Pickleball continues to climb to new heights of popularity and Visit Johnson City hopes to capitalize on this by continuing their partnership with Southern Pickleball to bring in the inaugural Tennessee Pickleball Association (TPA) State Championship. Memorial Park Community Center (MPCC) will host this 2-day event taking place on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. The tournament is open to pickleball players of any age and skill level and no prior qualifications are required.
Gameplay on Saturday, Sept. 30 will consist of Men’s & Women’s Doubles, with age brackets ranging from 18 to 70+ and including 2.5 to 4.5+ skill levels. Sunday, Oct. 1 will include Mixed Doubles, granting players the chance to compete with one another across varying ages and skill levels. Registration cost is $60.00 for one day of play; participants can pay an additional $15 to play both days.
Deb Fogle, Senior Services Manager, explains the impact and attraction Johnson City’s pickleball courts have created within the community. “Since the conversion of the four tennis courts at Memorial Park Community Center to 12 pickleball courts in 2022, we have seen tremendous growth of pickleball in this area. Southern pickleball hosted their first tournament in Tennessee in April 2023 and are returning to host the Tennessee State Championship tournament here in September 2023. Just as we are seeing the explosion of pickleball in our area I am also seeing the age of players younger and younger learning the game of pickleball and I believe the growth will only continue. ”
To register for the Tennessee Pickleball Association State Championship in Johnson City, please visit southernpickleballtnstatechampionships/JC.
