International Women’s Month: 10 Women-Led Pickleball Organizations to Support This March

by Kelly Campbell

March is International Women’s Month, a time set aside to honor women’s contributions to history while focusing on issues like gender equality. At TrackitHub, we want to celebrate all of the amazing women in our lives every day, but it’s especially important this month to acknowledge the incredible impact women have had on the pickleball scene. 

We’re proud to play a sport that offers greater gender equity than most other sports. Just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8, we want to recognize some remarkable women in pickleball and women-led pickleball organizations. 

We hope you’ll join us in supporting these powerful pickleball trailblazers and organizations this International Women’s Month and beyond. Pickleball, especially through the comradery of the pickleball community, would not be where it is today without the drive and determination of these women pushing boundaries for women in sports.

1. Women’s International Pickleball Association: WIPA – WIPA is an organization that’s dedicated to ensuring that “the hundreds of women entering the world of professional pickleball, and the tens of thousands of women playing recreationally, have equitable representation.”
2. KaSandra Marie’s EmpowHer – EmpowHer is a women’s-only pickleball community led by professional player and instructor KaSandra Marie. The group hosts pickleball retreats, camps, and clinics designed for women, by women.
3. Recess Pickleball Paddles – Recess Pickleball Paddles is a women-owned pickleball retailer that sells pickleball paddles, pickleball gift sets, pickleball apparel, and pickleball accessories. Maggie Brown and Grace Moore founded Recess with the mission, “to bring that wholesome Recess feeling to people of all ages, encouraging them to take a break, have some fun, and play.”
4. Women’s Power Pickleball League – The Women’s Power Pickleball League is a women’s-only league that advocates for women in pickleball. The league currently has 64 teams and 1000 players, with hopes of further expansion.
5. Pickler – Founder Stacie Townsend is a talented pickleball player and founder of The Pickler. The Pickler’s mission is “to promote the sport of pickleball and inspire others to play pickleball.”
6. PickleballTournaments.com & Association of Pickleball Players – Pickleball powerhouse Melissa McCurley is the longtime owner of PickleballTournaments.com and the Executive Vice President of the APP. Her dedication to the sport and her tremendous contributions to both organizations have helped them keep up with pickleball demands as the sport has evolved and grown throughout the years. 
7. PEP Pickleball – PEP Pickleball is a pickleball brand that’s designed to empower women. Founder Jill Christiansen created PEP pickleball as a means to combine quality materials with fashion to create a feminine pickleball product line. The PEP brand is a “celebration of the game, confidence, the empowerment of women, achieving goals, and the community we all share”. 
8. Pretty Picklers – Pretty Picklers is a female-oriented pickleball community. The group fosters community by practicing together, joining tournaments together, traveling together, highlighting a “pretty pickler of the week” on their website, engaging with group members via their podcast, and through numerous community outreach and charity efforts. Founder Kerry Shannon is a USA Pickleball Ambassador who started Pretty Picklers as a means to connect with other women pickleball players and promote pickleball in a fun and inclusive environment.
9. Simply Pickleball Podcast – Pickleball enthusiast Crystal Brown discusses all things pickleball on her women-led podcast. On the podcast, she provides pickleball-playing listeners with tips, fosters community amongst picklers, and hosts pickleball industry leaders and pro athletes to keep listeners up-to-date on all things pickleball. 
10. Pickleball for the Cure – Pickleball for the Cure is an extension of the Susan G. Koman Foundation, a charity organization committed to saving lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer. As breast cancer primarily affects women, this women-led organization does incredible work each and every day and has made a huge impact on the pickleball community. Their pickleball charity tournament offerings unite players and non-players to raise money and fight for an amazing cause. Read more about Pickleball For the Cure in our October Breast Cancer awareness blog.