How Pro Sports Are Picking Up Pickleball

Pro sports, big deals, and the mindset shifts players are talking about.

Author

Empower Pickleball
November 25, 2025

Pickleball has a way of pulling people together, and this time of year makes that pretty obvious. Between holiday chaos, travel, and everyone juggling ten things at once, the court somehow still ends up being the place people reconnect, reset, and remember why they play in the first place.

With Thanksgiving here, we’re genuinely grateful for this community—the people who read, share, play, compete, argue about grip pressure, and keep this whole thing fun. And if you’re someone who gets our Thursday newsletter too, consider this your heads-up: we’re taking the day off, so this will be your only edition this week.

Inside:

  • How NFL, NBA, and MLB teams are weaving pickleball into their culture

  • A mindset shift players are leaning on during tough matches

  • Why singles might be the fastest way to improve your game

  • The best Black Friday deals worth jumping on

🌎 How Pickleball Is Working Its Way Into Big-League Culture

Pickleball showing up in other pro sports isn’t new, but the way teams are using it feels different. It’s becoming a tool for connection, charity, team chemistry, and fan engagement. It isn’t replacing anything, and it isn’t a novelty. It’s simply an easy, low-pressure way for athletes and staff to do something meaningful together that feels fun and competitive.

This week gave us two solid examples—and the broader trend behind them.

The New England Patriots Are Using Pickleball for Community Impact

As part of their Salute to Service programming, the New England Patriots ran a full pickleball tournament with more than 60 National Guard members. Players, coaches, and Hall-of-Famer Dante Scarnecchia jumped in. It gave players and service members a chance to spend time together in a setting that felt relaxed and genuine.

The Lakers Turned an Off-Week Into a Pickleball Bracket

With an unusual break in the schedule, the Lakers built a full tournament in their facility. Jake LaRavia and an assistant coach won it, with LeBron, Luka, Austin Reaves, and JJ Redick all joining in the fun. Pickleball has become the go-to when teams want competition without the grind, something everyone can jump into and enjoy.

MLB Is Taking It Even Further

Baseball has leaned in hard. The Ballpark Series brought pickleball into stadiums like Fenway, Oracle Park, and Coors Field. Teams are hosting pickleball nights. Players are running charity events—including Mookie Betts’ “Smash for Good,” which drew MLB stars and raised real money. Rangers staff played during their World Series run. Former MLB executives are launching pickleball ventures inside ballparks.

And when Anna Leigh Waters threw the first pitch at Wrigley and led the seventh-inning stretch, it became clear that pickleball has a regular place in other professional sports settings.

🌎 Around the Picklesphere

💛 When behavior overshadows talent
👟 Train your lower body
🏓 The paddle expert you should know
😎 Protection that actually helps

🍗 5 Drills to Work Off That Thanksgiving Turkey

BRING THIS TO THE COURT: It’s Thanksgiving week, so even your stretchy pants might be running a little tight come Friday. Counteract that extra slice of pumpkin pie with a little extra time on court. Here are five pickleball drills to work off the year’s best meal.

1. Fast Hands (Pickleball Hand-Speed Drill)

Get the blood flowing with the fast hands drill. Step inside the kitchen line and ask your partner to do the same. Volley the ball back and forth, practicing making clean contact and hitting your target.

When you feel comfortable, try increasing the speed of the ball and lowering the targets to hip/thigh level. (5 min)

2. Bodyweight Squats (Pickleball Leg Strength Warm-Up)

Time to warm up the leg muscles with some bodyweight squats. You’re going to need them in the next two drills. 

Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat down to a comfortable depth and focus on driving up through the heels. Try 3 sets of 20 reps to get started. (2 min)

3. Power Serves (Pickleball Serve Training)

Use that added mass to your advantage. Step back to the baseline and try ripping off some power serves. Focus on creating power from your legs and try to land five in a row within three feet of the baseline. (5 min)

4. Digging Dinks (Low-Ball Dinking Drill)

If your legs aren’t sore after pickleball, then you’re not playing it right. Line up cross-court from your partner at the kitchen line. Dink diagonally back and forth and focus on bending your knees to get down to the level of the ball.

The goal is to keep your torso upright while completing the shot. Instead of bending at the waist to dig up the low ball, squat down with your knees and use your legs to lift the ball back over the net. (5 min)

5. Shake and Bake (Third-Shot to Fifth-Shot Drill)

Time to get the heart rate up a little. If you hit the perfect drop or drive, then you deserve the reward of a clean putaway. But executing the perfect shake and bake requires some practice.

For this drill, park your partner at the kitchen line and yourself behind the baseline. Have them feed you a ball to practice hitting a third. 

If your third is good, practice aggressively crashing through the transition zone and taking the fifth as a swinging volley. The key is to maintain control of where the ball is going while still crashing forward. (10 min)

Build up the trust in your shots so they’re ready to go come game-time.
Congrats, you burned off that pumpkin pie. Time to hit the fridge for more leftovers.

🛒 Your New Favorite Place to Feed a Gear Obsession

If you’ve ever played with someone who always shows up with a fresh paddle, a new grip, and gear you somehow didn’t even know existed—that’s Pickleball Warehouse.

They stock every major brand—Selkirk, JOOLA, CRBN, Paddletek—plus a branch of sleepers that deserve way more love. Free shipping over $50, a 30-day paddle trial, and a price-match guarantee make it stupidly easy to try new stuff without second-guessing every purchase.

👉 Upgrade your setup with Pickleball Warehouse.

🛍️ The Best Black Friday Pickleball Deals of 2025

If you’re planning to snag gear this week, this roundup saves you the headache. Paddles, training machines, insoles, apparel—everything that actually matters on court is discounted somewhere, and the list is stacked with brands players actually use.

From 40% off lifestyle gear to major markdowns on CRBN, Six Zero, Wilson, Franklin, and the Erne machine, this guide pulls together the best deals in one place so you don’t have to dig.

👉 Take a look at our top Black Friday picks.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

How Pickleball’s First Rules Were Decided

Contributed by Jennifer Lucore, Pickleball Hall of Famer and historian—author of History of Pickleball — More Than 50 Years of Fun! • Visit allpickleball.com 

🧠 Why Pickleball Changes How You Think

Pickleball hands out reality checks fast—the humbling losses, the moments that force patience, the partnerships that either sync or implode. The wild part is how those tiny game moments start reshaping how you handle pressure everywhere else.

If you’ve ever walked off the court feeling different than when you walked on, this piece breaks down exactly why. It’s not about winning. It’s about who the game turns you into.

👉 Read the mindset shift players swear by.

🧩 Singles Pickleball Makes More Sense Than You Think

Singles looks intimidating until you try it—then you realize it’s one of the best ways to rebuild real movement, cleaner footwork, and actual confidence in your game. No partner to lean on, no hiding in a corner, just you learning to cover space, make decisions, and stay calm when the court suddenly feels huge.

And the kicker? It makes your doubles game noticeably sharper. Better stamina. Better results. Better patience. That’s why players like Staksrud, Haworth, and Parris Todd keep singles in their training… it exposes your game in all the right ways.

👉 See why more players are adding singles to their weekly mix.

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