July 27, 2023 – The National Pickleball League, LLC (NPL Pickleball™), the first and only professional pickleball league for Champions Pros (age 50+), will bring the excitement of pickleball to the courts at Chicken N Pickle (CNP) Grand Prairie July 29-30, 2023.
In 2022, NPL Pickleball announced the formation of a nationwide team competition for senior professional pickleball players. Owners of each of the six city-based teams, which include Austin Ignite, Boca Raton Picklers, Denver Iconics, Indy Drivers, Naples JBB United and the Oklahoma City Punishers, selected from a pool of the most elite players in the country through a team draft. Each team includes nine women, nine men and must include at least one male and one female super senior (player aged 60+).
NPL player commitments include current World #1s and 2022 US national champions Beth Bellamy and Rick Witsken, multiple major winners Jennifer Dawson and Scott Moore, as well as other top pros like Eva Welsher, Nathalie Bagby, Scott Crandall and Jose Derisi.
“We are extremely excited about our partnership with the National Pickleball League,” said Kelli Alldredge, Senior VP of Engagement of Chicken N Pickle. “We are honored to host these amazing players at our state-of-the-art facilities and to be the home of senior pro pickleball. Chicken N Pickle is dedicated to giving back to our local communities, and partnering with NPL allows us to bring world class pickleball to each area we serve.”
The NPL season will consist of five head-to-head team competitions, held at Chicken N Pickle locations in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, and a season-ending League Championship at CNP’s newest location in Glendale, Arizona.
This weekend marks NPL’s second event in the state of Texas and will feature more than 100 players from across the USA and two players coming from as far away as Singapore and Australia.
All courts will be live streamed on the NPL’s YouTube Channel for all matches on both Saturday, July 29th, and Sunday, July 30th, including feature matches all day on the Championship Court with veteran sportscaster, Ari Shanok, calling all the action with guest analysts.
About Chicken N Pickle:
Chicken N Pickle is a unique, indoor/outdoor entertainment complex including a casual, chef-driven restaurant and sports bar that boasts pickleball courts and indoor/outdoor games for all ages. Its mission is to provide an atmosphere that fosters fun,
friendship, and community. A key tenet of Chicken N Pickle is demonstrated through the Our Hearts Are Local program, which focuses on creating philanthropic partnerships to strengthen our neighborhoods and beyond. Dozens of charitable events are held annually and proceeds are donated back to the communities we serve. Good Food. Good Friends. Great Fun. For more information, please visit www.chickennpickle.com
About NPL Pickleball™:
NPL Pickleball™ is a nationwide team competition for Champions Division (50+) professional pickleball players, featuring top pro players from around the nation. Founded in 2022 by Champions Pro players Rick Witsken, Beth Bellamy, Michael “Hammer Mike” Chen, and Tom DeCaprio, NPL Pickleball’s regular season events will take place from June to September, culminating in a season-ending Championships in October where the Championship title and $100,000 in prize money will be on the line. All events in 2023 will be held at Chicken N Pickle’s state-of-the-art indoor facilities across the country. For more information on NPL Pickleball, please visit www.nplpickleball.com
