New pickleball league “PaddleWar” set to start in Palm Springs in April

PaddleWar is a new team-based league set to start across the country, including in Palm Springs. Organizers say it "offers a fun, competitive environment for players of all levels, and it's quickly becoming the go-to league for pickleball enthusiasts."

They say Palm Springs is the perfect destination for all pickleball fans to play, whether they're beginners or seasoned competitors. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States, growing over 171% from 2018 to 2022.

While PaddleWar is not new to the United State, this year it is brand new to the Coachella Valley. The Rancho Mirage League Coordinator Wendy Melcher says it's a unique team concept because of it's rally-point system and its national competition opportunity.

Teams will have the ability to designate their home court and will play both home and away games. Through the season, that spans from April to May, teams will play each other to reach the state and regional competitions, eventually leading to the national championship at the end of the year.

The league is for ages 18 and up, and includes men's, women's and mixed play teams. Registration for this season is open now.

California is the fifth most popular state for Pickleball and Palm Springs has even hosted the USA Pickleball Nationals. 

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from the Palm Springs coordinator on what makes the Valley a great place for a league and how PaddleWar's will be different from existing leagues.

For more information on PaddleWar Palm Springs go to https://paddlewar.org/area/palm-springs-california/