Introducing the Dinkable Newsletter.
Sharing what I learn about the industry and the game of pickleball.
2020 was full of surprises and none more unexpected than me developing a love of pickleball. As if homeschooling, feeding three ravenous kids 3x daily, digging out from the never-ending piles of dirty dishes, and cleaning up after a COVID puppy were not enough, (deep breath) I’ve decided to launch the Dinkable Newsletter…a passion project that merges my personal love of playing pickleball with my professional interest in the business of emerging sports.
A few years back, I launched Facebook’s emerging sports program. That meant teaming closely with sports orgs like Crossfit Games, WWE, UFC, PGA TOUR, Formula E, Nitro Circus, and the esports industry to help cultivate community, grow brand, and navigate into sustainable growth on digital and social platforms. To my chagrin, pickleball never hit my radar! (Oopsy!!).
As recently as nine months ago, I’d still never seen a pickleball or met anyone who had played pickleball. And then one sunny summer day my buddy Mark Cohen invited me to play at his place. Little did Mark know that his invitation would have a massive impact on how I spend my free time. Fast forward to February 2021, I now play several times a week, my social epicenter has moved to the pickleball court, and I’ve become perfectly comfortable hanging with people who wear neon tank tops.
Pickleball has some unique characteristics that set it apart from other sports in terms of growth potential. I’m eager to dive deeper and cover those things, using Dinkable as my unofficial record. Topics you might see include the rapidly evolving economics of pickleball, licensing and media rights, content production and strategy, international expansion, insights from top players, trends in younger player development, tips and techniques from coaches, recaps of interesting matches, and more.
Who knows, maybe someday when tourney prize purses are measured in millions, I’ll be able to look back to recall some of the earlier beginnings.
If you’re interested to come along for the ride, sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
In the meantime, tell your friends!