BUILDING THE FUTURE
PLAY, GROW & BELONG
Kids can grow, compete, and connect through pickleball.
A community where young athletes belongs.
HOW WE STARTED
When my son, Jack, discovered pickleball at age seven, it quickly became clear that this wasn’t just a passing interest. As he began to enter adult tournaments and hold his own against much older competitors, I realized there were no high-quality tournaments just for juniors. My daughter Lily, a competitive swimmer who enjoys pickleball recreationally, also didn’t have a way to participate with others of similar age and skill level. There was no place where kids could compete against their peers, form friendships, and grow together—they needed a place to enjoy the game and find a community to belong to.
So, in 2022 I helped organize the first junior pickleball tournament in Las Vegas. It was small—just 40 kids—but the energy, the joy, the sense of community was undeniable. In 2024, with support from JOOLA Pickleball and DUPR, I officially launched the National Junior Pickleball (NJP). Since then, the NJP Tour has hosted regional tournaments across the country, welcoming thousands of players and families into a community that continues to grow organically.
I started NJP because I believe that kids deserve their own stage and space to participate in the sport—no matter their skill level. They deserve events that are tailored to their development, their joy, and their potential. Playing on the NJP Tour is about more than medals—it’s about building a pathway from the littles who are just starting to play, to the teens dedicated to training to compete at the highest levels.
– Courtney Loughridge, Founder CEO
NJP IS A PLACE FOR KIDS TO GROW IN THE SPORT, TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS,
AND TO DISCOVER WHAT THEY’RE CAPABLE OF—ON AND OFF THE COURT.
