The very best thing about Forward Pickleball is not the 12 indoor courts, Pro Shop, entertainment area for corporate events, stretching area, or warm-up and drill wall.

It’s the people.

Forward Pickleball, co-founded by Keca and Dave Ward, is built around a culture of fun, friendship, and learning. Located near King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, the club is home to a community of more than 700 members.

“Every club has its own personality,” says co-founder Dave Ward. “Some clubs focus on high-level play, some offer a highly structured franchise experience, and others are more laid-back. Our personality is simple: come learn the game, make new friends, and have a great time.”

That fun and friendly atmosphere is reflected throughout the entire facility. Members know one another, socialize and interact with each other, and many stay before or after games to spend time together.

One story illustrates what the club has become.

About a year ago, one of the owners asked a member how he had spent Thanksgiving. The member said he had invited a fellow Forward Pickleball member, John, over.

When asked whether the two had been friends before becoming members of Forward Pickleball, the member replied that they had not.

They met through Forward Pickleball, became good friends, and now spend holidays together and occasionally go out for dinner and drinks.

This is exactly the kind of community Forward Pickleball wanted to create.

From Tape on a Court to a 12-Court Pickleball Facility

Forward Pickleball started on a much smaller scale.

In 2022, Keca was teaching pickleball lessons in a small multipurpose gym at a local 4-H club. Before each four-week session, Dave laid out the court lines with black electrical tape, then tracked down the janitor to make sure the tape would remain in place each night.

It was a humble beginning: one taped court with a portable net in a multipurpose gym and the first signs of a growing pickleball community.

As interest grew, Keca’s classes went from one per week to two per night, three nights per week.

The demand was clear.

From there, Keca and David began researching the pickleball industry to identify what they believed a successful facility would need: high ceilings, plenty of space around the courts, ample parking, and a great location.

In January 2024, they found the right site in Audubon, just outside King of Prussia. The Wards believe a successful facility depends on three things: the right lease, the right location, and the right people. With ample parking and easy access from several major highways, the Audubon location made Forward Pickleball convenient for players throughout the region.

The facility was designed around the player experience, with ample space to hang bags, a dedicated warm-up and stretching area, and several places to relax and socialize before or after play. Construction began on July 4, 2024, and Forward Pickleball officially opened on November 7.

“We’ve gone full speed ahead ever since,” Dave says.

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A Partnership Built on Complementary Skills

Both Keca and Dave entered the pickleball industry after spending several decades in the corporate world.

Keca spent many years in human resources, including founding and operating several staffing companies and working in the startup world. Dave spent nearly 30 years in financial technology.

Sports, however, had always been a major part of both of their lives. They spent years playing, coaching, officiating, and watching sports. So when they discovered pickleball, they naturally gravitated toward it.

Their roles at Forward Pickleball reflect their individual experience and strengths.

Keca oversees programming, staffing, corporate events, and member relations. Dave manages facility operations and vendor relationships.

Dividing responsibilities allows each of them to focus on the areas where they can contribute most.

How Forward Pickleball Uses DUPR

As Forward Pickleball grew, the team decided to use DUPR to help create more reliable and competitive play for its members.

One of the first initiatives Forward Pickleball introduced was DUPR Score Submission Nights. These take place on the first and last Monday of every month.

By establishing a regular schedule, Forward Pickleball has seen increased adoption of DUPR. The club has also focused on making it easier for players to submit their scores.

After completing their games, players have access to a pro who can assist them with submitting their results and answer any questions they may have about DUPR ratings.

Ultimately, Forward Pickleball hopes to help players establish reliable DUPR ratings, better understand their current skill levels, and participate in more competitive, level-based play.

DUPR ratings are based on actual match results and allow players to monitor their progress and find opponents at an appropriate skill level.

Creating More Competitive Open Play Using DUPR

Forward Pickleball offers DUPR Verified Open Play sessions alongside self-rated open play sessions.

Attendance at the DUPR-based sessions has continued to grow.

For Forward Pickleball, creating competitive games becomes much easier when the guesswork around skill levels is reduced. DUPR ratings give players greater confidence that they are registering for sessions that match their level.

When players give us two hours, we want it to be the best two hours of their day—something they look forward to and keep thinking about after they leave. Good, competitive games are a big part of that experience, and DUPR helps us create them.

This goal aligns closely with DUPR’s mission of supporting both clubs and players.

DUPR allows clubs to build communities, add match results, manage player ratings, and create programming based on measurable skill levels. Currently, more than 8,500 clubs use the platform for programming.

For Forward Pickleball members, having a reliable rating makes it easier to decide which open play session to register for, which league to join, or which tournament to enter.

Reliable ratings also help club operators create more consistent programming.

Rather than relying only on player self-assessment, systems such as DUPR use match results to create a dynamic rating that changes as players compete. Club-, league-, and tournament-verified matches can also carry greater weight when determining a player’s rating and reliability.

This additional structure helps Forward Pickleball create the type of competition its members are looking for: competitive games without unnecessary mismatches.

“As we stated earlier, players lead busy lives.

If players choose to dedicate two hours of their time to Forward Pickleball, we want those two hours to be meaningful.”

Future Opportunities With DUPR+

Forward Pickleball also hopes to explore the additional opportunities available through DUPR+.

“I think we’re probably most excited about the additional benefits DUPR+ can deliver to our members,” Forward Pickleball’s owners say. “From additional perks such as access to DUPR-sanctioned events, exclusive discounts on gear, and an ad-free app experience, we hope it will give our members more ways to enjoy the sport and connect with the larger pickleball community.”

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