Arizona’s first dedicated indoor pickleball facility opened one month ago. One of the largest such facility in the country, Pickleball Kingdom sports the outdoor surfaces that pickleball players know and love with all the benefits of playing indoors. In fact, the idea for Pickleball Kingdom was birthed on January 9, 2021, as soon-to-be founder and CEO Mike Rodrigues and his buddies were standing in the sun on a windy day waiting for a pickleball court to open up.
Pickleball Kindgom’s specialized AC ducts eliminate the heat and wind of outdoor courts. The sports-specific lighting illuminates the courts without the negative effects of the sun on the game and on players. Now, as the weather is heating up for summer, the window of opportunity to play on public courts becomes limited to early in the morning or after the sun goes down — and the wait times make the experience less attractive. Pickleball Kingdom’s free app addresses that second issue by allowing players to reserve a court.
Pickleball Kingdom is launching a new initiative to introduce pickleball to everyone. Pickleball 101 is a free class for the public, regardless of if they’re a member or not. It’s an introduction to the sport, overview of the rules, and coaching of the basic fundamentals of the game.
“At the Kingdom, we believe that pickleball is good for you physically, socially and spiritually,” Rodrigues says. Believing the reason most people haven’t tried the sport yet is they don’t know anyone who will teach them, they don’t have the equipment or they don’t know where to go, Rodrigues sees Pickleball Kingdom as an ambassador of the sport, and offers a free Pickleball 101 class most days of the week to introduce people to the game.
Image courtesy of Pickleball Kingdom
