We Had To Choose A Path. We Chose To Protect The Heart Of Pickleball
Most other pickleball sites are powered by sponsors. We’re powered by players. That’s why what you read here is different β and why it’s worth protecting.
How This Started
In 2021, a serious health challenge stopped everything. The isolation was suffocating. The physical limitations were maddening. And the future β which had always felt certain β suddenly didn’t.
Then came open play. And like so many of you reading this, that was it. Hooked.
Pickleball became movement when movement felt impossible. It became community when the walls were closing in. It became progress, and joy, and proof that things could still get better.
When the recovery was behind us, one question kept surfacing: how do you give back to something that gave you this much?
The answer turned out to be thirty years of publishing experience, a deep love for the game, and a growing conviction that pickleball players deserved far better content than what existed. In May 2025, Picklepedia launched.
The Problem With Pickleball Media
Most pickleball content is funded by the industry it covers.
Paddle reviews written by people earning affiliate commissions. Tips sponsored by equipment brands. Advice shaped by whoever’s paying that month.
That’s not journalism. It’s marketing dressed up as advice. And most players β once they notice it β can’t unnotice it.
Picklepedia was built on a different foundation: independent, unbiased, and player-first. No sponsored content. No exclusive brand partnerships. No affiliate links. No ads. Every article exists for one reason only β because we believe it helps your game.
That’s only possible when players β not brands β fund the platform.
What This Is Really About
We hear from readers every week. Some are competitive players trying to break through to the next level. Some discovered pickleball during illness, retirement, loss β and found something they weren’t expecting.
Some are running free weekly sessions for their communities β eight, ten, twelve players showing up every week to learn and improve β using Picklepedia articles as their coaching material.
That’s what this is really about. Not content strategy or publishing models. The fact that pickleball changes people’s lives β and that the information players rely on to play, teach, and grow the game should be something they can actually trust.
Who We Write For
Our readers range from brand new players figuring out the kitchen rules to 4.5-rated veterans hunting for a competitive edge. What they share is this: they want content that respects their intelligence, challenges what they think they know, and doesn’t waste their time.
The Picklepedia voice is direct, occasionally funny, entertaining and always player-first. We’d rather challenge an accepted idea than confirm one. Science over folklore. Frameworks over tips. Many of our readers feel what they read “feels different” β and we hope you’re here for exactly that reason.
What Readers Say
“The gold standard in pickleball newsletters, the one I most look forward to opening.”
“I like the science basis.”
“I can’t stop reading what you put out.”
That’s why we do this.
The Team
Picklepedia is a small, independent operation. Simon β founder and editor β handles the bulk of content, strategy, and platform development. A growing group of contributors and community members round out the team.
No corporate backing. No venture capital. Just a mission, a community that believes in it, and a model built on trust rather than transactions.
Keep It Powered By Players
Pickleball gave us a second chance. This is how we’re giving back.
If something you read here made you think differently, helped you teach, helped you improve, or simply felt like a place you could trust β you can help make sure it keeps existing.
No sponsors. No bias. No ads. Just players keeping independent pickleball media alive.