Mesa, AZ – May 8, 2025 – Arizona Athletic Grounds is proud to announce its designation as the first official DUPR Assessment Center in Arizona. This milestone is a significant development for the local pickleball community, empowering players at every level, from recreational to competitive, with the ability to receive official DUPR ratings. As the first of its kind in the region, Arizona Athletic Grounds is setting the stage for a stronger, more connected pickleball community through skill parity, common language, and a deeper focus on player development.

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The integration of DUPR ratings for all players, from recreational enthusiasts to competitive athletes, is an essential step in the continued growth and evolution of pickleball. DUPR, the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating, serves as the gold standard and a universally recognized benchmark for assessing skill levels across the sport. With this new designation as a DUPR Assessment Center, Arizona Athletic Grounds is leading the way by ensuring that every player can understand their abilities and connect with others at the right skill level.

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Coach-Assigned DUPR ratings are a transformative tool for recreational and community-level players, ensuring that skill parity is maintained across the board. These ratings, assigned by credentialed DUPR Coaches, provide a clear and consistent measure of a player’s abilities, enabling them to find appropriate competition and avoid mismatched games. This system creates a common language that can be used across clubs, leagues, and tournaments, fostering community growth and player development.

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“We’re excited to announce Arizona Athletic Grounds as a DUPR Assessment Center and to bring Coach-Assigned DUPR ratings to Arizona,” said Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. “Having a rating system for all players, from beginners to advanced, ensures that every game played is as enjoyable and competitive as possible. Our rating system is more than just numbers; it’s about creating a universally understood framework for the sport. Arizona Athletic Grounds is now in the unique position to offer this tool to the entire region, making pickleball more inclusive and accessible for everyone.”

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Arizona Athletic Grounds is now home to a team of credentialed DUPR Coaches who are responsible for assessing and assigning ratings to players. With the ability to rate non-rated players, these coaches will play a pivotal role in the development of the local pickleball scene. This initiative brings every player into the same community, whether or not they’ve logged a match, and helps establish a shared language of skill levels. Players will know where they belong on the court and where they should play to have the most fun.

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“DUPR stands as the gold standard in pickleball, creating a unified system that helps players find the right matchups and drives the sport forward,” said Katie Nimitz, President of My Journey Pickleball. “Arizona Athletic Grounds is home to one of the most active and passionate pickleball communities of Mesa, AZ and across the country. With this designation and the leadership of credentialed DUPR Coaches, they are uniquely positioned to bring non-rated players into the fold, strengthen connections on the court, and help keep the sport we love thriving for years to come.”

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“We’re excited to be leading the charge in growing pickleball in Arizona,” said Ben Worley, Director of Pickleball at Arizona Athletic Grounds. “With DUPR ratings now available for all players, we’re empowering individuals to track their progress and find the right competition for their skill level. This will not only enhance the enjoyment and competitiveness of the game but also ensure that pickleball remains inclusive and accessible for everyone, regardless of where they’re starting.”

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About Arizona Athletic Grounds

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AAG is one of the largest youth-oriented sports and entertainment facilities in North America. The Mesa, Ariz., facility serves millions of visitors per year, providing athletic and special events programming. The website, www.azgrounds.com, and social media, @azgrounds.com, are the landing pages for information. For additional information on rentals, sponsorships, or event programming, please reach out to the AAG team at info@azgrounds.com.

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About DUPR

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DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system and technology platform, trusted by the world's leading clubs, tournaments, leagues, and players. DUPR's dynamic rating system unifies pickleball across age, gender, and location by analyzing match results to accurately evaluate all players across a 2.000 - 8.000 scale. DUPR is the official pickleball rating of leagues, tournaments, and clubs around the world, including United Pickleball Association (UPA), PPA, Major League Pickleball (MLP), Pickleball.com, Life Time, The Picklr, National Team Pickleball League, National Pickleball League. It also owns and operates Minor League Pickleball and Collegiate Pickleball, two of the biggest amateur leagues in the sport. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.

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About DUPR Coach

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DUPR Coach is a program designed to empower pickleball coaches to launch Coach-Assigned DUPR ratings for the 34 million non-rated players worldwide. Powered by MyJourney Pickleball, DUPR Coach helps coaches provide valuable insights into players' skill levels and supports the growth of pickleball through more competitive, enjoyable play. To learn more about the DUPR Coach program, visit www.duprcoach.com/coach-cert.

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