BREAKING: Picklr files for Chapter 11, announces $4.5M investment commitment to restructure
By Josh Kerns & David Johnson/IAPPF As expected for several weeks, Picklr, Inc., the corporate parent behind The Picklr franchise system, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. In an October 10 public statement, the company announced a $4.5 million financing commitment, subject to […]
Update: The Picklr Crisis – What We Know Now
Several weeks after reports of mass layoffs ignited speculation about the future of one of pickleball’s biggest franchises, court filings, club closures and a franchisee bankruptcy provide a much clearer — though still incomplete — picture. By Josh Kerns | Facility MagazineOctober 3, 2026 It started several weeks ago with word of layoffs. On September […]
IAPPF partners with RSPA to raise coaching standards, elevate your facility instruction and programming
We’re thrilled to announce the IAPPF has signed a new partnership agreement with the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA), which represents more than 12,000 racquet sports professionals worldwide. Under the agreement, IAPPF is an Official Partner of RSPA, and RSPA is an Official Association Partner of IAPPF. RSPA members receive: RSPA members will receive a […]
BREAKING NEWS: Reports of Picklr Financial Crisis and Layoffs: What We Know and Don’t Know, and What It Means for the Industry
By Josh Kerns/IAPPF The IAPPF is monitoring rapidly developing reports involving The Picklr. Here is what can be established from public records and first-hand sources—and what remains speculation. Reports that The Picklr is facing a serious corporate financial crisis spread rapidly across the pickleball industry Wednesday, including claims of sweeping layoffs and an imminent or […]
Smarter Lighting and HVAC Could Help Facilities Cut Energy Costs
New Edison Lights and Energie Multisport are joining forces to improve building performance and playing conditions at indoor sports facilities. Lighting and HVAC systems directly affect the player experience—and represent some of the largest operating expenses for indoor pickleball and padel facilities. A new partnership between New Edison Lights and Energie Multisport aims to help […]
The Biggest Mistake Investors Can Make? Chasing the Hottest Market
By Tim Bainton, Blue Chip Sports Management One trend concerns me as I watch capital flow into racquet sports. Too many investors are racing to secure locations in what they perceive to be the epicenters of pickleball and padel growth. Those markets generate headlines, attract attention, and create excitement—but they also command premium land prices, […]
Think your facility’s above average? Prove it – free IAPPF benchmarking pilot
You think you run a great facility. Your members seem happy. Your reviews look solid. But compared to the rest of the industry — are you actually ahead, or just assuming? Right now, you can’t say for sure. No one can. That data has never existed. Until now. The IAPPF is launching an industry-first customer […]
IAPPF joins forces with International Padel Cluster to bring the padel world to the US
The IAPPF has entered a new partnership with the International Padel Cluster (IPC,) giving Cluster member companies direct access to the fastest-growing racquet sports market in the United States through Smash 2026 – The IAPPF Conference and Expo at AB Show. The IPC is the world’s leading non-profit professional business network dedicated to the padel […]
Pickleball’s First Simulator: Everybody Plays, You Get Paid
Playkout turns 150 square feet into pickleball anyone can play — kids, families, beginners, 4.0s — and six ways for operators to charge for it. Not everything your visitors want from your facility requires a court. Pickleball’s appeal has always been that anybody can play it — that’s why open play works, clinics fill, and […]
IAPPF and AB Show Partner to Launch the IAPPF 2026 International Conference and Expo in Orlando
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1+1=3! Pickleball and padel industries join the nation’s largest athletics, fitness and recreation conference and trade show, exponentially expanding the value and offerings for attendees and sponsors ORLANDO, Fla., July 9, 2026 — The International Association of Pickleball & Padel Facilities (IAPPF) and AB Show today announced a partnership that brings the […]