficient, methodical & informative, as well as engaging and fun. His driven and competitive personality is well balanced with his silly sense of humor and ability to have fun with his partners, competitors and students.

See Zane and this paddle in action, competing against JW Johnson at the 2022 APP Franklin NY Open:

How To Enter:

1. Follow @DUPRpb on instagram
2. In a comment on this post

• Tag 2 friends
• Write your 2 decimal doubles or singles DUPR (ex. 3.25)

Details:

• Must be located in the continental U.S.
• Must have a claimed DUPR account.
• Must be 18 years or older to enter.
• Entries accepted between September 30 - October 13 at 12:00pm pst.

Winner will be chosen 10/14/22 at 2:00pm PST - Announced on the DUPR Instagram.

OFFICIAL RULES

1.               NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

2.              HOW TO ENTER: Beginning on September 29th, 2022 at 12:00pm PDT through October 13th, 2022 at 12:00pm PDT, log on to Instagram and go the Paddle Giveaway on DUPR’s Instagram profile. Follow @duprpb on Instagram. In a comment on the Paddle Giveaway post on DUPR’s profile, tag two friends and write your 2-decimal doubles or singles DUPR (ex: 3.25). No more than 1 entry per Instagram account is permitted. Use of any robotic, automatic, programmed, or similar entry method or entering more than the number of times permitted will void all entries and result in disqualification. You may not enter more times than indicated in an attempt to circumvent the rules.

3.              ELIGIBILITY: Open to residents of the 48 contiguous states of the United States and D.C., 18 years of age and older as of September 29th, 2022 who have a claimed DUPR account, except for employees of DUPR ("Sponsor"), Sponsor’s affiliates, subsidiaries, and agencies (collectively with Sponsor "Promotion Parties"), and members of their immediate family or persons living in the same household. Void where prohibited.

4.              DRAWING: A random drawing will be conducted on or about October 13th, 2022 at 2:00pm PDT by Sponsor to select the winner from among all eligible entries received. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Potential winner will be notified via Instagram direct message and an Instagram post that will tag them. The return of any prize notification or prize as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. All income taxes resulting from acceptance of prize are the responsibility of winner. By entering this sweepstakes, entrant accepts and agrees to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which shall be final in all matters. Acceptance of a prize also constitutes permission to the Sponsor to use winner's Instagram handle for marketing purposes without further compensation or right of approval, unless prohibited by law. All federal and state laws apply.

5.              LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: By entering this sweepstakes, entrants waive all right to, and hold the Sponsor and Instagram harmless from, any claim, liability, loss, damage (including punitive, incidental, and consequential damages), or expense (including attorneys' fees) arising out of or in connection with participation in this sweepstakes or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize. Promotion Parties will not be responsible for: late, incomplete, or incorrect entries; an entrant's failure to receive prize notices due to entrant's security settings or for entrants' provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information; technical, hardware, or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled, or delayed electronic communications whether caused by the sender or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or used in this sweepstakes; by any human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in this sweepstakes; or any typographical, technological, or other error in the publishing of the offer, administration of the sweepstakes, or announcement of the prize. If, in the Sponsor’s opinion, there is such an error, or there is any suspected evidence of tampering with any portion of the sweepstakes, or if technical difficulties (including viruses and bugs) compromise the integrity of the sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, cancel or modify this sweepstakes in a manner deemed appropriate by the Sponsor. In the event of termination, a winner will be selected from among all eligible entries received as of date of termination. In the event a dispute arises as to the identity of a potentially winning entrant, entries will be declared made by the entrant’s Instagram account handle.

6.              PRIZE: Zane Navratil’s signed paddle that he used in the NYC Open. Total prize value: $100. Prize consists of only those items specifically listed as part of the prize. Limit one prize per family or household. No substitution or transfer of prize permitted by winner. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable prize to an alternate winner by random drawing from among all remaining eligible entries.

7.              CHOICE OF LAW AND FORUM: Entrant agrees that all matters arising out of or relating to this sweepstakes and these Official Rules are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Texas, without giving effect to any of its conflict of laws provisions thereof. Entrant further agrees that any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or relating to this sweepstakes and these Official Rules shall be brought exclusively in the applicable federal or state courts located in Texas.

8.              ALTERNATIVE MODE OF ENTRY: To enter this sweepstakes without following the above-stated procedures, mail a 3x5 notecard with your personal information (name, age, mailing address, email address, and phone number) to the following address: DUPR, 2770 US-290, Dripping Springs, TX 78620.

9.              PRIVACY: Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on [PROMOTION URL]. To read the Privacy Policy, click here.

10.            WINNERS LIST: For the name of the prize winner, available after October 13th, 2022, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to: DUPR, 2770 US-290, Dripping Springs, TX 78620. 11.            SPONSOR: DUPR, 2770 US-290, Dripping Springs, TX 78620.

‍DUPR is excited to announce the launch of Flex Leagues. Grab a teammate, and showcase your game with DUPR Flex Leagues in your community.

How Flex Leagues Work:

Players are placed in a round-robin group and play 4 matches over 5-weeks. Players will be divided into leagues/groups based on their location and DUPR.

What else?

• Organize your weekly league matches at a time and on a court that’s convenient for you and your opponent.
• Matches can be played during any week of your Flex League session. You can even play all four matches in the first week if you’d like!
• Matches are gendered, mixed or open doubles with brackets by DUPR.

Interested Organizers:

Are you an organizer interested in hosting your own DUPR Flex League in your area? If so, please complete the application form below to get started.

Apply Here

Learn more about pickleball’s most accurate global rating system at mydupr.com.

The future of pickleball leagues has arrived. America's favorite pro pickleball format meets pickleball's most accurate rating system. Utilize this league software to launch fun, social, amateur team leagues across the country.”

Think you know who's been on the podium the most this year? Check out our full list below:

Check out the Instagram post here.

Thank you so much to everyone that joined us at the inaugural Newport Beach DUPR Waterfall presented by Takeya. We loved seeing so much passion for the sport and feedback on Pickleball’s first ever “self-run” tournament using the DUPR app, where scores were posted and validated by opponents in real-time.

Congrats to all the winners and to the MVPs as well. These players made some gains on their rating by beating the Expected Value in most or all of their matches. DUPR sees you!

See the full results here, if you're signed into your profile. Simply click the flight and then click "Standings" to see the final tally.