The Grand Rapids Blueprint: What Opening Day Revealed About Winning in MLP
World Pickleball Magazine's Chris Beaumont breaks down the opening day of the Edward Jones MLP Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids, where the Las Vegas Night Owls, Miami Pickleball Club, SoCal Hard Eights, and Orlando Squeeze all completed 3-0 sweeps built on winning women's doubles and then mixed doubles. Utah Black Diamonds and Chicago Slice recovered from men's doubles losses by taking both mixed doubles rubbers, while Florida Smash and Atlanta Bouncers advanced through DreamBreakers, underscoring how mixed doubles decided the day's closest ties.
Read at World Pickleball Magazine →Let Them Play: The Case for Teenagers in MLP
Pickleball.com's Victoria Radnothy examines the debate over teenagers competing in Major League Pickleball, centering on Chicago Slice veteran Zane Navratil, who argues that players good enough to compete at the sport's highest level have nowhere else to play. The piece notes that Anna Leigh Waters turned pro at 12 and points to young contributors like Jorja Johnson, Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio, and Elsie Hendershot as evidence that youth has become a competitive advantage in the league.
Read at Pickleball.com →
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