Featuring Jon Laaser, CEO of Performance Pickleball

Early Adoption and a Clear Vision

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When Performance Pickleball opened its doors in Richmond, VA, in December 2023, the goal was simple: build a club that felt like a true community. Founded by Jon Laaser and his business partner, Lee Warfield, the facility quickly became a hub for players of all levels. Just one year later, Performance celebrated the launch of its second location in Roanoke on January 1, 2025.

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From the very beginning, Laaser saw DUPR as part of that vision. Three months before the first facility even opened, Performance became a DUPR Club, betting early on what would become the industry’s leading rating system.

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“We made the choice a long time ago that DUPR was a partner we were going to be riding with as we grew,” Laaser explains. “We wanted competitive balance in our play blocks, and DUPR gave us the ability to regulate games in a fair, transparent way.”

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Seamless Integration with DUPR+

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In 2025, Performance Pickleball took things a step further, becoming one of the early adopters of DUPR+. The team built the membership upgrade directly into their pricing model, adding a $6 monthly increase that covered the cost of DUPR+ for every member.

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“We were going to raise membership rates anyway due to inflation,” says Laaser. “Instead, we used the opportunity to add DUPR+ at just over $2 per member. We were astonished and we didn’t get a single complaint. Members saw the value right away.”

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Performance also leaned on DUPR Coaches to make onboarding easy. With coach Rachel Rooney assigning preliminary ratings, new players could sign up for DUPR and immediately have access to DUPR+. This streamlined approach helped Performance quickly reach near 100% participation across their membership.

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Interested in adding DUPR+ to your club’s membership package? Fill out this form to find out if you are a good fit. 

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Popular Programs Fueled by DUPR

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One of Performance’s biggest wins has been running open play sessions. Their 4.0/4.5 open plays, where players must hold a verified DUPR rating of 3.9 or higher, are consistently full, often with waiting lists of 40+ players.

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Other successful offerings include:

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• Play with pros: members learn directly from pickleball professionals in structured, high-level games.
  
  
• Themed Round Robins & One-Day Tournaments: fun formats that keep programming fresh.
  
  
• Corporate Outings & Fundraising Socials: expanding pickleball beyond just competitive play.
  
  

“We don’t rely on just one thing to fill our courts,” Laaser notes. “It’s a combination of 10–12 programs, all succeeding together.”

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Community-First, Inclusive Culture

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Beyond competitive play, Performance Pickleball has invested in programs that reflect its commitment to community. The club recently partnered with Sportable, an adaptive sports nonprofit, to help fund and train a team of adaptive athletes for the 2026 US Open.

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“For a club to be successful, it has to be a true community,” says Laaser. “And a true community has to be inclusive.”

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Want to see what determination looks like? Watch Preston Curry’s interview as he shares his journey as an adaptive pickleball player at Performance Pickleball.

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Advice for Other Clubs

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Laaser encourages other directors to listen to their members and keep barriers to entry low.

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“If your events aren’t filling, ask your players what they want. Survey them. Invite their friends. Don’t force them into what you think is best—build programming with them.”

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On adopting DUPR+, his advice is simple:

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“I see DUPR+ as an inevitability. It will keep evolving, and getting in early gives clubs a chance to stand out. The sooner you adopt it, the sooner your members will benefit from more regulation and competitive balance.”

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Performance Pickleball’s story proves that when you integrate DUPR+, you don’t just track results; you create structure, competitive balance, and a stronger sense of community. With two thriving facilities and a 200-player waitlist in Richmond alone, their growth is living proof that fairness and inclusivity fuel success.

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If you want your club to see the same kind of momentum, start by putting your members first. Give them more than just courts; give them a system that makes every match meaningful and every rating reliable. That’s the power of DUPR+.

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👉 Fill out this form to see if your club qualifies for wholesale pricing on DUPR+ and start giving your members the experience they deserve.

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