Life Time announced it’s teaming up with DUPR to unveil new junior pickleball programming to introduce more kids to the fastest growing sport in America.
At a time where 70% of kids stop playing sports by the age of 13, Life Time’s innovative junior curriculum emphasizes learning through the joy of playing in practices, versus drills and lessons that kids often view as boring. Children will gain pickleball and life skills through weekly round-robin games with a focus on reinforcing game-specific skills, age and stage development and life lessons in an emotionally safe learning environment.
This pickleball curriculum, designed by Life Time, with technical and shared marketing support from DUPR, has never been offered for juniors — starting at age four — at this scale and will cultivate the next generation of players.
“We’re proud to launch the first junior pickleball pathway leveraging our renowned Life Time destinations,” said Ajay Pant, the vice president of Racquet Sports at Life Time in a statement. “We have an established track record of creating life-long joy through racquet sports with our SMART junior tennis programming at Life Time and now are applying the same expertise to create joy of the sport for junior athletes in pickleball.”
Starting October 2nd, Life Time will offer junior pickleball programming at its Minnesota locations with pickleball courts and expand the programming to its entire network of athletic country clubs with pickleball by the end of the year.
“Our pickleball-specific and stage-based teaching system for kids is based on the principle of fair, level-based play,” said David McCune, the executive director of DUPR in a statement. “For kids who are dreaming of going further, this program is also the first step on their path to going pro.”
Life Time has a strategic alliance with DUPR and has adopted its official rating system across all Life Time clubs with pickleball.
The youth programming isn’t the only pickleball initiative happening in Minnesota.
On September 5, Life Time broke ground on the company’s first ground-up pickleball club in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The 25,000-square-foot building is expected to be complete in early 2024 and will feature eight indoor and seven outdoor pickleball courts, along with a viewing area, lounge, dressing rooms, and more.
Since early 2022, Life Time has constructed indoor and outdoor pickleball courts at a rate of five new permanent courts each week – many with viewing areas, stadium seating, and social lounges. It aims to have 1,000 pickleball courts by the end of 2024. Life Time is the largest owner and operator of both pickleball and indoor tennis courts.
For more information, visit the Life Time Pickleball website.
