Acquisition Expands Player Development, Coach Enablement, and Rating Accessibility Across the Global DUPR Ecosystem, with DUPR Coach Co-Founder Joining DUPR as Executive Vice President

Delray Beach, FL – July 2, 2026 – DUPR today announced the acquisition of DUPR Coach, further strengthening the connection between coaching, player development, and the world's most accurate pickleball rating system. As part of the acquisition, DUPR Coach co-founder Katie Nimitz will join DUPR as Executive Vice President. Nimitz previously served as President of MyJourney Pickleball, where she led the development and growth of the DUPR Coach program. 

MyJourney Pickleball is a technology company that introduced the sport's first Coach-Assigned DUPR rating, providing coaches with a scalable way to assign trusted ratings to new players, seamlessly connected to profiles within the DUPR platform. The program enabled coaches to assess unrated players and generate ratings that could immediately be used for leagues, open play, tournaments, and other competitive programming. Under MyJourney Pickleball's leadership, DUPR Coach grew to more than 2,000 credentialed coaches who collectively generated over 30,000 Coach-Assigned DUPRs, helping thousands of players establish their first competitive rating.

The acquisition represents a significant step forward in DUPR's vision to create a more connected ecosystem and additional opportunities to advance coaching and player development.

As pickleball continues its rapid growth worldwide, millions of players are looking not only to understand their rating but also how to improve it. Together, DUPR and DUPR Coach are uniquely positioned to expand access to structured rating pathways, empower coaches with enhanced player development tools, and create new opportunities for clubs to deliver engaging, competitive programming. This acquisition marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter with more enhancements to come.

"DUPR was built to bring accuracy and consistency to pickleball through trusted ratings and innovative technology," said Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. "Acquiring DUPR Coach is the next step in expanding the tools and resources that empower coaches, strengthen clubs, and support player development.”  

Looking ahead, DUPR will continue investing in initiatives that:

• Simplify onboarding for unrated and recreational players
• Expand access to structured rating and player development pathways
• Improve the consistency and usability of ratings across clubs and communities
• Empower coaches and clubs with tools to support player engagement and progression
• Create new opportunities for coaches and clubs to deliver DUPR-based programming

The acquisition also reinforces the important role coaches play within the sport. Coaches serve as educators, evaluators, and advocates for player development, helping players better understand their game and engage more meaningfully with the DUPR ecosystem.

As part of the acquisition, Katie Nimitz, former President of MyJourney Pickleball and co-developer of the DUPR Coach program, will join DUPR as Executive Vice President, where she will lead the company's coaching initiatives and continue expanding coach, club, and player development.

"This is about more than ratings," added Machado. "It's about creating a pathway for every player to enter the sport, find their level, improve their game, and stay engaged throughout their pickleball journey. That's why we're so excited to welcome Katie Nimitz to the DUPR team. Katie has played a pivotal role in developing the DUPR Coach program, and her leadership will be instrumental as we continue expanding coaching, player development, and club adoption around the world."

Additional enhancements to DUPR Coach will be introduced as part of the broader DUPR product roadmap, with a continued focus on player progression, coaching enablement, club adoption, and long-term ecosystem growth.

Those interested in joining the DUPR Coach program under its new ownership can sign up here. For additional information, please contact katie_support@duprcoach.com.

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About DUPR

‍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), Professional Pickleball Association (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 MyJourney Pickleball

MyJourney Pickleball is the creator of the DUPR Coach program and the My DUPR Coach app, designed to empower coaches to conduct detailed skill assessments and assign official Coach-Assigned DUPRs to non-rated players. Coaches, clubs, and players can learn more at duprcoach.com.

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