Inaugural Fundraising Tournament to Unite the Pickleball Community in Support of Leveling the Fields

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — June 3, 2026 — DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating), the world's most accurate pickleball rating system, announced today its partnership with Leveling the Fields to launch Rally for Her, a new philanthropic initiative dedicated to expanding opportunities for girls and young women through sports.

The inaugural Rally for Her fundraising tournament will take place on September 26 at The Fort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, uniting players, coaches, clubs, brands, influencers, professional athletes, and community leaders from across the pickleball industry in support of Leveling the Fields, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to sports opportunities for girls and young women.

All tournament registration fees, fundraising activities, sponsorship contributions, and event proceeds will directly support Leveling the Fields and its mission to remove barriers related to cost, access, and opportunity for girls in sports.

Sports have long been recognized as one of the most powerful tools for developing confidence, leadership, resilience, and lifelong success. Research from the Women's Sports Foundation found that 69% of women who played sports went on to hold formal leadership roles, while 71% of those leaders reached positions such as Manager, Director, President, or C-suite Executive, highlighting the lasting impact sports can have on confidence, leadership development, and future career success.

"The growth of pickleball creates an incredible opportunity, but it also creates a responsibility," said Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. "If we're going to build the future of this sport, we should also help create opportunities for the next generation of girls. Rally for Her is about using the momentum of pickleball to make a meaningful impact in communities that need it most. Every girl deserves the chance to play, compete, build confidence, develop leadership skills, and discover what's possible through sports."

Founded in 2024 by Melyssa Jaskiewicz, Leveling the Fields provides after-school sports programming for girls, particularly in under-resourced communities. Through school-based programming and community partnerships, the organization helps girls gain access to sports opportunities that may otherwise be unavailable while fostering confidence, teamwork, and leadership development.

"What makes sports so powerful isn't just what happens on the field or the court. It's what happens afterward," said Melyssa Jaskiewicz, Founder and Executive Director of Leveling the Fields.

"When a girl learns to speak up, take a risk, trust her teammates, or believe in herself, those lessons stay with her long after the game. At Leveling the Fields, we're working to ensure every girl has access to the opportunities and confidence that sports bring, regardless of her financial situation or her zip code. We're incredibly grateful to DUPR and the pickleball community for helping us open more doors for girls through sports and introduce them to one of the most welcoming, inclusive, and social communities in the world: pickleball!"

As part of its continued growth, Leveling the Fields is exploring opportunities to introduce pickleball programming into future initiatives, creating new pathways for girls to engage with one of America's fastest-growing sports.

The event is expected to feature many of the most influential women in pickleball, including professional players, coaches, creators, ambassadors, and industry leaders who are passionate about supporting the next generation of female athletes.

In addition to tournament competition, Rally for Her will feature fundraising activations, sponsor experiences, exhibition matches, community challenges, and special programming designed to celebrate and support girls and women in sports.

"We want Rally for Her to become a movement within pickleball,” Machado added. “Our vision is to unite players, clubs, coaches, brands, sponsors, influencers, and community organizations around a shared belief that every girl deserves access to the opportunities sports can provide."

DUPR is inviting companies, brands, clubs, community organizations, sponsors, influencers, professional athletes, volunteers, and supporters who share this vision to join Rally for Her and help expand opportunities for girls through sports. Organizations interested in participating, sponsoring, donating, or supporting the initiative are encouraged to contact DUPR to explore partnership opportunities.

Additional event details, registration information, sponsorship opportunities, fundraising initiatives, and celebrity participant announcements will be released in the coming weeks.

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.

About Leveling the Fields

Leveling the Fields is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Charleston, SC. Its mission is to empower young girls to step into leadership roles and succeed in all facets of life, using sports as the catalyst. Sports build resilience, confidence, and camaraderie among young women, setting them on a path to success. By bringing sports directly on-site to schools through their multi-sport after-school programs, LTF breaks barriers that commonly hold girls back. To learn more about the organization, visit www.levelingthefields.org.

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